Desmond Patton

Desmond Patton is the Associate Dean for Curriculum Innovation and Academic Affairs at Columbia School of Social Work. He also serves as an Associate Professor of Social Work, Sociology, and Data Science at Columbia University. Patton is the Director of SAFElab and the Co-Director of the Justice, Equity, and Technology Lab at Columbia University. His research primarily focuses on the impact of social media on gun violence, empathy in AI, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in AI. Patton holds a BA in Anthropology and Political Science from UNC Greensboro, an MSW in Children, Youth, and Families from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago.