S. Dennis Turner
E-mail: ad7i3d@r.postjobfree.com Phone: 615-***-**** (cell)
Summary of Qualification
Extensive experience with scientific/laboratory informatics, chemical/physical/microbiological analyses, use of mathematical and statistical methods, programming, and database languages and software in support of scientific and financial data use cases.
Professional Accomplishments
Clin. App. Coordinator 1: Tennessee Department of Health Laboratory Services, Nashville, TN: 2015-2023
• Selection and implementation of StarLIMS v11 ES, collaborating with our contracted project manager, StarLIMS implementation specialists, and staff at every level of DLS. Onsite in Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis labs, directly training staff of the time intensively on system use and preparing training materials for further use. Finished on time and under budget.
• Developed proficiency in JavaScript.NET, MSSQL, and proprietary software languages to write and validate improvements for data collection, storage, retrieval, and presentation of scientific data.
• Implementation of Public Water Systems testing migration to v11 ES from v9 PHL, collaborating with Clinical Director, Administrative Director, and environmental microbiology testing staff at multiple lab locations. This included separate support for PWS billing and extracts directly uploadable to Edison
(after encryption).
• Business analysis for and configuration of dozens of tests in StarLIMS v11 ES, including configuration of Data Capture Utilities (DCUs) for import of contract-specified outsource test results.
• Implementation of WIIN Grant testing for lead, collaborating with Env. Asst. Director, QA Manager, and metals testing staff. Included alternate workflow, schemas, metadata collection template, Crystal Reports reporting template, and interactive application interfaces for grant metrics monitoring as well as results data extracts.
• As Informatics Data Manager, developed automated report delivery, automated archival and clearing of data impacting system performance, implemented support for hierarchical sample relationships in HL7 messages, developed apps for real-time metrics of test results and employee performance, and developed apps and processes for monitoring LIMS performance in StarLIMS v11 PHL vertical. Chemist 2: Tennessee Department of Health Laboratory Services, Nashville, TN: 2007-2015
• Operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of gas chromatography and liquid chromatography instrumentation from Hewlett-Packard, Varian, Inc., and Agilent incorporating mass spectrometry, UV absorbance, fluorescence, electron capture, and thermionic specific detectors for analyses of drinking water, surface water, soil, and biological samples.
• Physical and chemical separations including TCLP, liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, and solid phase extractions, derivatizations involving diazomethane and ortho-phthalaldehyde for organic chemical analyses.
• Developed proficiency at editing and writing standard operating procedures and technical training manuals.
• Experience with the use and configuration of a variety of instrument control and analysis software including TurboChrom, TotalChrom, Aquakem, Chromeleon, Omnion, Star and Galaxie Workstation, Chemstation.
• Maintained and reviewed records of quality control data and created a paperless record-keeping system.
• Coupled with skill as an advanced user of StarLIMS v9 and database software, used Access 2010, R, and SQL query programming to create procedures: for producing electronic data deliverables in EPA’s WQX format and others to TDEC agencies; for identifying unbilled (~$240k recovered in FY2013-2014) and multiply-billed analyses that slipped past StarLIMS protocols; for generating snapshot and trend reports used in agency-wide decision making processes.
S. Dennis Turner
E-mail: ad7i3d@r.postjobfree.com Phone: 615-***-**** (cell) Analyst: TestAmerica, Inc., Nashville, TN: 2007
• Operation of gas chromatography instrumentation from Hewlett-Packard and Shimadzu incorporating flame ionization detectors for alcohols, glycols, and acetates analyses by EPA method 8015 and automated headspace sampling for RSK-175 analyses (small chain hydrocarbons from methane through butane). Experience with Element LIMS software.
Quality Control Technician: Midwest Zinc, Clarksville, TN: 2006
• Relevant experience: Analyses of metals using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (essentially EPA method 7000B). Surface area determination of solids using BET analyzer. Education
Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN attended 2014-2016 P.S.M, Data Management and Analysis
Relevant courses: Leadership for the Scientist-Manager, Probabilistic & Statistical Reasoning (with R), Intro to Web Programming, SAS Programming, Data Mining Applications, Data Mining Projects, Database Management Concepts, Leadership and Communication, Professional Science Internship project involving development of extract-transform-load (ETL) process and data mining applications for DLS Environmental data.
Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN attended 2009-2011 9 hrs. completed with 4.0 GPA toward M.S. in Chemistry Relevant courses: Spectroscopic Methods, Advanced Organic Chemistry, Advanced Physical Chemistry. Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN attended 2005-2007 B.A., Chemistry, ACS Certified
Relevant courses: Instrumental Analysis, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry I&II, Biochemistry II, Forensic Chemistry, Cell Biology, Statistics, Physics I&II, Senior Seminar project with fixing and using graphite furnace atomic absorption instrument for metals analysis (essentially EPA method 7010). Murray State University, Murray, KY attended 1996-2005 Relevant courses: General Chemistry 1&2, Organic Chemistry 1&2, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry I, Instrumental Analysis, Calculus 1,2,&3, Zoology, Botany, Ecology, Microbiology, Genetics, Cell Biology, Macroeconomics, General Psychology, Psychology of Learning. Training, Certification, Skills, Awards
• StarLIMS User Training and Advanced Configuration Training.
• Advanced SQL Training (for MSSQL, Oracle, & MySQL).
• Trained at EPA region 4 in Athens, GA with state of the art instrumentation (Agilent GC-MS-MS-MS, Waters LC-MS-MS) for advanced environmental analyses, including polyfuoroalkanes (PFAS).
• Advanced user of Microsoft Windows operating systems as well as MS Office applications (i.e., Word, Excel, Access) including competing productivity software (OpenOffice.org applications).
• 2014 Woodmen of the World Environmental Award
• 2019-2020 TN Dept. of Health awards in Excellence and Teamwork
• 2022 TN 15 Years Service
Academic/Professional/Personal References
S. Dennis Turner
E-mail: ad7i3d@r.postjobfree.com Phone: 615-***-**** (cell) Ron Robertson, Ph.D.; Professor Emeritus Chemistry (ret.), Austin Peay State University; Phone: 931-***-****; E-mail: ad7i3d@r.postjobfree.com Carrie Brennan, Ph.D.; Professor of Analytical Chemistry, Austin Peay Stat University; Phone: 931-***-****; E-mail: ad7i3d@r.postjobfree.com
Timothy Morris, M.S.; former QA Manager/Direct Supervisor, TN Dept. of Health, Laboratory Services; Phone: 931-***-****; E-mail: ad7i3d@r.postjobfree.com
Cathie Ayers; former manager, Organics & Sample Receiving, TN Dept. of Health, Laboratory Services Phone: 931-***-****; E-mail: ad7i3d@r.postjobfree.com