Melissa Craven

Fulbright Distinguished Teacher - University College London (UCL) - Institute of Education

After an early career in engineering design, Melissa Craven pivoted her focus toward elementary education. She has devoted the past 13 years to teaching second grade in the Little Miami Local district, outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. Melissa welcomes a large placement of ESOL students into her class each year and enjoys the challenge of guiding students from multiple home-language backgrounds within the same classroom. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Evansville in 1997 and a master’s degree in early childhood education from Xavier University in 2011, as well as specialized postgraduate credits in the years since.

Her Fulbright research will center around innovative practices employed in multilingual classrooms and organizations throughout the UK. She plans to use her findings to develop practical tools for U.S. teachers serving growing ESOL populations and to optimize student intake procedures for local districts.

Outside of work, Melissa enjoys design projects, flower gardening, and travel. She looks forward to exploring small villages throughout the UK, as well as taking advantage of London’s renowned theatre productions and museums while in the city.