Venetria Patton

Please join me in congratulating Venetria Patton, professor of English and African American Studies, head of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Provost Fellow for Diversity & Inclusion, upon receiving a Woman of Distinction Award from the YWCA Greater Lafayette. Venetria was chosen for this award on the basis of her outstanding achievements, leadership, and community involvement while serving in a professional role, and was honored as a mentor, scholar, and writer specializing in issues of race and gender.

Venetria has been active in campus and community engagement throughout her career. She has served on multiple campus committees on diversity and formerly served as a board member of the National Council for Black Studies and the Hanna Community Center in Lafayette. In addition to her community involvement, Venetria recently published Background Readings for Teachers of American Literature (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014) and The Grasp That Reaches Beyond the Grave: The Ancestral Call in Black Women’s Texts (SUNY Press, 2014).

Congratulations on your award, Professor Patton!

David A. Reingold
Justin S. Morrill Dean
College of Liberal Arts