Patrick Fryberger

Bio

Patrick is currently in his seventh year as a MA-PhD student in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies at UCSB. His research is focused on media and game studies in a contemporary China, and his dissertation, “Metahistorical Gaming: Playing with History on Steam, Translating the Nation in China” examines how gamers “play history” via Chinese historical video games and metahistorical play, (re)interpreting official historical narratives while crossing national and cultural boundaries in the process.

Patrick is also a passionate and experienced educator, having previously worked as an oral English teacher at a university in China for four years and TA-ing and teaching his own classes at UCSB since 2018.

Academic History

M.A., Asian Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

• • Thesis: “Left for Dead: Tactical Safe Spaces and Rogue Chinese Archives on the Gaming Platform Steam”

B.A., Asian Languages and Literatures, Anthropology, and Studies in Cinema and Media Culture, University of Minnesota

• • • Thesis: “The Long Arm of China: Mainland Representation and Hong Kong Identity in the Long Arm of the Law series (1984-1990)”

Additional Chinese Language Training:

• CET Intensive Chinese Language in Beijing, Summer Program, 2012

Advisors

Primary Advisor:

• Prof. Mayfair Yang

PhD Committee:

• Prof. Alenda Chang
• Prof. Xiaowei Zheng

Master’s Committee:

• Prof. Xiaorong Li
• Prof. Thomas Mazanec

Teaching Experience

Instructor / Teaching Associate:

• EACS 4B: East Asian Traditions – Modern (Co-Instructor: Yiming Ma ), Summer 2024 (forthcoming)
• EACS 4A: East Asian Traditions – Pre-modern (Co-Instructor: Prof. Will Fleming), Summer 2024 (forthcoming)
• WRIT 2: Academic Writing (Supervisor: Prof. Katie Baillargeon), Fall 2023)
• EACS 4B: East Asian Traditions – Modern (Co-Instructor: Carl Gabrielson), Summer 2023
• WRIT 2: Academic Writing (Supervisor: Prof. Jeff Hanson), Spring 2023
• WRIT 2: Academic Writing (Supervisor: Prof. Jeff Hanson), Winter 2023
• WRIT 2: Academic Writing (Supervisor: Prof. Jeff Hanson), Fall 2022

Teaching Assistant:

• EACS 4B: East Asian Traditions – Modern, Prof. Mayfair Yang and Keita Moore, Spring 2024
• EACS 4A: East Asian Traditions – Pre-modern, Prof. Thomas Mazanec and Prof. William Fleming, Winter 2024
• EACS 4B: East Asian Traditions – Modern, Prof. Mayfair Yang and Prof. Sabine Fruhstuck, Spring 2022
• EACS 4A: East Asian Traditions – Pre-modern, Prof. Xiaorong Li and Prof. William Fleming, Winter 2022
• RG ST 21: Zen Buddhism, Prof. Gregory Hillis, Fall 2021
• EACS 4B: East Asian Traditions – Modern, Prof. Mayfair Yang and Prof. ann-elise lewallen, Spring 2021
• EACS 4A: East Asian Traditions – Pre-modern, Prof. Xiaorong Li and Prof. William Fleming, Winter 2021
• RG ST 21: Zen Buddhism, Prof. Gregory Hillis, Fall 2020
• EACS 4B: East Asian Traditions – Modern, Prof. Xiaowei Zheng and Prof. Sabine Fruhstuck, Spring 2020 (Head TA)
• CHIN 82: Modern Chinese Literature, Prof. Hangping Xu, Winter 2020
• RG ST 21: Zen Buddhism, Prof. Gregory Hillis, Fall 2019
• CHIN 80: Masterpieces in Chinese Literature, Prof. Thomas Mazanec, Spring 2019,
• EACS 4A: East Asian Traditions – Pre-modern, Prof. Dominic Steavu and Prof. Fabio Rambelli, Winter 2019
• HIST 80: Chinese Civilizations, Prof. Xiao-bin Ji, Fall 2018

Additional Teaching Experience:

• Lead T.A., Department of East Asian Languages & Cultural Studies, UCSB, 2019-2020
• Oral English Teacher, Huaibei Normal University, 2013-2017

Other

• Received China Understanding and Peace Research Award, May 2023
• Guest Lecturer, ANTH 197AC: Transpacific Tales (Instructor: Prof. Silke Werth), May 2023
• Discussant, “Imagining Taiwan Through Games: Ecology, History, and Cultural Politics,” UCSB Center of Taiwan Studies, March 2023
• Helped organize and fundraise for medical supplies for Wuhan at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.independent.com/2020/03/02/a-bake-sale-for-wuhan-coronavirus-supplies/