Heather Turner

Dr. Heather Turner is an Associate Professor and Director of Internships in the Department of English at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences. She specializes in bridging academic scholarship with practical applications through Professional and Technical Writing, Community Writing, and Digital Humanities. With over ten years of experience as a User Experience (UX) designer, she collaborates with communities and students to enhance the functionality, accessibility, and inclusivity of digital technologies and textual content.

Education

• Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing, Michigan State University
• M.A. in English, Auburn University
• B.S. in English and Art (minor), Troy University

Research Focus

Dr. Turner's interdisciplinary work integrates writing pedagogy with technology design. Her research emphasizes community-centered approaches to digital communication, focusing on usability and social justice. Key domains include multimodal composition strategies, visual information design, and the ethical implications of digital rhetorics in user experience frameworks.