Pat has written for newspapers (The St. Petersburg Times) and magazines (AARP The Magazine, Grist, The New York Times Magazine), and occasionally produces radio for the NPR affiliate in Memphis. He contributes reporting to national magazines, including AARP The Magazine, Audubon, Columbia Journalism Review, Fast Company, Forbes, O: The Oprah Magazine, On Earth, Popular Science and The New York Times Magazine.

He's working on stories for O: The Oprah Magazine and an NPR show called RadioLab, which is a lot like This American Life, but with more science, more music and more ... well, just go listen. He's also fact checking award-winning science writer Rebecca Skloot’s first book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, due out on Crown next spring.

Pat is also working on a National Geographic-funded project about the impacts of invasive Asian carp on the Mississippi River Basin. The fish were introduced about 10 years ago and have since completely dominated the ecosystem. Worse: They have a dangerous tendency to vault from the water at passing boats. Pat recently spent five weeks in the field -- on, in and around the Illinois River -- reporting on the situation. He's working on a book based on his findings.

Pat has taught journalism at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla., and he currently teaches writing at the University of Memphis, where he is a second-year MFA student in creative nonfiction writing. When he isn't working, Pat very much enjoys chasing plastic.