On This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
We’d love to introduce our guest, Dr. Natasha Patterson. Dr. Patterson is from Pennsylvania, currently serving as a Professor of Public Health at the College of New Jersey. She teaches courses that focus on public health leadership, health education, and health policy for undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Patterson is very active in the community and serves as a board member, member, and president of different associations, but most importantly she is a mentor to high school and college students, providing guidance and encouragement during their academic and career journeys. Our conversation flows through all different aspects of the realm of public health including when Dr. Patterson first felt drawn to the field, where her current passion [in public health] lies, and she tells listeners about her consulting business. We discuss the importance of understanding both public health and epidemiology so that we can better serve our communities thus leading to a greater impact. We also hear from her about her book Combating Institutional Racism Through Mentoring: A public health approach, where she discusses taking a finer look at what mentoring looks like. For all this, and much more, tune into this episode of Public Health Epidemiology Conversations!
Meet Dr. Natasha Patterson
While Dr. Natasha Patterson is from Pennsylvania, she is currently serving as a Professor of Public Health at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Ewing, NJ. She teaches courses that focus on public health leadership, health education, and health policy for undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Patterson has been teaching in higher education for over 16 years. Prior to teaching she worked in the field as a Health Educator, Program Coordinator for Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) and a Research Project Manager for Fox Chase Cancer Center. Her current research interests include social justice and health disparities, and student engagement and success.
Dr. Patterson presents at international, national and local conferences and sits on expert panels, most recently she was a panelist for the Prevention Is Key (PIK) Harm Reduction Legislative Breakfast with New Jersey Senator Joseph Vitale. Dr. Patterson mentors high school and college students as well as professionals in or transitioning to public health and higher education positions. She provides the information and support they need to reach their academic and career goals. She extends this work into her civic and community engagement as a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. PA Chapter, the National Association of University Women Suburban Philadelphia Branch, and serving on the boards of Temple University Black Alumni Alliance and Health Spark Foundation where she is the Vice Chair of the Board.
Dr. Patterson is the Founder and CEO of On the Journey to Better, LLC, a specialized consulting firm created to provide services and solutions that will enable individuals and organizations in the higher education space to improve in various ways. Services include: preparing individuals for careers in higher education and public health; educating and empowering individuals and institutions to improve in their diversity, equity and inclusive; and assisting higher education institutions who are serious about reducing and repairing the harms inflicted on faculty, staff, and students from traditionally excluded populations: This can only be done through systems change: changes to the polices, practices, and culture of the institution. Most recently, Dr. Patterson wrote a book entitled: Combating Systemic Racism through Mentoring: A Public Health Approach that was released December 2022 and is now available for purchase.
Listen To This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
Conversation Highlights
We’re introduced to Dr. Patterson, who she is, and where she’s from.
When Dr. Patterson first felt the “catch” of Public Health.
Where her passion or interests in the field of Public Health currently lie.
We dive into her consulting business; On The Journey to Better LLC.
Dr. Patterson describes her ideal client.
How understanding 'public health' helps to better serve the community and lead to greater impact.
How the understanding of ‘epidemiology’ helps to better serve the community and lead to greater impact.
Advice from Dr. Patterson to listeners as a public health practitioner.
We talk about Dr. Patterson’s book: Combating Institutional Racism Through Mentoring
Dr. Patterson's Career Advice To Public Health Students and Graduates
“For public health in general, being flexible and open allows you to experience so much in this field.” — Dr. Natasha Patterson
Keep In Touch
This episode is sponsored by: The Public Health Network
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DrCHHuntley LLC is a public health consulting firm that specializes in epidemiology consulting, supporting large nonprofit organizations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida that serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We also provide nationwide public health consulting and epidemiology consulting support to BIPOC organizations across the United States.