Sandra Tarbell

Dr. Sandra Tarbell serves as the Coconino Community College’s Executive Vice President of Academic affairs and Provost. She has over 16 years of experience in higher education with over 25 years in different capacities of the health professions area.  Dr. Tarbell has most recently served as the interim Vice President of Academic at Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) where she has provided support and leadership to both instructional and occupational programs as well as instructional support service areas.

Prior to serving as VPAA she was the Dean of Career and Technical Education at PVCC, Dr. Tarbell was a division chair at GateWay Community College where she led six CTE Programs with professional accreditations and was faculty in the Respiratory Care program for over 10 years. Her other leadership roles include Program Director, Director of Clinical Education, Curriculum Development Facilitator, guided pathways steering committee lead, 4DX coach and team lead, and a senator for the faculty senate. Dr. Tarbell has vast experience developing partnerships and industry collaborations that support the workforce development needs of the college.  She leads with a shared governance philosophy that helps guide her strategic planning for programs. Dr. Tarbell serves on multiple advisory committees with High schools and industry partners.

Dr. Tarbell’s academic experience includes teaching, grant writing, course and program assessment, budget management, applying for and maintaining programmatic accreditation, curriculum design, and is extensively published instructional materials with Elsevier. She has a Ph.D. in Human Systems Engineering from Arizona State University, an MS in Health Sciences, and a BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, both from Georgia State University. Her free time is spent with her family, traveling, hiking, and cooking.