Cipriana D. Patterson
University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
Age: 47
“Dreamer. Creative soul. Photographer. Giggler. Soul-stirring music seeker. Word lover. Over-thinker. FAMU alum.”
Hometown: Fort Washington, MD
Family Members: Husband – Sam; Kids – Samuel, Solomon, Sterling
Fun fact about yourself: I’ve been taking pictures as long as I can remember – starting with my very first camera, a blue Fisher Price camera that took 110-size Kodacolor VR film. Many years later, I started my photography company after one of my friends asked (told) me to photograph her wedding in the Bahamas around 2010. I was so nervous, but bought a few new lenses and hoped for the best! When I came back, I enrolled in a professional photography program. I’ve been in the photography business ever since and have had the opportunity to photograph some pretty amazing people, events and places.
Undergraduate School and Degree: Florida A&M University (BS, Civil Engineering); North Carolina State University (MS, Civil Engineering)
Where are you currently working? Toole Design, Mid-Atlantic Regional Operations Director
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:
- Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), Washington, DC Chapter – Cultural and HUB Engagement Committee, Co-Chair
- Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) – Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Member
- Morgan State University, Transportation & Urban Infrastructure Studies Advisory Board – Member
- Howard University, College of Engineering Senior Design Class – Guest Lecturer
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA)
- Florida A&M University Alumni Association
- Toole Design – Board of Directors
- Toole Design – FAIR Taskforce
- Cipriana Thompson Photography – LLC, Owner
- Documentary – “When They Speak: Stories of Black Men in America” – Director, Producer, Writer
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? In 2024, I helped to organize, curate and moderate a panel entitled “Challenging Perceptions: Race, Transportation, Safety and the Built Environment” for the Annual Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Meeting, held in Philadelphia. This panel explored the intersectionality of race and transportation and why it is critical that the transportation industry and its professionals understand the importance of it. The powerhouse panelists are not only experts in the field, but we were the first all African American panel to take the stage at a main plenary session at the Annual Meeting. We had an impactful conversation that continues to grow and lead to more discussion.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of any and every time I am able to support, help or teach someone who is coming along this journey after me. I think about how important my first mentor was – she is a traffic engineer and a Black woman. It wasn’t until I met her on an internship that I knew this was a field I could pursue. I had the opportunity to speak to a class of elementary school kids quite some time ago. I talked to them about traffic engineering and how it shows up in their everyday lives and what exciting opportunities there were in engineering. A little Black girl raised her hand and asked if that meant that she too could do what I did. It was perhaps one of the most impactful moments of my career. Representation matters. Immensely. And everyone for whom I get to play that role – that is my greatest achievement.
Who was your favorite MBA professor? This is a tough one because I have a few. But I will say that Rajshree Agarwal has probably had one of the most profound impacts on me. She taught us Strategic Management and Strategic Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which were both interesting and engaging. However, it was more the work we did in our Purposeful Leadership Journey classes that helped me to connect to what drives and motivates me. She is so masterful when it comes to leading us through our own maze of thoughts and experiences to find what’s at the core. And for that, I am forever grateful.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? I chose UMD’s Executive MBA program because of the opportunity to learn in an in-person, cohort model. I didn’t know much about executive MBA programs until I came across the one at UMD. The idea of pursuing this opportunity with peers from different industries seemed fascinating. The recruitment team was extremely helpful and when I came to visit the school – sitting in on Dr. Faulkender’s Corporate Finance class – I was sold (nervous, but still sold).
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? Between our Leadership and Human Capital class and Executive Negotiations class, I learned more about the relational opportunities at work and how to leverage various skills and methods to better navigate them. Our team is our biggest and most important part of what we do. People are complex – helping to motivate, encourage and lead a team is no small feat. Having a larger toolbox of approaches and techniques is and will continue to be invaluable. I get to practice using these tools just about every day – whether it’s helping to address someone’s concerns, mediating a disagreement, delivering tough news, or helping to problem solve the latest issue.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? I don’t know that there’s a singular story, as this was one of the main challenges throughout the program. On a good day, I juggled decently. On most days, I dropped some balls. But my support system in all areas were crucial and the only way I was able to do all the things without completely losing my sanity!
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Just do it. There is no perfect time and there never will be. But the way an executive MBA program not only can teach you foundational business skills at an executive level, but can reignite your curiosity, connect or reconnect you to your purpose and expand your horizons, even as an established professional – you really should just do it.
What was your biggest regret in business school? My biggest regret is not getting to know more of my cohort more deeply.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Cicely Walker, MD is one of those people who is amazing and doesn’t even know it. She is consistent, reliable, a team player, smart and one of the hardest workers I’ve seen. Despite all the things she has on her plate, she remains kind, caring and one of the friendliest people in our cohort.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? The executive MBA program seemed to meet me where I was – a professional with more than 20 years of industry experience. I wanted to pursue this alongside other professionals from whom I could learn. I also wanted to engage with professors and educators who could teach and talk with us in a way that leveraged our life experiences and made it easier to apply what we learned in real time and in real life. I’m an ‘in-person’ learner and wanted the opportunity to fully engage, which was less likely to happen in an online program.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? My ultimate long-term professional goal is not too far from where I am right now. It is to serve in a senior leadership role where I can shape and implement transportation systems that are equitable, sustainable, and strategically aligned with the needs of historically underserved communities. I aim to integrate strategic planning, operations management, and policy insight to drive systemic change, especially in addressing disparities in infrastructure and mobility access.
A core part of this vision is to create pathways for meaningful engagement with HBCUs, minority-serving Institutions, and K–12 students from underrepresented backgrounds. I want to ensure that equity isn’t just an outcome of transportation projects but a part of the process—by building early exposure, career pipelines, and lasting institutional partnerships that bring diverse voices into the planning and innovation process. Ultimately, I want to lead work that bridges public impact with business strategy—delivering infrastructure solutions that are not only technically sound, but also socially rooted and future-oriented.
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