Alison M. Turner

Dr. Alison M. Turner is an Assistant Professor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at North Carolina State University's Department of World Languages and Cultures. Bilingual in Spanish and English, she has over a decade of experience spanning K-12 education and teacher preparation. Her research emphasizes community-school partnerships to support multilingual learners, leveraging cultural wealth frameworks and family engagement strategies.

Education:

• B.A. in Romance Languages, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2001)
• MAT in Arts and Teaching, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2002)
• M.A. in Spanish Literature, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2007)
• Ph.D. in Bilingual Education/ESL Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2014)

Research interests focus on:

• Immigrant/refugee student transitions
• Community-based professional development for language teachers
• Cultural asset pedagogies
• Equitable curriculum design for multilingual learners

Her publications explore topics like refugee college access pathways, digital history tools for language learners, and two-way immersion program dynamics. Current projects include coordinating a teacher training program in Azerbaijan (2025). Active in professional service as Carolina TESOL Executive Board Secretary since 2018.