NCID-2401
Shawna Patterson-Stephens
Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging
Central Michigan University
Education/Degree:
1 Higher Education Higher Education (Florida State University)
About
Dr. Shawna Patterson-Stephens serves as Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging at Central Michigan University, where she offers leadership within the Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
She earned her Ph.D. from Florida State University while studying higher education, earned her Master's in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University, and graduated from CMU with her Bachelor's while majoring in Sociology. She returns to CMU after most recently serving as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and the Director of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Current Work
Dr. Patterson-Stephens dedicated her career to studying and creating more equitable systems for people from all avenues of life. She works toward creating an environment, both on campus and in the surrounding community, with the aim of ensuring everyone achieves their true potential. Shawna is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, the NAACP, the National Council for Negro Women, and Jack & Jill of America, Incorporated.
In her spare time, Shawna makes space to practice yoga, paint, sew, crochet, and enhance her photography skills. She’s an avid traveler and hopes to visit several continents in the near future. Dr. Patterson-Stephens is also a podcast co-host and is currently writing a fictional novel.