Rubin Patterson
Rubin Patterson
Dr. Rubin Patterson, Ph.D., is a distinguished scholar and advocate for environmental justice, currently serving as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. Dr. Patterson’s studies were highly interdisciplinary, earning a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Physics and Electrical Engineering from Florida State University, a Master of Science in Engineering Management from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Howard University. Dr. Patterson’s career includes leadership roles at Howard University and the University of Toledo, extensive international experiences in Southern Africa, and prolific contributions to research, particularly in environmental inequity, sustainable development, and the diversification of environmental leadership.
Patterson, R. (2016). Transnational capitalist class: What’s race got to do with it? Everything!. In Global Capitalism and Transnational Class Formation (pp. 23-40). Routledge.
Patterson, R. (2015). Greening Africana studies: Linking environmental studies with transforming black experiences (p. 229). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Patterson, R. (2013). Growing a Global Green Economy. Landscape, Environment and Technology in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa (311-327). Routledge.
Patterson, R. (2006). Transnationalism: diaspora-homeland development. Social forces, 84(4), 1891-1907.
Patterson, R. (2007). African brain circulation: Beyond the drain-gain debate (Vol. 105). Brill.
Dr. Patterson was born and raised in Tallahassee. Growing up passionate about interdisciplinary studies, Dr. Patterson embarked on an academic journey that laid the foundation for his impactful career. Dr. Patterson’s educational pursuits began at Florida State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Physics and Electrical Engineering. Following his desire to bridge the gap between science and society, he furthered his education at George Washington University, obtaining a Master of Science in Engineering Management.
Dr. Patterson completed a Ph.D. in Sociology at Howard University in 1992. This pivotal stage in his education set the stage for his future endeavors as a researcher, educator, and advocate.
Following several years of work as a production engineer in the semiconductor industry, Dr. Patterson redirected his professional trajectory to focus on pressing social and environmental issues. From 1998 to 1999, Dr. Patterson was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland- College Park, where he studied technology and global social inequality. From 2005 to 2006, Dr. Patterson was a Visiting Fellow at the Department of Sociology and Andrew Young Center for International Affairs at Moorehouse College, providing research and grant support for African transnational societies and socioeconomic development. Dr. Patterson was a research associate at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and a visiting professor at the University of Ghana.
In 2007, Dr. Patterson joined the University of Toledo as the Director of Africana Studies. In this position, Dr. Patterson established and led the Institute for Study and Economic Engagement of Southern Africa. In 2010, he also became Chair of Sociology and Anthropology. He left the University of Toledo in 2014 and joined Howard University as the chair of Sociology and Criminology. In 2016, he became Co-Director of the Junior Faculty Writing and Creative Works Summer Academy and Director of Environmental Studies. In 2019, Dr. Patterson left his positions as Chair of Sociology and Criminology and Director of Environmental Studies to become Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS), the university’s oldest and largest college.
As Dean, Dr. Patterson oversees the diverse academic landscape of COAS, which is comprised of three divisions: Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. Under his guidance, COAS offers a myriad of disciplines across 18 departments, solidifying its status as a cornerstone of Howard University’s academic legacy.
Throughout his career, Dr. Patterson has demonstrated multifaceted expertise, delving into sustainable development, environmental inequity, clean technology, diversification of environmental leadership, and equitable economic development in Southern Africa. His dedication to research is evident in the seven books he has authored, edited, and co-edited and dozens of articles and book chapters. In 2015, Dr. Patterson published “Greening Africana Studies: Linking Environmental Studies with Transforming Black Experiences,” and in 2023, he co-authored with Dr. Clarence Lusane “Exploring Post-Democratic and Post-Racial Futures”. Dr. Patterson’s work has been bolstered by external funding, including from the prestigious National Science Foundation and the National Park Service, reflecting the recognition of his contributions to academia.
Community service is also paramount to Dr. Patterson’s identity. For example, he previously served as Board Chairman of the Toledo Community Development Corporation, which involved brownfield remediation and redevelopment work; founding member and treasurer of the Black Coalition Against Covid; and Federal Advisory Committee Member of the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection.
Dr. Rubin Patterson’s journey from an interdisciplinary undergraduate to the Dean of COAS at Howard University reflects a lifelong commitment to education, research, and addressing societal challenges. His expansive expertise and international experiences continue to shape the academic landscape and inspire the next generation of scholars and leaders.
At the start of his academic career, Dr. Patterson was fortunate to have a few mentors whom he admired and who took a keen interest in his future success. All of his mentors were trailblazing and transformational leaders, but he studiously drew what he found to be unique and special about each. Those mentors’ ways of the world reflected and affirmed his orientation as a curious, social justice-warring intellectual.
Dr. Patterson’s advice to young professionals, first and foremost, is to follow your passion. He initially studied physics and electrical engineering because he enjoyed the elegance, orderliness, and predictability of those fields’ academic content. However, after working for several years as an engineer in corporate spaces, he discovered and subsequently decided to follow his passion. His passion was more about pursuing curiosity and addressing concerns about technological impacts on societies than technologies per se. Dr. Patterson abandoned his promising engineering career and entered a full-time doctoral program at Howard University, moving from comfortably middle-class to genteel poverty. Following his passion allowed him to position himself with a fulfilling and impactful career. Per Mark Twain’s observation, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never work a day in your life.”
Howard University. 2023. Rubin Patterson. https://profiles.howard.edu/rubin-patterson
Howard University. 2023. Rubin Patterson. https://thedig.howard.edu/featured-people/rubin-patterson-phd-phd-92
Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2023. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.