Patrice Brown

Biography

I have obtained 19 years of interior design experience, 10 years of mechanical engineering experience and a background in project management in the automotive, corporate office, government, and banking industries. Along with five years of teaching experience at Brenau University in Atlanta, GA and George Fox University in Newberg, OR, I bring a variety of skill sets to Western Carolina University.<br><br>My teaching philosophy is to educate minds on diverse design concepts using process and critical thinking. These concepts should be developed using evidence-based solutions for interior spaces. I envision students using design thinking as they ideate and collaborate with other students, design professionals, and their communities. Ultimately, I want to encourage students to unveil their artistic, technical, and profound truth as they uncover their value and uniqueness as individuals and use their talents and to transform the world one space at a time.

Education

• MFA, Brenau University, Interior Design

Teaching Interests

My immediate teaching, service, and scholarship goals include enhancing my skill set in building clear course objectives that align with project outcomes in the classroom, obtain mentorship from experienced professors, and gain more knowledge on successful studio critiques and rubric creation. I have completed all three exams and am now certified with my NCIDQ. I desire to continue to serve students, department needs, and the community through various campus activities. I especially desire to understand the needs and provide outlets for students of color within the interior design field. Along with service, I would like to continue to integrate projects within the classroom and meet needs within local communities. I believe bridging the gap with design and collaboration creates opportunities of creative scholarship for the profession and gives the students a real-world view of interior design.<br><br>My five to ten-year teaching, service, and scholarship goals include teaching courses that reflect my expertise of commercial design such as space planning, building systems & codes, AutoCAD, lighting, and commercial construction documentation. I have advanced in my digital tools skills with 2024 versions of AutoCAD and Revit to enhance my teaching skills. Continuing to serve the local campus community is important and I would like to continue that in the future.<br><br> I combine teaching, service, and scholarship by creating coursework that includes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. I desire to lead a team of students and create projects from concept to actual installation in those areas using indigenous resources. With continued mentorship, I desire to obtain an associate professor/full professor level and tenure at Western Carolina University.

Research Interests

A future idea I propose for scholarship will incorporate a trifold objective of my graduate thesis project, “African-American communities in the Rural South and the Built Environment.” Based on the history of how African Americans migrated from the rural south to larger cities, the results of my research found missing pieces of homes, churches, retail, and commercial buildings in the landscape of the south. Studies show that due to “Gentrification” many of those predominately black areas are now shifting to migrate black people again to unknown communities. I would like to incorporate design students to partner with real estate, business and property owners in southern cities that target “Gentrified” areas. It would be an interesting study to investigate why African Americans are migrating once again from those areas and how could design influence the culture towards built environments close to the rural south.