Natasha A. Patterson

Natasha A. Patterson, wife and mother, had her son at 20 years old, a sophomore in college. With the support of her friends and family, she continued in school and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Master’s Degree in Public Health from Temple University, Philadelphia PA; she is currently pursuing a PhD in Education (Higher Education Leadership) at Capella University, Minneapolis, MN focusing her dissertation on the mentoring experiences of African American public health doctoral students, expected graduation in Spring 2018.

Mrs. Patterson is the Interim Dean of Health Sciences at Montgomery County Community College; the Founder and Coordinator of the Associate in Science (AS) degree in Public Health program introduced Fall 2016. She serves as a mentor in the Student Minority Mentoring Initiative. She is also currently teaching various Public Health Courses at Arcadia University in the Department of Public Health. Prior to these positions, Mr. Patterson served as Director of the MPH program. Her areas of interests include: public health practice and training, health disparities, higher education preparation, student success and student mentoring.

Mrs. Patterson is active in the community. She is a Community Volunteer for Health Spark Foundation. She is the President of the National Association of University Women- Suburban Philadelphia Branch (NAUW); a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women- PA Chapter (NCBW); and a board member for the Temple University Black Alumni Alliance (TUBAA). She was the 2010 recipient of the “Making a Difference in Cheltenham Township Award” for her service in the community. She has been featured with Health Commissioner John Domzalski and Mary Kay O’Brien (aired August 2007) in The Next Mayor: What the Next Mayor Should Do About Public Health; invited special appearance for WHYY.

Mrs. Patterson presents at national and local Public Health conferences and sits on expert panels, most recently the “Opioids in Your Backyard, Montgomery County” Symposium where she was a speaker, panelist and sat on the symposium planning committee. She was a panelist for the Deans Lecture on the Hunger in the US and Globally. Her invited presentations include: Cheyney University Keystone Honors Banquet serving as keynote speaker; Graduate School Prep Presentation at Cheyney University Keystone Honors Program; Leadership, Mentoring and Dr. King’s Legacy serving as keynote speaker for the United Way Girls Today, Leaders Tomorrow annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service conference; Teen Pregnancy Prevention at the Norristown PAL Center; Introduction to Health Policy for Clinicians at the National Student Medical Association (NSMA) Annual Conference at Thomas Jefferson University. Mrs. Patterson recently published an article in the Journal of Physical Health Education and Dance entitled, “Preparing High School Students for Careers in Public Health, Health Education and Physical Education Fields (2016).”