Patrice D. Wilbur
Director of Operations
Physical Therapy
Contact
- Office Phone:
- 312.355.1778
Email:
About
Patrice D. Wilbur serves as the Director of Operations in the Department of Physical Therapy within the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Since joining UIC in 2006, she has contributed to the university's administrative and operational excellence through leadership, strategic planning, financial management, and organizational support.
She earned a Master of Arts in Communications from Governors State University and a Master of Science in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. She recently completed her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Law at Alabama State University.
Her scholarly research focuses on gender pay equity in public higher education, particularly the demographic and organizational factors influencing perceptions of compensation fairness among civil service employees. Her doctoral dissertation, Perceptions of Gender Pay Equity Among Civil Service Employees in Illinois Public Higher Education: Demographic and Organizational Predictors, examines the relationship between institutional practices, employee characteristics, and perceived pay equity within Illinois public higher education.
Her professional and scholarly interests include higher education leadership, organizational effectiveness, institutional policy, workforce equity, and equitable compensation practices.
Service to Community
The EZRA Project — Board Member and Silent Auction Chair (2018–Present)
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. — Nominations Chair (2024–Present)
University of Illinois Chicago, College of Applied Health Sciences — Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee Member (2024–2025)
University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Physical Therapy — Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee Member (2024–2025)
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) — Professional Member (2022–Present)
Education
MA, Communication, Media, and Performance, Governors State University, 2007
MS, Management, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2018
EdD, Educational Leadership, Policy and Law, Alabama State University, 2026
Research Currently in Progress
Wilbur, P. D. Understanding Perceived Pay Equity Among Nonfaculty Employees in Public Higher Education: An Integrative Review of Equity and Organizational Justice. Manuscript submitted to the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, October 2026. Awaiting editorial update.
Wilbur, P. D. Organizational Practices and Perceived Pay Equity in Public Higher Education. Manuscript submitted to the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, October 2026. Awaiting editorial update.
Wilbur, P. D. Gender, Educational Attainment, and Parental Status in Perceptions of Pay Equity Among Civil Service Employees in Public Higher Education. Manuscript submitted to the Journal of Higher Education Management, October 2026. Receipt confirmed; entering initial review.
Wilbur, P. D. Beyond Statistical Significance: Translating Pay Equity Research Into Institutional Policy and Practice in Public Higher Education. Manuscript submitted to Higher Education Policy (Springer Nature), October 29, 2026. Author approval completed.