Dr. Patrick C. Coggins, a native of Georgetown, Guyana is a distinguished professor and author whose influence extends beyond academic into the state, national and international dimensions. Being a South American has underscored his perspective that society must ensure that all individuals are provided with adequate education and opportunities to pursue a successful life wherever they choose to live and work.

Dr. Patrick C. Coggins is the Jessie Ball duPont Endowed Chair Professor of Education and Social Justice at Stetson University. He also is the Founder/Director of the Multicultural Education Institute that provides training and consultation on Managing Cultural Diversity in the schools and health and business workplaces. He focuses on Counseling Substance abuse and other clients from a Cultural Perspective, Cultural Competence training for Counselors Administrators and Policy Makers in substance abuse medical, human and other services. He also co-founded the Multicultural Students Council that is a vehicle for minority/culturally diverse students at Stetson University to share their concerns and also to educate the rest of the campus about their diverse cultures.

Dr. Coggins founded the first Multicultural Education conference in Florida at Stetson in 1992. This conference evolved into a regional event that was attended by educators, business and policy makers. This event gave stimulus to Multicultural Education activities on campus, in the County, State, and nationally. The first Editorial supporting Dr. Coggins’ effort was published by the Daytona News Journal in 1992. Additionally, Dr Coggins initiated the Multicultural Teacher of the Year Award for Volusia Educators. Three Educators are honored each year. In 1996, 1997 Dr. Coggins received Local, State, and National White House awards for his co-development of Project Harmony, a racial and personal violence reduction program that has served over 25,000 students and adults since its inception in 1994. Dr Coggins has served on the first Florida Multicultural Education Commission, the Florida School Accountability Commission, and currently on the Florida Commissioner of Education‘s Holocaust Education Task Force and vice chair of Florida’s African American History Task Force. Dr Coggins serves as a consultant to Morehouse School of Medicine, Substance Abuse Prevention Faculty Development Program where he worked with Dr Yancey to develop the first “Focus on Cultural Competence: A training manual for Healthcare Professionals” and trained a number of the medical interns and faculty in use of this model. Also A training model for Closing the Achievement Gap among minority and other students.

Currently, Dr. Coggins is president of PC Coggins & Associates,LLC, a Cultural Competence consulting firm with client internationally. He also serves as a consultant to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Center for Drug Abuse Prevention, the Cork Technology Transfer Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, the National (HBCU) Historically Black Colleges and Universities Substance Abuse Consortium where he chairs the Research committee that is examining the incidences of Substance Use and Abuse among first year students at the 114 HBCUs. Additionally, he is the first Eminent Scholar in Residence for Multicultural Studies. He also developed curriculum for teaching African American History and Culture at Palm Beach County School District.

Dr. Coggins has an impressive publication record which includes over 35 articles and books on African American Substance Abuse, Status of Crime Among Black Males in America, Chinese American Children’s Attitudes and Values toward School Work and Learning; Child Abuse and Minorities; African American History, Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment, Evaluation of At Risk Substance Abuse Youth and recently, co-authored two published books entitled “Fraud Detection and Control.” He is currently working on a book project about the infamous “Tuskegee Airmen” and Multicultural Education. He co-authored a CDC sponsored article entitled “Cultural Competence in HIV/AIDS Treatment”. He cecently published an article “ Cultural issues in the Caribbean and HIV/AIDS; He published several manuals on Closing the Achievement Gap. He has developed manuals for training health, allied health and substance abuse workers.