SR0913 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0913 LRB103 40286 LAW 72295 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William M. Patterson, Ph.D., who passed away on April 2, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson, a native of Urbana, earned his Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson worked as a clinical associate professor in the School of Music, College of Fine & Applied Arts at UIUC, and he also served as an adjunct lecturer in the School of Information Sciences and the College of Engineering's Technology Entrepreneurship Center; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson was heavily involved with Illinois Public Media, serving on the Community Advisory Board for Illinois Soul, the Black-focused radio service from Illinois Public Media that launched in February 2024; he also co-created Illinois Public Media's Youth Media Workshop, providing instruction to local Black youth on how to turn interviews with their elders into stories for WILL radio and television; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson served in many other positions around the Champaign-Urbana area, including associate director of the Bruce Nesbitt African American Cultural Center on the UIUC campus and chief teen officer at the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club in Champaign; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson was the recipient of a number of accolades; at the time of his passing, he was to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson, affectionately known as "Dr. P", was an educator who worked tirelessly to bring STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education to under-resourced Black neighborhoods and to empower students to tell their own stories through his Hip Hop Xpress Double Dutch Boom Bus Innovation Lab & Data Center; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson will be remembered for his contributions to youth education and the arts; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Patterson is survived by his wife, Lori Gold Patterson; three children; a grandchild; and a sister; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of William M. Patterson, Ph.D. and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Patterson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.