Faculty & Staff | Occupational Therapy

Laura Carpenter, PhD, OTR/L
Department Chair/Program Director/Associate Professor
Health Science Building, Office 440
615.963.2152
Email me: lcarpen3@tnstate.edu

Laura J. Carpenter, PhD, OTR/L

Laura Carpenter joined Tennessee State University’s Occupational Therapy Department in July 2023. She is the Department Chair/Program Director and holds the rank of associate professor. Dr. Carpenter has been an occupational therapist since 2001 and has worked in higher education full-time since 2013. Her clinical experience has primarily been in the outpatient pediatric setting, although she also has experience working in school system practice, consulting, and adult rehabilitation settings. Her current research interests are grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL). One topic focuses on sleep and how students learn to address sleep in practice; the second topic is uses of virtual reality in occupational therapy education.

Education

Indiana University Bloomington, IN

• Doctor of Philosophy in Learning and Developmental Sciences (Educational Psychology) Dissertation: More than a name: Using the framework of mechanistic reasoning to move beyond taxonomies in occupational therapists’ clinical reasoning
• Master of Science in Educational Psychology
• University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, IN

• Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy
• Bachelor of Science in Health Services
• Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant

Kimberly Walker, OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor/POTUS Coordinator
Health Science Building, Office 436
615.963.5953
Email me: kwalke95@tnstate.edu

Kimberly Walker, OTD, OTR/L

Kimberly Walker joined Tennessee State University’s Occupational Therapy Department in January 2024 and holds the rank of assistant professor. Dr. Walker has been an occupational therapist since 2015. Her clinical experience has primarily been in inpatient rehab and skilled nursing facilities. In addition to their clinical work, Dr Walker is cofounder of an occupation-based wellness community in Nashville. Her research interests lie at the intersection of health equity, community-based program development and exploring how occupational therapy’s role in addressing health disparities.

Education

• Belmont University

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

• Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

Lauren Beard, OTD, MOT, OTR/L
Assistant Professor & Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
Health Science Building, Office 443
615.963.5955
Email me: lwilli49@tnstate.edu

Lauren Beard, OTD, MOT, OTR/L- Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

Dr. Lauren Beard joined Tennessee State University’s Occupational Therapy Department in September 2017. She is the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and holds the rank of assistant professor. Dr. Beard has been an occupational therapist since 2014 and worked in higher education full-time since 2017. Her clinical experience has focused on adult and geriatric populations in long-term care and home health settings. Her research has primarily focused on fieldwork education.

Education

The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama

• Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennessee

• Master of Occupational Therapy

Lipscomb University
Nashville, Tennessee

• Bachelor of Science in Dietetics

David D. Eades, PPOTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor, OT Tiger Clinic Coordinator
Health Science Building, Office 435
615.963.5959
Email me: deades@tnstate.edu

David DEades, PPOTD, OTR/L

David Eades joined Tennessee State University’s Occupational Therapy Department in August 2023 and holds the rank of assistant professor. Dr. Eades has been an occupational therapist since 1994. He has held multiple positions within the field including adult rehabilitation clinical and leadership roles. His primary practice area of interest is inpatient (acute), and his research interests include functional cognition and student simulation experiences.

Education

Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
Provo, Utah

• Post Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy

University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Memphis, TN

• Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy

Belmont University
Nashville, TN

• Bachelor of Business Administration

Candace Brown, MS, PT, EdDS
Assistant Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
SACSCOC Assessment Coordinator
Health Science Building, Office 441
615.963.5929
Email me: cbrow166@tnstate.edu

Candace Brown, MS – Assistant Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

Mrs. Candace Brown is a proud alum of Tennessee State University. While she has an educational background in Physical Therapy, she brings her skills and clinical knowledge to collaborate with the Tennessee State University’s Occupational Therapy Program. She joined the Occupational Therapy Department in September 2019 where she is involved in and coordinates various projects within the department. She is the Assistant Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Graduate Assistant Supervisor, Occupational Therapy Advisory Board Creator/Coordinator, assists the SACCOC Assessment Coordinator, and serves as a member and Chair-Elect of the Tennessee State University Staff Senate.

Education

Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN

• Certificate in Higher Education Leadership

Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN

• Master of Science in Physical Therapy

Tennessee State University
Nashville, IN

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Sociology

Jamie Bergner, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, COMT
Associate Professor
Health Science Building, Office 442
615.963.XXXX
Email me: jbergner@tnstate.edu

Dr. Jamie Bergner, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, COMT – Associate Professor, Director of the Tiger Community Rehabilitation Clinic

Jamie Bergner joined Tennessee State University’s Occupational Therapy Department in August 2026 as an Associate Professor and Director of the Tiger Community Rehabilitation Clinic, a student-run pro bono clinic focused on serving the rehabilitation needs of the university and surrounding community.

Dr. Bergner has been an occupational therapist since 2001 and has worked in higher education since 2019 while maintaining clinical practice and specialization as a Certified Hand Therapist.

Her clinical and scholarly interests include hand and upper extremity rehabilitation, orthopedic manual therapy, complex chronic conditions, trauma, and the intersection of rehabilitation and mental health. Her clinical experience spans acute care, home health, skilled nursing, and outpatient practice.

Passionate about research, evidence-based practice, and learner development, Dr. Bergner has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and serves as an invited speaker at international, national, and regional conferences. Her current scholarship focuses on hand therapy, clinician-led research, and evidence-based educational practices. She is also the creator of the Bergner R.A.P.I.D. M.A.P., a mentoring and advising framework grounded in strengths-based leadership, social-emotional learning, self-regulated learning, and growth mindset. Through her teaching, clinical practice, and scholarship, Dr. Bergner is committed to developing confident practitioners, advancing evidence-informed care, and expanding meaningful community-based rehabilitation opportunities.

Education

Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions

• Post Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Education Track

University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

• Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy