Dr. Geoff Turner received his PhD in mathematical psychology (developing mathematical models of psychological phenomena with an emphasis, in his case, on cognitive and developmental issues) from Penn State in 1997. He began his scholarly work at Simmons that year by designing and implementing methods for evaluating curricular changes, including evaluating the effectiveness of large-scale curricular changes at an Engineering College. More recently, his research has focused on study techniques used to improve memory retention in college students, especially those students who have difficulty making the transition from high school to college. Dr. Turner teaches courses in both the Psychology department (mostly Introduction to Psychological Science and Cognitive Science) as well as the Department of Mathematics (Statistics), and won the Simmons College Award for Teaching Excellence in 2002. In addition, Dr. Turner has been a statistical advisor both formally and informally for twenty years, including as statistical and methodological reviewer for several professional journals. He has served as chair of the Psychology department and most of the major committees at Simmons, including Promotion & Tenure and CAS Faculty Council, and was the inaugural President of the Faculty Senate in 2005. Dr. Turner is married with three children and spends his most of his spare time coaching his sons’ baseball teams.
Education
- AB, Lafayette College
- MS, The Pennsylvania State University
- PhD, The Pennsylvania State University
Geoff Turner in the News
Simmons Celebrates 60th Anniversary of the Dix Scholars Program
This year marks the 60th anniversary of adult education at Simmons. Renamed Dix Scholars in 1993, this program enables adult undergraduates to pursue their educational and professional goals at any point in their lives. We spoke with Simmons’ staff and Dix alumnae/i about the uniqueness of this program and the students that animate it.
Shout-outs from Students and Alums
Mother and Daughter Alumnae Reflect on Shared Simmons Pride
To commemorate Simmons’ 125th anniversary, we spoke with Karen MacKenzie ’10, ’12MSW and her daughter Jennifer “Jen” DiRico ’12MBA about graduating alongside one another, Simmons’ spirit of inclusivity, and the formative power of a women’s-centered education.