Patricia Watson is a post-doctoral associate in the Center for Community Research and Evaluation (CCRE) at the University of Memphis. Patricia is a Fulbright Scholar and a recipient of the Margaret McNamara Education Grant. Her research and work is grounded in Caribbean epistemology, black feminist theory and on-the-ground advocacy for women and girls. The focus of her work is on gender, social inequalities, HIV, and related issues. Patricia strongly believes in combining research and its practical application and therefore feels at home at CCRE. Her research works mainly with government and non-government agencies to produce concrete solutions to ameliorate the situation of women and girls marginalized based on gender, gender inequalities, social inequalities, sexual violence, and HIV in Jamaica. Patricia is co-founder of the non-profit organization EVE for Life in Jamaica, which works with vulnerable young women and girls. A published researcher, she is currently researching racism in nursing in the US and working on her first book that explores the normalisation of girl-child sexual abuse in Jamaica. She has worked on several projects in public health and economic development at CCRE, including the GROWWTH project to implement innovative models of delivery for TANF-eligible residents of West Tennessee, in partnership with the Center for Regional Economic Enrichment.

Education

Ph.D., 2022, Sociology, University of Missouri
M.A., 2019, Sociology, University of Missouri
MPhil, 2001, Development Studies, University of Cambridge
B.A., 1996, Media and Communications, University of the West Indies