Dr. Patrick Nelson is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar, educator, and academic leader whose work spans research, teaching, higher education administration, and community engagement. His research has contributed to the development of treatment strategies for HIV and diabetes, and his educational outreach—particularly through his work with Cornerstone Schools in Detroit—has advanced innovative approaches to mathematics instruction for middle and high school students.

Dr. Nelson currently serves as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Dean of Graduate Studies at Lawrence Technological University. He previously served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science from 2016 to 2024 and was appointed the College’s first Associate Dean for Research in 2022. His leadership has emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, research growth, and student success.

He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Washington in 1998 under the mentorship of Professor James D. Murray, FRS. He subsequently held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Minnesota and Duke University, where he worked with Professor Michael Reed. Dr. Nelson later joined the University of Michigan as a tenure-track faculty member in mathematics, where he received the highly competitive Burroughs Wellcome Career Award at the Scientific Interface for his pioneering work in mathematical modeling of HIV dynamics.

Dr. Nelson’s scholarly expertise lies in mathematical biology, with a focus on delay differential equations and the mathematical and computational modeling of infectious diseases, diabetes, and complex engineering systems such as machine tool chatter and automotive systems. His research portfolio includes more than 50 peer-reviewed publications with over 6,000 citations. He has served as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on more than $3 million in externally funded research from agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and private foundations.

In addition to his research contributions, Dr. Nelson has played a significant role in advancing interdisciplinary education. As Principal Investigator of a prestigious NSF Undergraduate Biology and Mathematics (UBM) award, he led a $955,000 initiative designed to integrate biology and mathematics through curriculum innovation, research immersion, and mentorship. This program successfully prepared undergraduate students for advanced study, with many participants going on to MD/Ph.D. and interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs at leading institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Michigan.

Dr. Nelson has also contributed extensively to the broader scientific community through service on NIH and NSF review panels, where he has mentored faculty in grant development and research strategy. He has supervised numerous doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, all of whom have gone on to successful academic careers.

Beyond academia, Dr. Nelson is actively engaged in professional and community leadership. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Society for Mathematical Biology and currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Cornerstone Jefferson-Douglas Academy in Detroit.

Dr. Nelson earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Arizona State University, where he met his wife, Dr. Trachette Jackson, a distinguished mathematician and Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan. They have two sons, Joshua and Noah.