CHSE Distinguished Scholar Erin Fell named LSU Discover Scholar

02/19/16

Erin Fell, Honors College undergraduate researcher and College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) Distinguished Scholar, was named a 2016 LSU Discover Scholar Awardee for her research in French education. The LSU Discover Scholar award recognizes students who exemplify the potential for undergraduate research and creative endeavors at LSU.

Fell’s research project, “Tactile Manipulatives, Color Coding and Storytelling as Effective Strategies for Improving Second Language Fluency,” focuses on creating meaningful content in order to promote more efficient learning. She will give an oral presentation of her work at LSU Discover Day on April 7, 2016.

She began her research in 2014 after her appointment to the President’s Future Leaders in Research (PFLR). Though she originally planned to work solely with LSU students, Fell is now working with French 1 students at Baton Rouge High School in order to determine if her research is applicable to multiple age groups.

Dr. Paula Summers Calderon, Fell’s research mentor and assistant director of the Office of Assessment & Accountability in the School of Education, said Fell’s research has the potential to help world language teachers further individualize instruction to reach students in new, more successful ways.

Fell’s future plans are to perfect the methodology in her research and design curriculum for world language teachers. She plans to teach French in a Louisiana school and continue her research through the LSU Master’s Curriculum and Instruction graduate program. In addition, she plans to engage in her field’s professional organizations, including the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Louisiana Foreign Language Teachers’ Association (LFLTA), and American Association of Teachers of French (AATF).

“Erin is passionate about teaching. She has enough energy and enthusiasm to power the entire LSU campus,” Calderon said. “She is bright and intuitive.”

According to Calderon, Fell always strives to learn more as a researcher. She dives into others’ research and asks pertinent questions to expand her knowledge. Fell has also attended national and state conferences to gain as much insight as possible.

Fluent in French, Fell has studied abroad at L'Institut des Etudes Politiques, Aix-en-Provence, during the 2013-2014 academic year and earned the Certificat des Etudes Politiques for the rigorous French as a Foreign Language and Political Science coursework. She has also interned with the National World War II Museum's Normandy Academy Program as a mentor, translator and cultural guide for a group of high school and university students as they travelled through Normandy, France for on-site learning about WWII.

Fell will graduate in May 2016 from the College of Humanities & Social Sciences with a teacher certification from CHSE’s School of Education. She is an Ogden Honors College student and CHSE Distinguished Scholar in addition to her new honor of LSU Discover Scholar.

About SOE

The LSU School of Education (SOE) offers graduate and undergraduate programs in Curriculum and Instruction and in Educational Leadership, Research, and Counseling. The School’s mission is to prepare P-12 educational professionals to be leaders, practitioners and scholars knowledgeable in contemporary educational issues.

Visit the School of Education at lsu.edu/education

About CHSE

The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The College is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Library and Information Science, the School of Social Work, and the University Laboratory School. These combined schools offer 8 undergraduate degree programs and 18 graduate programs, enrolling more than 1,900 undergraduate and 977 graduate students. The College is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is continually working to improve its programs.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education at chse.lsu.edu.