SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education have unanimously selected Dr. Charles E. Patterson to be the next president of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, according to a press release. He will take over effective immediately.
Dr. Patterson has been serving as interim president of the University since June 30, 2021, also according to the release.
He was previously the president of Mansfield University, where he implemented "strategic priorities resulting in increased enrollment and student retention."
Before he was president of Mansfield, Dr. Patterson served as senior advisor for outreach at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid from Aug. 2017 until July 2019, when he started at Mansfield, the press release states.
Prior to these two roles, Dr. Patterson served as interim president of Georgia Southwestern State University and served as chair and vice president for research and economic development at Georgia Southern University's Research and Service Foundation, Inc., the release goes on.
Dr. Patterson has worked in higher education since 2003, after receiving his PhD in biochemistry and molecular bioscience from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2002. He also graduated in 1993 from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry.
"I am honored to be selected to serve Shippensburg University as its 18th president,” Dr. Patterson said in a statement. “I continue to be inspired by the important scholarly work of our Ship students and faculty. I look forward to working collaboratively with our many stakeholders, partners, and friends of the University to ensure Ship is recognized as the flagship institution it deserves to be."
