Patricia M. Sobrero

North Carolina State University

Biographical Abstracts

Patricia M. Sobrero is a retired professor, Agriculture and Extension Education, and former associate vice chancellor, Extension, Engagement and Economic Development, North Carolina State University. She served on the ACES think tank as a delegate for the Office of Extension, Engagement and Economic Development, the Department of Agriculture and Extension Education, and NC Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University; and the Council for Engagement and Outreach Executive Committee, Association of Land-grant Universities. In 2008, Dr. Sobrero began serving as associate vice chancellor for Extension, Engagement, and Economic Development, North Carolina State University. There she provided leadership for development of the scholarship of engagement task force, the Benchmarking Economic Development reports, urban programs, and the evaluation of Extension, engagement and economic development programs across the colleges and units on campus and statewide.

Sobrero hosted creation of the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship (ACES) as it became a nonprofit organization (2009-2012). Prior to joining NC State, she served a variety of faculty and administrative positions. These include: associate dean of extension at the University of Tennessee (1995-1999); assistant and then associate dean of extension and professor, University of Tennessee (1991-1995); associate vice president and associate director of Outreach and Extension at the University of Missouri System (1999-2004); associate dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; director of Virginia Cooperative Extension (2004-2005); and professor and coordinator of graduate study in Agriculture and Extension Education, Virginia Tech (2004-2007). Dr. Sobrero received an Ed.D. in educational leadership, teaching and learning from George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University; a master’s in human development, child study and aging from the University of Maryland; and a bachelor of science in home economics education from East Tennessee State University.

Areas of Expertise

• Child and family studies, infant and parenting education, aging development
• Administrative leadership, leadership with community partners
• Strategic development, planning and outcome based accountability
• Community engagement; Implementing mutually benefical planning, power, and accountability
• Supervision using empowerment and clinical methods