Zachary Turpin

Zachary Turpin is an Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of Idaho, affiliated with the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. His research focuses on 19th-century periodical culture, digital humanities, textual recovery, and the history of epistemology and sciences. He is renowned for rediscovering lost works by Walt Whitman and other American authors, including Whitman’s novella *Life and Adventures of Jack Engle* (1852) and wellness manifesto *Manly Health and Training* (1858). Turpin’s work often involves collaborative archival research to uncover unaccounted-for writings by figures like Rebecca Harding Davis, Emma Lazarus, and Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Education:

• Ph.D., English Language and Literature, University of Houston (2017)
• M.A., English Literature, College of Charleston and The Citadel (2007)
• B.A., English Literature, New York University (2004)

Research Interests: Turpin’s work bridges traditional literary scholarship and digital methods. He explores how periodicals shaped 19th-century literary culture, emphasizing textual recovery and the intersection of science and literature. His projects include editing Whitman’s journalism and compiling *Radicals: Audacious Writings by American Women, 1830–1930*, which recovers feminist voices.

Publications Trends: His articles and books focus on recovering lost texts, analyzing authorial networks, and contextualizing works within broader historical frameworks. Recent projects highlight Whitman’s New Orleans period and interdisciplinary approaches to Melville’s philosophical influences.

Awards: He has received prestigious fellowships such as the Kluge Fellowship (Library of Congress, 2017–18) and Peterson Fellowship (American Antiquarian Society, 2020–21), alongside teaching awards and grants supporting digital scholarship.

Teaching & Advising: Turpin teaches courses on American literature, archival methods, and Whitman/Melville studies. His advising emphasizes hands-on archival research, reflected in student projects and collaborative publications.

Labs/Teams: While no formal lab is mentioned, his work involves collaborations with institutions like the Library of Congress and digital humanities initiatives at the University of Idaho.