Charles E. Patterson, PhD, is the 18th president of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He joined Shippensburg as interim president on June 30, 2021, and was unanimously appointed president by the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education on May 6, 2022.
As president, Patterson has focused on strengthening Shippensburg University's position as a student-centered public university committed to academic excellence, opportunity, and service to the Commonwealth. His leadership emphasizes student success, institutional sustainability, academic quality and innovation, responsible stewardship, and stronger connections with the communities, employers, and organizations the University serves.
During Patterson's presidency, Shippensburg has advanced efforts to stabilize and grow enrollment while strengthening student retention and support. The University has continued to expand academic opportunities aligned with Pennsylvania's workforce needs, including the growth of the Milton and Doreen Morgan School of Engineering, where all six undergraduate programs are now ABET-accredited. The University has also maintained its longstanding AACSB International accreditation of the John L. Grove College of Business and continued to invest in academic quality, experiential learning, and career readiness.
Patterson has placed particular emphasis on Shippensburg's role as a regional economic and workforce development partner. Under his leadership, the University has expanded partnerships with government, business, education, and community organizations and has increased its focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. This work includes transforming Kriner Hall into a hub for entrepreneurship that brings together the Charles H. Diller Jr. Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation, the Small Business Development Center, and the Milton K. and Doreen Morgan Makerspace. These efforts reflect Patterson's broader commitment to connecting academic programs, applied learning, innovation, and regional economic development.
Beyond Shippensburg, Patterson serves on the Board of Directors of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and as the nonvoting presidential liaison to the University Success Committee of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors. He serves as Chair of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Board of Directors, providing leadership to one of the nation's largest NCAA Division II athletic conferences. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Governor Shapiro’s Team Pennsylvania, a statewide entity focused on key program areas that represent high-growth economic opportunities for Pennsylvania: agriculture, energy, manufacturing, robotics and tech, and life sciences.
Before coming to Shippensburg, Patterson served as president of Mansfield University, where the institution reversed a nine-year enrollment decline and improved student retention. He previously served as senior advisor for executive outreach in the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid, working with presidents, chancellors, chief executives, and higher education organizations on federal student aid, institutional finance, and student borrowers.
Earlier in his career, Patterson spent nearly a decade within the University System of Georgia. He served as interim president of Georgia Southwestern State University and held several leadership positions at Georgia Southern University, including vice president for research and economic development, executive director and chair of the University's Research and Service Foundation, and dean of the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies. His work focused on expanding research and scholarly activity, developing public and private partnerships, and strengthening connections among universities, government, industry, and regional communities.
Patterson began his higher education career at Baylor University in 2003, where his work included sponsored research administration and the development of collaborative opportunities with academic, government, and industry partners. Across more than two decades in higher education, his career has included teaching, research administration, economic development, federal service, and university executive leadership.
Patterson earned a PhD in biochemistry and molecular bioscience from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Mississippi State University.
He and his wife, Colleen, are the parents of a son, Aidan.