Dr. Tamara Lemmonds has a double Belmont connection as a School of Occupational Therapy alumna and program chair, OTD program director, and an assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
She began her academic pursuits by earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1997. “I went to undergrad at a small faith-based institution, and I wanted to continue to strengthen my faith in a similar setting while exploring how faith and my career path could intersect,” said Dr. Lemmonds.
After completing her undergraduate degree, she pursued a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University in 2001. “I came to Belmont as a student primarily because I valued the Christian environment and service-focused mission of the University,” Lemmonds said.
Subsequently, Dr. Lemmonds began working as a pediatric occupational therapist, primarily in outpatient pediatric clinics, in the Nashville area. “I was working in the clinic, and a Belmont faculty member called looking for an OT to help supervise students on a mission trip to Guatemala,” she said. “That connection led me to becoming an adjunct and going on to lead over a dozen additional service trips with Belmont.”
Soon, she completed a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Professional Practice at Trevecca Nazarene University. After completing her degree in 2013, she decided to return to Belmont and join the OT faculty.
“The opportunity to truly pour my faith into my work, and be supported while serving others, is what made me want to be part of the Belmont family in a more permanent way,” she said. “I still have the opportunity to participate in missions with cherished faculty and global partners.”
Her research interests include curriculum development, pediatric interventions, cultural competence, and developing leadership and professional behaviors in students. When not at Belmont, Dr. Lemmonds works as a pediatric occupational therapist at a community outpatient clinic in Nashville. There she is part of a dynamic therapy team who primarily serve children with autism spectrum disorders; sensory processing disorders; or developmental delays.
When away from her Belmont family, Dr. Lemmonds is at home with her family in Columbia, TN. She loves to spend time outside with her husband and three sons, walking their two miniature huskies, Lil’ Chief and Winston. She enjoys the outdoors and spends some of her time maintaining her garden. She dreams of one day owning a farm full of miniature animals.
Dr. Lemmonds attributes much of her personal growth to Belmont University, identifying it as a place where she can develop both professionally and spiritually through relationships that she’s nurtured here over the past 10 years. “My faith has grown exponentially in the last decade thanks to the family I have created at Belmont.”