By Sheena McFarland
September 25, 2024
Reed’s global reach continues to grow with the first visiting faculty member to arrive at Reed as part of the International Faculty Exchange Program run by Reed’s International Programs Office.
Dr. Noemí Pereda, associate professor of victimology at the Universitat de Barcelona, is on campus and meeting with several community organizations in Portland the week of September 23, 2024. Earlier this year, in March, Reed's Kris Anderson, professor of psychology, visited the psychology department at the Universitat de Barcelona to connect with researchers like Pereda there.
Exchanges such as this, Pereda said, build international connections, support joint research, and foster cultural exchanges.
“Reed College and the University of Barcelona may seem very different, but they both care deeply about quality teaching and research. This common interest makes collaboration easier and helps us find shared goals in these areas. The exchange benefits both institutions by encouraging collaboration and enhancing our academic environments,” Pereda said.
Pereda’s major areas of research interest are developmental victimology and psychological trauma in children and adolescents. Since 2009, she has headed the Research Group on Child and Adolescent Victimization (GReVIA) at the Universitat de Barcelona. She and Anderson are already working on a joint academic paper on adolescent victimization (Pereda’s research area) and alcohol use (Anderson’s research area), and Pereda’s hope is that this exchange will continue to pave the way for future collaborations.
Anderson agrees that the potential for joint research and for learning from her colleagues in Spain was a deeply valuable aspect of the exchange.
“We have overlapping research interests, so the ability to make these connections is important to both institutions,” Anderson said.
Students also benefit from these faculty exchanges in multiple ways, from seeing their professors model what a learning abroad experience can be like to bringing global perspectives and new teaching styles to the classroom.
“These exchanges also increase students' global awareness and prepare them for a connected world,” Pereda said. “Overall, they make the learning environment more lively and inclusive.”
Anderson happened to visit the Universitat de Barcelona on International Women’s Day, and was delighted to meet the women working in Pereda’s laboratory and see her work to raise the profile of women in science in Spain.
“The work of these scientists is inspiring and focused on translating science into practice to protect the vulnerable,” she said.
Anderson hosted a gathering of women leaders at Reed to welcome Pereda to Reed. The event highlighted both the camaraderie found on campuses and the need to continue to promote gender equity and create more inclusive academic environments.
“We shared experiences and strategies for overcoming universal obstacles, such as balancing work and personal life and addressing systemic biases,” Pereda said. “We also heard inspiring stories of success and resilience, showing how much progress we’ve made and the potential for more.”
The International Faculty Exchange Program at Reed works to expand faculty teaching and research, with a commitment to academic excellence, collaboration, and internationalization. The program, spearheaded by Alberto del Río Malo, director of Reed's International Programs Office, continues to expand future experiences for faculty with Reed's partner institutions of higher education around the globe.
Over the past two years, the International Programs Office has been building an international network with some of Reed’s new exchange partners. These institutional agreements aim to incorporate not only the exchange of Reed students but also the possibility of joint research, educational programs, and long-lasting academic and administrative cooperation.
“The International Faculty Exchange Program at Reed reflects the will of the International Programs Office and the Dean of the Faculty to bring more international opportunities to our entire community: students, faculty, and staff. If we want a global Reed, we need our entire community to be involved to succeed,” del Río Malo said.
The International Faculty Exchange Program will continue this fall term in Scandinavia. In October, Dr. Michael Pitts will collaborate with the Neuroscience program of the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) in Copenhagen, Denmark, hosted by Dr. Angela Mastropasqua, who will visit Reed in February 2025. Dr. Mastropasqua has studied higher brain functions with a multi-technique approach, particularly combining non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and neuroimaging.
In May 2025, Dr. Tamara Metz, professor of political science and humanities, will visit the Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona in Spain hosted by Dr. Abel Escribà-Folch, associate professor and dean of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona Department of Political and Social Sciences, who will visit Portland in September of 2025.
The office is currently working to expand the program to Argentina (Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires), France (Science Po-Lille), Germany (Universität Konstanz), the Netherlands (Amsterdam University College), and Sweden (DIS Stockholm).