Dr. Patricia Ramsey, distinguished as a "National Role Model" by Minority Access, Inc., was appointed the sixth president of Medgar Evers College by the City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees. Dr. Ramsey, who officially took office on May 1, 2021, is the first woman and the first scientist to serve in the position of President of the College.

After only six weeks at the helm, Dr. Ramsey submitted a proposal that resulted in a $20 million grant award, the single largest grant award in the history of Medgar Evers College. Two programs, the Cultivating Holistic Academic Mindsets to Promote Student Success (CHAMPSS) and the Brooklyn Recovery Corps (BRC) programs were created. CHAMPSS provides up to a “full ride” for freshmen who agree to earn their bachelor’s degree in four (4) years and transfer students who agree to earn their bachelor’s degree in two (2) years. The BRC program provides experiential learning opportunities through paid internships and access to career support, while benefiting communities throughout Brooklyn. Inside Higher Ed published an in-depth article on how the funds positively impact Medgar Evers College students.

 

 

 

 

After just three (3) months in the role of President, Dr. Ramsey participated in a press conference where Governor Kathy Hochul (then Lt. Governor) announced a $9.3 million grant award to support the collaboration of Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College, and Kingsborough Community College to form a healthcare hub in Central and South Brooklyn. As part of New York State's Workforce Development Initiative, the hub is designed to prepare high school and college students for quality jobs in the healthcare field, while meeting the workforce needs of local businesses.

To best position Medgar Evers College to optimize its potential as a four-year institution, that was birthed out of the Central Brooklyn Community with social justice in its DNA, Dr. Ramsey made some organizational changes that emphasized community engagement and student success. To enhance community engagement, Dr. Ramsey created the position, Senior Advisor to the President for Community Engagement that resulted in more than 100 “meet and greets” in her first eight (8) months as President. For a laser focus on student success, Dr. Ramsey abolished the traditional student affairs area and created the Division of Student Success and Enrollment Management, with an emphasis on student retention and persistence to graduation, in addition to new student recruitment. Related to student retention, upon her arrival on campus, Dr. Ramsey noticed the absence of a student center building. Therefore, she immediately began advocating for a student center. Currently, the architectural phase for a student center is near completion and site excavation has been approved.

In less than one year in the position of President, Dr. Ramsey was invited to testify before the Congressional Committee on Education and Labor (now the Committee on Education and the Workforce), where she represented Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) nationally. Taking advantage of the opportunity to speak directly to the lawmakers, Dr. Ramsey requested more federal funding but also used that platform to advocate for change in the federal definition of retention and graduation rates, as the current definition helps to generate a false narrative about the great work that Medgar Evers College and like institutions do to positively impact social mobility.

Under Dr. Ramsey’s leadership, a B.S. Degree Program in Community Health Education, an A.S. Degree Program in Criminal Justice, an accelerated second -degree Nursing Program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and a B.A. Degree in African Diaspora Literature have been approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees. Additionally, a minor in Cannabis Education was launched.

During the short time that Dr. Ramsey has served as President, she has received numerous awards/recognitions. She was named to City and State's Brooklyn Power 100 list in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Added to that distinction, Dr. Ramsey was named to City and State’s 2022 and 2023 Higher Education Power 100 list of the most influential leaders of colleges and universities in the state of New York. She was also named to the Schneps Media Brooklyn Power List 2023. She received a 2023 Historian Award from the African American Clergy and Elected Officials (AACEO), the 2023 Greater New York Chamber Black History Award and the 2023 Civic Leadership Award from the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI).

A biologist by training, Dr. Ramsey has a research interest in the biological activity of plants used in folklore, has collected 110 species of Agave in the Sonoran Desert, and traveled a 450-mile span of highway collecting Sapium sebiferum (popcorn tree) leaves in the southeastern United States. Dr. Ramsey earned the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Education) from Norfolk State University, the Master of Science in Botany from Howard University, the Master of Arts in Biology from Harvard University and the Doctor of Philosophy in Biology from Georgetown University. Dr. Ramsey completed leadership programs in the Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI), Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management (IEM), and the CIVIC Leadership Institute.

Dr. Ramsey is married to Dr. Roscoe Ramsey Jr, a physician and a minister. They have three adult children.