Dr. Patricia Kay Reyna, Carolina University Doctoral Dissertation Chair and Adjunct Professor, received her doctorate in Education, Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University, her MA in Entrepreneurship (Innovation Leadership) from Western Carolina University, and her MA in Christian Studies with an Emphasis in Christian Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She is also a Research Associate and the principal investigator for several studies at the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training. Her research interests include catastrophically injured law enforcement officers in the US including those with traumatic brain injury, prevalence of traumatic brain injury among law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and other first responders in the US, first responder suicide, and suicide prevention mediators including hope. Dr. Reyna's research interests also focus on interventions for caregivers providing care for persons with traumatic brain injury. She has a special interest in caregivers providing care for injured law enforcement officers, an unserved population of caregivers in the United States, and on caregiver hope.
Dr. Reyna has professional experience through non-profits focusing on injured law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and veterans and their caregivers.
She is an ordained minister, certified Health Care Life Coach, and a Certified Spiritual Christian Counselor. Her background includes a wide variety of education, non-profit, health care, caregiving, and ministry experience.
Dr. Reyna grew up and currently lives in North Carolina. She provides daily care for her husband of thirty-five years who sustained a brain injury in the line of duty as a North Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper in 2009. She understands the plight of the injured and of their families. They have three grown children and one granddaughter.
Dr. Reyna's hobbies include finding adventure in everyday life, creating art, shopping for thrift store finds, playing with her granddaughter, and spending time with family. She is an avid and voracious reader.
Dr. Reyna loves and believes in education and is thrilled to be a part of Carolina University.