Patrick Oray is Faculty in Literature at Bard High School Early College in Baltimore, where he teaches the ninth grade Literature of the Americas and the First Year Seminar courses, as well as a college elective in Social Justice and Civic Engagement. A native of Chicago, Dr. Oray moved to Baltimore in 2014 from Iowa City, IA where he completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Iowa, with concentrations in critical race theory, immigration, and media studies. In addition to his doctoral studies, Dr. Oray was also president and bargaining-at-large member of United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America Local 896/COGS (Campaign to Organize Graduate Students) and wrote for the independent news and culture magazine, Little Village.