About: Patricia is committed to bilingual education in general and to FASRI's mission in particular. Patricia earned an MA in French at the Sorbonne in Paris and PhD in French Studies from Boston University. She has been a Professor of French at Providence College for more than twenty years.
History with the BOT: Patricia helped establish with the founder of FASRI a formal collaborative relationship between Providence College and FASRI. She served on the Head of School Support Committee from 2014-2018, the HOS Search Committee 2016-2017, and has served as Board of Trustees Secretary since 2013.
Outside FASRI: At Providence College, Patricia has served on departmental and college-wide hiring, assessment and curriculum development committees, as Vice-president of the Faculty Senate, and two terms as Chair of the Department of Foreign Language Studies. She was awarded the Chevalier des Palmes Académiques by the French government for outstanding contributions to the promotion of French culture, language and literature in the US. She has published a book on 19th century French poetry and multiple scholarly articles on French literature and culture, and recorded a critical analysis of Manet's Le repos for RISD's "Contacts" project.
"Providing a bilingual education to a child is a once-in-a lifetime gift due to the nature of brain development and language acquisition. It is also a gift that lasts for a lifetime, because the intercultural perspective inherent in a bilingual education has an enduring positive impact on the growing child's sense of self, capacity for empathy and interaction with others, and overall life experience. Having witnessed this countless times over the course of my career as a professor of French, I am honored to be affiliated with FASRI where parents and teachers offer this priceless gift with such dedication and joy."