Office of the President
About President Patricia Ramsey
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 as 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 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.
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 $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.
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. A degree in African Diaspora Literature has been approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees. Additionally, a minor in Cannabis Education was launched.
Dr. Ramsey has received numerous awards/recognitions since she began her service as President. 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,from the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI), the 2023 Leadership Award for Excellence in Education and Social Justice from the D.R.E.A.M Foundation, the Panamanian Day Parade 2023 Education and Community Award, The White House Lifetime Achievement Award from President Biden, inducted as Honorary Chaplain of the Worldwide Small Churches International and the NYPD, named to the “Top 10 Most Influential Woman Leaders Transforming Education 2024” by CIO Views, along with a magazine cover story, and named one of “The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders”-2024.
Prior to Medgar Evers College, Dr. Ramsey served as a Senior Executive Fellow with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). Preceding that role, she served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and for nearly 12 years, she served in various capacities (Department Chair, Provost, and Interim President) at Bowie State University, a constituent institution of the University System of Maryland.
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 a Bachelor of Science in Biology (Education) from Norfolk State University, a Master of Science in Botany from Howard University, a Master of Arts in Biology from Harvard University, and a 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.
