Patricia Overdeep joined the Science Department at Johnson & Wales University in 2000 and was instrumental in starting the food microbiology course which she teaches every term. In addition she teaches life science, environmental science, and anatomy & physiology. She enjoys having her students join her at professional development events including seminars and conferences. She is chair of the Focus on Green Committee and also serves on A&S Outcomes and the Civility Committee.
Overdeep developed the Rhode Island Community Farm/Food Bank CSL project and the Children's Germ Crusade. She is an active member of the American Society for Microbiology and an officer of the Northeast Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. She presented at the 2008 Cassola Conference on Teaching Communication: Telling the Whole Truth. Her topic was "How to Inform But Not Alarm," which explored means of communicating information on alarming topics such as pandemic avian flu, bioterrorism, and global climate change.