Dean, Middlebury Institute Online
Patricia first became interested in the field of language education based on her own language learning experience. She found that learning French as a school requirement was not nearly as motivating as learning Italian to engage with the Italian people and culture. After working as a software trainer in Silicon Valley, Patricia taught English as a foreign language in Milan and Rome, Italy. Her love of teaching led her to pursue her master’s degree in TESOL here at the Institute. After graduation, Patricia became Director of the Institute’s Intensive English Programs. As Associate Dean for Language & Professional Programs, she continued to manage programs for language learners and professionals. The transition from being a teacher to an administrator inspired her to explore the role of emotional intelligence, intercultural communication, and mindfulness in effective leadership. As a member of the Institute’s academic leadership team, she has combined her background in pedagogy and technology to lead efforts to offer flexible online and low-residency programs to global professionals.
Patricia is Past President of EnglishUSA: The American Association of Intensive English Programs and has also served on the board of California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CATESOL). In her free time, she enjoys swimming, singing in a local choir, and walking her dog on the beautiful California Central Coast.
IPMG 8516
SQL BasicsCourse Description
This course introduces the theory and application of relational databases and structured query language (SQL). Using a project-based approach, students will practice how to retrieve, filter, analyze, and visualize datasets using SQL and then create a final application project that demonstrates their ability to employ SQL logic to solve a real-world case. The course will be conducted using asynchronous content and interactive hands-on lab sessions.
Terms Taught
Patricia frequently presents at national and international conferences, particularly on issues related to language program administration, leadership, and intercultural communication. She is fortunate to teach as an adjunct in the Institute’s graduate programs, especially focusing on the practical aspects of language teaching. She has delivered teacher training workshops in the U.S. and abroad on the communicative approach to English language teaching and student-centered curriculum development. She received her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University with a specialization in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education, and her research focused on fostering innovation in the higher education sector.
Patricia has been teaching at the Institute since 2006.
Szasz, P. (2021). Fostering innovation among staff members in a multicampus higher education institution. [Doctoral dissertation, Johns Hopkins University]. JScholarship.
Mikkelson, H., Slay, A., Szasz, P, & Cole, B. (2019). Innovations in online interpreter education: A graduate certificate program in community interpreting. In D. B. Sawyer, F. Austermühl & V. Enríquez Raído (Eds.), The evolving curriculum in interpreter and translator education. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Szasz, P., & Bailey, K. M. (2018). Emotional intelligence growth through volunteering with language teaching associations. In A. Elsheikh, C. Coombe, & O. Effiong (Eds.), The role of language teacher associations in professional development (pp. 238-254). Springer.
Szasz, P. (2010). State of the profession: Intensive English programs. CATESOL Journal, 21(1), 194-201.
Calvert, K., & Szasz, P. (2009). Using Moodle to create community in the classroom and beyond. In M. S. Andrade & N. W. Evans (Eds.), International students: Strengthening a critical resource (pp. 141-147). Rowman and Littlefield Education.
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