Tamara Turner

Tamara Turner is an Associate Professor and Clinical Coordinator in the Occupational Therapy Program at Midwestern University's Glendale campus. She also serves as Director of Clinical Education since 2020. Her academic journey includes an Ed.D. in Higher Education (Argosy University, 2017), M.S. in Occupational Therapy (Belmont University, 2010), and earlier degrees in health sciences and occupational therapy assisting. Dr. Turner has over 20 years of clinical experience in geriatrics, neurology, and rehabilitation, coupled with academic leadership roles since 2012.

Research Interests: Focuses on collaborative fieldwork supervision, dementia care interventions, and innovative teaching methodologies. Her work includes national surveys on supervision models and grant-funded studies on Alzheimer’s care practitioner preparedness. She has presented at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Awards: 2018 Hospice of the Valley Dementia Care Fellow.

Teaching & Grants: Leads courses in fieldwork, clinical processes, and Spanish for healthcare providers. Co-led a $100k grant (Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, 2022–2023) investigating dementia care practitioner readiness. Active in curriculum development for aging and interprofessional practice.

Languages: Fluent in Spanish (read/write/speak/peer review).