Student Profiles

Patrick Artz

Life beyond Reed

Before coming to Reed to pursue full-time graduate study, Patrick worked for seven years as an English teacher and curriculum designer in South Korea. Patrick is passionate about learner focused international education and fostering intercultural communication. He returned to teaching in South Korea after completing the MALS program in May 2014. Patrick's thesis investigated intercultural exchange in Ursula K. LeGuin's The Word for World is Forest.

Academic interests

After joining MALS, Patrick’s academic focus has expanded from applied linguistics and language teaching methodology to postcolonial literary criticism and American history. Patrick is fascinated by language and how it attempts to capture the human experience.

Why MALS?

“Many graduate programs today narrowly emphasize either intense academic specialization or tout the practicality of a career-oriented curriculum. I feel both of these perspectives limit our ability as learners to make new connections between bodies of knowledge and our desire to condense our diverse personal experiences into something more meaningful. I chose MALS because I wanted to join a program that values an interdisciplinary approach to education while also imparting best academic practices in each field of study. MALS courses encourage student-driven learning without neglecting core graduate-level academic skills. The result is course work that is exciting and eminently valuable. The MALS program also understands the needs of the learner as an individual. I have never felt more welcomed or at home at a place of study as I have at Reed. The faculty and staff of the college are incredibly attentive and provide the advice and resources needed for academic success. Reed is a fantastic place to grow as a scholar.”