Patricia Sobczak

Business and Public Affairs Collections Librarian

Assistant Professor
Information Management and Processing, Collection Analysis and Investment

(804) 828-2729
James Branch Cabell Library, Room 200
psobczak@vcu.edu

Education

• Ph.D. Human and Organizational Systems, Fielding Graduate University
• M.A. Library and Information Science, San Jose State University
• M.B.A., Pepperdine University
• B.A. Business Administration, California State University

Previous Professional Experience

• Vice President, Sobo Associates LLC, 2013-2014 
• Director of Development, Leatherby Libraries and the College of Educational Studies, Chapman University, 2008-2013
• Interim Associate Dean, Extended Education, Chapman University, 2007-2008
• Director, Community Relations, Extended Education, Chapman University, 2006-2007
• Director, Chapman University College Irvine Campus, 2001-2006

Selected Presentations

• Sobczak, P. (2015). Persistent virtual worlds: Shaping everyday realities. Presented at Digital Pragmata, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, Richmond, VA.
• Sobczak, P. (2015). Librarians as leaders: 21st century challenges = leadership opportunities for librarians. Presented at The Collective Conference, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.
• Sobczak, P. (2013). Ephemeral leadership development in virtual worlds. Presented at the 2013 International Leadership Association Conference, Montreal, Canada.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2012). Knowledge production, play, the mangle, & ephemeral leadership. Presented at the Association of Interdisciplinary Systems Conference, Rochester, MI.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2012). Mangling work and play in immersive worlds. Invited presentation for the Knox College Computer Science Colloquium.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2012). Making the mangle: Users, artifacts, and agency. Poster session presented at the IEEE International Games Innovation Conference.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2011). Play and resistance: Bridging the gap of knowledge acquisition through virtual worlds. Invited presentation at Chancellor's Interdisciplinary Luncheon, Chapman University.
• Sobczak, P. (2010). Education and the twenty-first century. Presented at panel discussion at the Orange County Business Council, Irvine, CA.
• Sobczak, P. (2008). When worlds collide: Finding the hidden value of video gaming. Presented at the Orange County Fair, Costa Mesa, CA.
• Sobczak, P. & Takemoto, S. (2008). Panel on "Leadership and Video Games," Learning Society Conference, Madison, WI.

Selected Publications

• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2013). Mangling work and play in immersive worlds. In D.G. Stuppa & J. Gunner (Eds.), The Chapman University Interdisciplinary Times; Time, Alloy, Play (Vol. 5). Orange, CA: Chapman University.
• Sobczak, P. (2012). Ephemeral leadership in the workplace and in on-line gaming. Ph.D. Dissertation, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA. 

Professional Organizations

• Association of Fundraising Professionals 
• International Leadership Association
• Toastmasters International 
• Vital Link, Committee Member
• Padres Unidos, Board Member