Patricia Duff, Professor, Language & Literacy Education
Dr. Patricia (Patsy) Duff is Professor of Language and Literacy Education, Associate Dean of Research in Education, and (elected) Vice President of the American Association for Applied Linguistics. Her academic specialization is applied linguistics: understanding the role of languages/literacies in relation to real-world issues. Her particular interest is the teaching, learning, and use of Indigenous, heritage, and international languages, in addition to English, by increasingly diverse, transnational populations around the world across a range of social spheres (homes, schools, universities, workplaces, society). This research has been funded by SSHRC and other agencies.
Patsy has served as graduate program coordinator, graduate advisor, director of Modern Language Education, deputy head of department, director of the Centre for Chinese Language and Literacy Education, and co-founder/director of the Centre for Intercultural Language Studies, and has served on a number of search committees for department heads and faculty in Education. She has also served on the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Research, the Faculty Personnel Committee, Graduate Curriculum Advisory Committee, and Network for Centres and Institutes in Education.
Patsy has been an invited visiting scholar at a number of universities in five countries. She was awarded the title of UBC Distinguished University Scholar in 2004, and won a Killam Faculty Teaching Prize in 2007. In 2017, she received the American Association for Applied Linguistics Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award.
As Associate Dean, Research, she is delighted to make more visible the tremendous research in Education, to advocate for faculty awards, and engage with research initiatives across UBC. Furthermore, as part of the Senior Leadership Team in Education, she has witnessed the incredible efforts and successes of our Faculty in relation to both UBC’s and Education’s Strategic Plans. She would be honoured to serve as a member of the selection team for the next Dean of Education.