Dr. Erika Paterson
erika.paterson@ubc.ca

Biography:  Erika Paterson teaches for the English Department at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada (2005- 2019), as well as teaching as visiting faculty for the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea Global Studies  program (2008/2010/2012).  Receiving a B.F.A. in Theatre (1991) and an interdisciplinary PhD. (Anthropology & Performance Studies) from the University of Victoria (1998), Erika worked professionally as a playwright and Artistic Director in the theatre and toured nationally (1989 – 96) as well as conducting workshops in performance improvisation and collaborative theatre production. She spent several years working in Latin America and the Caribbean (1999 – 2005): teaching English in Chiapas, Mexico and San Pedro Guatemala, studying Spanish at the University of  Havana, Cuba, researching and writing for the Cayman Islands Maritime Foundation, Grand Cayman Island, B.W.I., and in Honduras she assisted with the development of a small university on Roatan Island: The Bay Islands University, where she was the Chair of the English Language and Literature Department (2002-04).

A few unofficial things you might want to know about me.

I practice living in the moment and this means I can appear a little intense sometimes, really, I prefer the adjective passionate. This is because when you are in the moment, everything is really exciting — and fun too.

I like to have fun

As well as teaching in the English department at UBC for the past 14 years, I also work in international education with the Semester at Sea Global Studies program.  At UBC  I have taught Canadian Studies, Canadian Literature, Literary Genres (digital literature), Drama, and Academic Research and Writing. For the Semester at Sea Program, I teach Digital Storytelling and Community Television Production, Social Action Theatre and ‘Literature of the Sea’. The Semester at Sea global studies program is too cool. Check it out: Jaunt Around the World

I am dyslexic, which means I make spelling errors and turn numbers around, I am always happy when people assist me by pointing out these errors, because it is embarrassing, as you can imagine – all the possible jokes about a dslexic writing professor; ha, ha ha.

I like making people laugh and smile, so its O.K. to make jokes about me. I miss-spelt dyslexic above on purpose — to make you giggle.

I really hope you have a great time with this course of studies and feel free to explore new ideas and forgot old ones ….. 🙂