معرفی
Nicole Mills serves as Joint Director of Language Programs (interim), Coordinator of the French language program, and Language Advisor for the Office of International Education at Harvard University, while holding an adjunct lecturer appointment in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She co-founded the Certificate in Teaching Language & Culture and actively shapes language pedagogy through administrative leadership and innovative curriculum design across multiple Harvard departments.
Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in French and Educational Studies and an M.A. in French literature, both from Emory University. These qualifications underpin her interdisciplinary approach to language education, bridging theoretical linguistics with practical pedagogy.
Mills’ research pioneers the integration of virtual reality and artificial intelligence in language learning, focusing on psychological aspects of language acquisition, immersive cultural experiences, and curriculum development. Her work demonstrates how experiential learning contexts can transform traditional language instruction, particularly through projects like the La République VR environment that immerses students in Parisian life through diverse perspectives. This research intersects digital humanities, critical theory, and French literary studies to create transformative educational experiences.
Her publication trajectory reveals a clear evolution from foundational self-efficacy studies toward cutting-edge explorations of AI and immersive technologies in language education. Recent work emphasizes pedagogical innovation during crises (like pandemic teaching transitions) and the systematic integration of emerging technologies into language program infrastructure, reflecting both theoretical depth and practical applicability.
- Innovation in Language Program Direction Award (2020) from the American Association of University Supervisors and Coordinators
- ABL Connect award for Teaching Innovation (2018) from Harvard's Center for Teaching and Learning
Mills has secured significant grant funding including Harvard's HILT grants (2017-2020) for VR initiatives and Provost Fund support for AI pedagogy projects. Her collaborative approach is evident in partnerships with Wonda VR, Harvard's Center for Technology in Government, and international institutions for VR/AI development, while her co-founding of the Charlie Archive demonstrates commitment to digital humanities infrastructure for preserving cultural responses to global events.
She leads the La République VR project team and the Charlie Archive curation group, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between technologists, language educators, and digital archivists to create resources that bridge academic research with real-world cultural contexts.
