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Dr. Karen Patterson was appointed Provost and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs in April, 2021. Prior to that she was named Interim Provost in the fall, 2020. She serves on the President’s Cabinet, oversees 5 academic colleges, the Honors College and the Library in addition to other units within the Academic and Student Affairs division.

Dr. Patterson received her Ph.D. in Special Education from Kent State University. Her professional experiences have included teaching students with emotional and behavior disorders and autism in the Cleveland Public Schools. Her research has a focus on improving practices for underserved students, college students with disabilities, collaborative partnerships, and parental involvement for students at risk for failure. Dr. Patterson co-sponsored UNF’s student chapter of the special education national organization, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and is an Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award recipient. She served in several administrative roles including Chair of the Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education Department at UNF, the academic department where she holds the rank of Professor. Dr. Patterson has held administrative appointments as the Associate Vice President for Faculty Resources and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Faculty Enhancement and Interim Provost before being appointed as Provost and Vice President.