Terri Nelson

Dr. Terri Nelson is a Professor at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), affiliated with the College of Arts & Letters. With over 25 years of teaching experience, she specializes in innovative pedagogical strategies like Reacting to the Past (RTTP), integrating historical role-playing into Humanities and Social Sciences education. Her focus on gaming in the classroom has earned her national recognition, including the 2020 CSU Faculty Innovation & Leadership Award and the Reacting Consortium’s Brilliancy Prize.

• Education: PhD in French (Northwestern University, 1995); Certificat d'Études Politiques (Institut d'Études Politiques, Paris, 1989); MA in French (Middlebury College, 1988); BA in French (University of Utah, 1987); BS in Biology (University of Utah, 1982).

Dr. Nelson’s research emphasizes active learning methodologies, particularly RTTP’s application in fostering critical thinking through immersive historical scenarios. She has designed courses such as Paris: Historical and Cultural Capital and interdisciplinary Reacting to the Past modules addressing themes like democracy’s origins and technology’s societal impact. Her teaching spans French language/culture, honors seminars, and online education innovation.

• Awards: Over a dozen accolades including CSUSB’s Outstanding Originator Award (2008) and repeated College of Arts & Letters recognition (1996, 2004, 2020).

In Spring 2021, she served as the CAL Fellow for Online Teaching, advancing digital pedagogy initiatives. Her work bridges humanities scholarship with practical classroom innovation, shaping both local and national educational practices.