Dexter Patterson has been named director of sciences and climate for the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Patterson joins Jessica Becker, the new director of letters and communication, and Tiffany Rodriguez-Lee, the new director of arts and fellows, as the three new staff members to lead statewide programs announced by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters this week.
According to its mission, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters “connects, inspires, and advances Wisconsin thought and culture by fostering learning, collaboration, and connection — bringing people together across differences through common ground. Through exhibitions, publications, and initiatives, the Wisconsin Academy sparks curiosity, creativity, and dialogue across the state.”
Patterson is an educator, multimedia professional, and faculty member in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, according to his bio from Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, and he teaches courses to help future scientists and researchers share their work with the public in impactful and creative ways. Patterson is in charge of statewide science programming, the Climate and Energy initiative, and leads the Academy’s social media strategy as part of the communications team.
“I’m truly honored to step into this role with the Wisconsin Academy. This is an incredible opportunity to bring people together around science and community action,” Patterson tells Madison365. “My goal is to help connect the dots between the pressing climate challenges and solutions across our state. Ultimately, uplifting the voices and stories that show what’s possible when we work together.”
Patterson was previously on the communications team at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association and he is also the co-founder of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin where he develops and leads statewide programming that connects communities through birds, nature, and outdoor education, working to make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible for all. Known online as The Wisco Birder, he co-hosts the Bird Joy Podcast and is the author of Birds of the Great Lakes (Timber Press/Hachette, 2025).
The bios of the two other new staff members, courtesy of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, are as follows:
Tiffany Rodriguez-Lee, director of arts and fellows, is a poet, arts advocate, and community leader in central Wisconsin. She was the city of Wausau’s Poet Laureate, where she worked with diverse groups to make poetry accessible and to build a sense of community connection. She has been the executive director of the Center for the Visual Arts for the past three years and is deeply engaged with the central Wisconsin region. In her own poetry, she celebrates her Puerto Rican heritage and the role that writing and storytelling play in preserving culture and history. Rodriguez-Lee is in charge of statewide arts programming, including Poetry and Pi(e) and other arts collaborations, leads the Academy Fellows program and events, and oversees the James Watrous Gallery staff.
Jessica Becker, director of letters and communication, is a communications professional, writer, and public program expert with decades of experience working in communities across Wisconsin. She was director of communications for Wisconsin Humanities and led the organization’s digital communication programs, including producing Human Powered podcast. She is currently the co-host of Human Powered and hosts conversations with cultural leaders working to strengthen civic space through public programming in communities around the state. She founded and managed the Making It Home film festival, was the state liaison with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibit Services (SITES) to tour exhibits around rural Wisconsin and was part of the founding team of the Wisconsin Book Festival. Becker is editor of Wisconsin People & Ideas magazine, in charge of the fiction and poetry contest, letters events and programs, as well as all Academy communications.
“Wisconsin is a state where curiosity and independent thought is valued and can bring people together,” stated Erika Monroe-Kane, Wisconsin Academy executive director, in a press release. “This team of dynamic leaders brings deep experience working across populations, in rural and urban parts of our state. They will connect and amplify bright thinkers and creative voices from across the state, to reflect the brilliance of the state even as we confront and address our challenges.”
