CFGE Staff
Dr. Tracy L. Cross
(standing, 2nd from left) holds an endowed chair, Jody and Layton Smith
Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education, and is the Executive
Director of the Center for Gifted Education at The College of William
and Mary. He has published well over 150 articles, book chapters, and
columns, made over 200 presentations at conferences, and has published
four books. He has edited five journals in the field of gifted studies (Gifted Child Quarterly, Roeper Revie
w, Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, NAGC Research Briefs) and is the current editor of the Journal for the Education of the Gifted.
He received the Distinguished Service Award from The Association for
the Gifted (TAG) and the National Association for Gifted Children
(NAGC), the Early Leader and Early Scholar Awards from NAGC and in 2009
was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the MENSA Education and
Research Foundation.
Dr. Lori Bland (Standing, left) is the Director of Professional Development and Practice in Gifted Education and a director for Project Clarion, K-3 Science. Dr. Bland received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the George Washington University. She received her Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, with a concentration in gifted education, from the University of Virginia. Dr. Bland has taught gifted and talented children and worked in central office positions in gifted education, program evaluation, and assessment in Nelson County, Fairfax County, and Prince William County. Dr. Bland was also a director for test development of teacher certification and licensure examinations.
Dr. Kimberley Chandler (standing, right) is the Director of Curriculum at the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary. She completed her master’s degree in gifted education and her Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership, with an emphasis in gifted education administration, at The College of William and Mary. Dr. Chandler’s professional background includes teaching gifted students in a variety of settings, serving as an administrator of a school district gifted program, and providing professional development training for teachers and administrators nationally and internationally. Her research interests include curriculum implementation and policy issues in gifted education and the design and evaluation of professional development programs for teachers of the gifted.
Dr. Jennifer Riedl Cross (seated, left), Director of Research, received her Ph.D. in educational psychology from Ball State University. Her area of specialization is cognitive and social processes, with an emphasis in gifted studies. Her research focuses on the social environment of schools and the development of attitudes, particularly those regarding social structures. Over the past two decades, she has been assistant or managing editor for major research journals in the field of gifted education, including Gifted Child Quarterly, Roeper Review, and presently is managing editor for the Journal for the Education of the Gifted.
Dr. Mihyeon Kim (standing, 2nd from right) serves as the director of Precollegiate Learner Programs for the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary. She is responsible for the Summer/Saturday Enrichment Programs and the Focusing on the Future program. Dr. Kim received a Ph.D. in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University before receiving her Ed.D. from the College of William and Mary in Gifted Education. Her research interests encompass talent development, career development of gifted students, and social and emotional roles in talent development.
Laura Ionescu (seated, right) is the office manager for the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary. She supports all the Center’s directors and the Executive Director. Laura is originally from Calarasi, Romania, and has a bachelor’s degree in Organizational and Industrial Psychology from the University of Bucharest. Laura volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sister and she was named Big Sister of the year in 2010.
