Dr. Patti Wilson (’95)

“Every memory of CBU is my favorite! CBU invites deep connections with peers and faculty, and that is seen in every aspect of campus life. The tunnels that connect each of us withstand time and distance, and the family created there shares unbreakable bonds.”

Dr. Patti Wilson graduated from CBU with a BA in Psychology in 1995. She was a stellar student, being consistently recognized on the CBU Dean’s List and making the National Dean’s List during her senior year. She was very active in Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, serving as Vice-President of the CBU chapter and was the recipient of the Academic Achievement Award and the Outstanding Leadership and Dedication Award. She was also named to Who’s Who among American Colleges and Universities.

Patti continued her postgraduate education at University of Memphis, earning her PhD in School Psychology in 2000. While at the UofM, she was named a nominee for the Outstanding Student Psychologist of the Year by the Tennessee Association of School Psychologists and was elected graduate student representative to the Child and Family Studies faculty for the Department of Psychology. She also received an award from the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society for “Outstanding Paper.”

Upon receiving her doctorate from the University of Memphis, Patti relocated to Clarksville, TN and joined the faculty of Austin Peay State University, where she taught for three years and received the Socrates’ Award for Excellence in Teaching. She joined the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System in north-central Tennessee as a school psychologist in 2003, and she has since also served as a support team coordinator and currently serves as the RTI2 (Response to Instruction and Intervention) Coordinator. Tasked with coordination and oversight of the equitable Multi-Level Systems of Supports for the district, Patti also organizes and facilitates the District RTI2 Team and the District Student Supports Team. For several years, she also served as a RTI Consultant for the Tennessee Department of Education.

As a nationally certified and state-licensed school psychologist and health service provider, Patti’s work has resulted in the development of evidence-based policies and procedures for identification and intervention for students with identified risk factors, as well as intensive training for teachers and parents on the process of universal screening, data analysis, intervention design, and program planning. Patti has authored and contributed to several professional journals and is an avid consumer of instruction and intervention research related to all areas of student growth and success, including academic, social-emotional, and behavioral well-being.

Throughout her career, Patti has continued her studies and received numerous professional certifications, resulting in her also being included on various “Who’s Who” lists — including the Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women in Psychology and receiving the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who.

Patti is also a lifetime member of the Junior Auxiliary of Clarksville, TN and is an active member of her parish, Immaculate Conception Church in Clarksville.

Being an alum of CBU is one of my treasured accomplishments. There are few places where diversity exists with such ease, and the community is solidified by unified passion and purpose. The most important lesson I learned at CBU was that worthwhile work is challenging and keeping equity at the center of the work is crucial. The complexities of this lesson are ongoing, and I am grateful to CBU for forging the foundation of my professional work.