Scholars

Assistant Professor

Positions:

Assistant Professor, Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health

overview

Dr. Patterson's research focuses on using network analysis to measure how social and spatial networks impact the overall wellbeing of individuals and communities. Her training in research methods and network analysis provides ample opportunities to design, conduct, and collaborate on a variety of studies within behavioral science. Most recently, this has involved using a network perspective to study compulsive exercise and body satisfaction among sorority members, interpersonal violence on college campuses, addiction recovery communities, adolescent physical activity, and inner-city risk networks for long-haul truck drivers, among others.

education and training

Ph.D. in Health Education, Texas A&M University - (College Station, Texas, United States) 2016
M.P.H. in Community Health, Baylor University - (Waco, Texas, United States) 2012
B.A. in Psychology, Baylor University - (Waco, Texas, United States) 2009

selected publications

Academic Articles83

Amo, C., Nabil, A. K., & Patterson, M. S. (2024). An egocentric network analysis of U.S. college students' recollection of mental health symptoms and social connections during the COVID-19 pandemic.. Journal of American College Health. 1-8.
Sherman, L. D., Cisneros-Franco, C. L., Prochnow, T., Patterson, M. S., Johannes, B. L., Alexander, J., ... Smith, M. L. (2023). Personal Agency and Social Supports to Manage Health Among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic Men With Diabetes.. 17(6), 15579883231211057.
Hernandez, P. R., Patterson, M. S., Nyanamba, J. M., Adams, A. S., Barnes, R. T., Bloodhart, B., ... Fischer, E. V. (2023). Webs of science: mentor networks influence women's integration into STEM fields. 21(9), 404-410.
Russell, A. M., Barry, A. E., & Patterson, M. S. (2023). Strategies for measuring peer alcohol use within egocentric network analysis.. 71(7), 2176-2183.

SDG 3
Prochnow, T., Patterson, M. S., Amo, C., Curran, L., Francis, A. N., & Green, E. (2023). Cultivating an Active Living Plan Through a Social-Ecological Evaluation.. 46(4), 229-241.
Prochnow, T., Park, J., & Patterson, M. S. (2023). Intramural sports social networks and implications for college student physical activity, sense of community, and retention.. Journal of American College Health. ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-7.
Seguin-Fowler, R. A., Demment, M., Folta, S. C., Graham, M., Hanson, K., Maddock, J. E., & Patterson, M. S. (2023). Recruiting experiences of NIH-funded principal investigators for community-based health behavior interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.. 131, 107271-107271.
Patterson, M. S., Francis, A. N., Gagnon, L. R., & Prochnow, T. (2023). I'll be there for you: The effects of exercise engagement on social support provision within undergraduate students' personal networks.. Journal of American College Health. ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-9.
Prochnow, T., Patterson, M. S., Hartnell, L., & Meyer, M. (2023). Online Gaming Network Communication Dynamics, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Support: A Longitudinal Network Analysis. Sociological Focus. 56(3), 272-283.
Palmer, K., Strong, R., Patterson, M., & Elbert, C. (2023). Improving positive food waste behaviors: An egocentric network analysis evaluation of leading women in agricultures advice networks. 4(2), 48-59.

Chapters1

Patterson, M. S., Lemke, M. K., & Nelon, J. (2020). Complex Systems in a Nutshell. Complex Systems and Population Health. 19-32. Oxford University Press (OUP).