Patricia Zahn

University of Missouri - St. Louis

Biographical Abstracts

Patricia Zahn is the director of community engagement and outreach at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL). She has worked in education and nonprofit organizations for decades and came to UMSL in 2010 to help develop and strengthen community engagement efforts and partnerships. Since joining the university, she has facilitated the launch of an annual community-engaged research workshop series and regularly leads trainings to support academic-community collaborations. Dr. Zahn also initiated a service-learning community of practice that continues to thrive.

Passionate about the importance of civic life and social responsibility, she spearheaded a civic engagement coalition to promote voter registration and access as well as civic learning on campus and in the community. She has served for over a decade on a public-school board and has contributed to numerous nonprofit boards and related committees.

Zahn holds a doctorate in education with a focus on heritage leadership and a master’s in public policy administration with an emphasis on nonprofit management and leadership. Her undergraduate degree is in American studies. In 2023, she received the UMSL Women Trailblazers Award, an honor made even more special by the peer nominations that recognized and valued her significant and impactful contributions.

Areas of Expertise

• Community partnerships
• Engaged scholarship
• Public policy
• Mentorship