What Happened To Dr. Sturgis On Young Sheldon?

Wallace Shawn's character Dr. John Sturgis has a very interesting character arc on "Young Sheldon." He's first seen in Season 1, Episode 19, "Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple," and is introduced as Sheldon's (Iain Armitage) pen pal-turned-mentor. The eccentric scientist then strikes up a burgeoning romance with Sheldon's Meemaw Connie (Annie Potts) which lasts until Season 3's fifth episode, "A Pineapple and a Bosom of Male Friendship." Struggling with his mental health, he feels it's best to break up with Connie rather than have her endure his suffering, an act he later comes to regret. However, they never get back together as Connie moves on with Dale (Craig T. Nelson).

Dr. Sturgis' relationship with Sheldon also goes through a rough patch in Season 3. In Episode 17, "An Academic Crime and a More Romantic Taco Bell," the pair fall out over Sturgis' research. Sheldon assists his mentor in a minimal capacity but then expects to be named as a co-author on his paper. Sturgis' refusal to do so results in a feud that has to be mediated by another academic at the university, Dr. Grant Linkletter (Ed Begley Jr.).

"Clueless" alum Wallace Shawn has found playing Dr. Sturgis to be a very exciting role, which came about at just the right time. "For me, it's a wonderful thing, I'm very lucky. I don't know how it's happened, but it's been very good fortune for me," he told Vulture in 2019. Thankfully, Dr. Sturgis and Sheldon do manage to work through their issues and viewers get to see more of the professor over the seasons. He ultimately becomes a close friend and mentor to Sheldon while he studies at East Texas Tech, and they later work together on several projects.

Wallace Shawn's character becomes a trusted mentor to Sheldon on "Young Sheldon." In Season 7, Episode 9, "A Fancy Article and a Scholarship for a Baby," Dr. Sturgis helps the young genius make a life-changing decision about his future. Sheldon is torn between attending MIT and Caltech for his postgraduate studies. At the behest of President Hagemeyer (Wendie Malik), they try to convince him to stay at East Texas Tech but quickly realize this would be a mistake. Telling Sheldon he's outgrown the university, they encourage him to pursue higher education at a more prestigious institution. "You're going to do great things, Sheldon, and we're proud to have been a small part of your journey," Dr. Sturgis tells him.

This emotional scene may be the last time viewers see these two university professors, but it does end with Sheldon taking their advice. At the end of the episode, he decides MIT is the college for him — that is, until he realizes how cold it gets in Boston and changes his choice to Caltech, Dr. Sturgis' recommendation.

By the time Season 7 reaches its end, Sheldon will jet off to California, leaving everyone he loves behind in Medford, Texas, including Dr. Sturgis. Little is known about Sturgis' life beyond "Young Sheldon" as, like many characters from the prequel sitcom, such as McKenna Grace's Paige Swanson, he is never mentioned in "The Big Bang Theory." Nevertheless, his impact on Sheldon's adolescence can't be overstated.