Desmond Patton Named Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholar
The Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars (PCES) Program is a new initiative aimed at deepening the university’s connection with communities across Pennsylvania.
Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor and SAFELab Director Desmond Upton Patton is one of the ten members of the inaugural cohort of Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars.
The Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars (PCES) Program is a new initiative aimed at deepening the university’s connection with communities across Pennsylvania. Funding for PCES comes from the University’s inaugural Draw Down the Lightning Grants program. The first cohort of PCES Scholars is made up of faculty and staff members interested in applying their expertise to local Pennsylvania issues.
They are:
- Laura Garnick Bellet, MBA, Director of Strategic Communications Projects, Penn Central Development and Alumni Relations
- Julie Berger, MEd, Senior Associate Director of Office of School & Community Engagement, Penn GSE
- Vanessa Chan, PhD, Vice Dean of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Penn Engineering
- Selena A. Gilles, DNP, Practice Professor and Associate Dean for School and Community Engagement, Penn Nursing
- David A. Hill, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Penn Medicine
- Aaron Levy, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Departments of English and the History of Art, Penn Arts & Sciences
- Irina Marinov, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Penn Arts & Sciences
- Cypress Marrs, MS, Research Associate, Penn Housing Initiative, Weitzman School of Design
- Desmond Upton Patton, PhD, Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) University Professor, School of Social Policy & Practice, and the Annenberg School for Communication
- Carlos Santana, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Penn Arts & Sciences
The PCES cohort will take part in educational briefings to learn about Pennsylvania’s history, political structure, and regional socio-economic differences. The program will include visits with communities across the Commonwealth, exposing scholars to the distinct geographic, demographic, economic, industrial, cultural, and political regions of Pennsylvania. The itinerary will include visits to urban areas, including Pittsburgh, rural communities such as Williamsport and Benezette, and the capital city of Harrisburg. It will also feature stops in locations that highlight the state’s energy development history.
Patton is a pioneer in the interdisciplinary fusion of social work, communications, and data science. He holds joint appointments in the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), with a secondary appointment in the Perelman School of Medicine. Patton is the founding director of SAFELab, a research initiative affiliated with Annenberg and SP2 that examines how to support youth of color in navigating grief and violence in social media environments and researches innovative methods to promote joy and healing in digital contexts. At SP2, he is also chief strategy officer and the director of the Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation and Technology.
Learn more about the Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars (PCES) Program at the Penn Nursing website. This story is originally by Penn Nursing.
