The Hormel Foundation

Gifted & Talented Symposium

June 13-15, 2023 - in-person!

Dr. Sally m. Reis

Challenges, Joys, and Decisions of Eminent and Creative Women

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

8:30 - 9:30 AM

New research conducted on highly creative and eminent women will be discussed in this keynote, focusing on how the creative talents of girls and women evolve and are developed over time. The session includes information about blocks to creative productivity and what motivates creative women to develop their talents and produce work at high levels. The implications of developing creativity, leadership, innovation, and creative productivity in women will be discussed and the session will conclude with a positive call to action about how educators can make a difference in helping girls and women develop their talents and creativity.

Sally M. Reis holds the Letitia Neag Chair in Educational Psychology, is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, and was the former Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the Neag School of Education at University of Connecticut. She served as Principal Investigator of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented and Department Head of the Educational Psychology Department.

She was the President of the National Association for Gifted Children and a Board of Directors member for over two decades. She was a classroom teacher and administrator in public education before her work at UConn. She has authored and co-authored more than 270 articles, books, book chapters, monographs and technical reports, and worked in a research team that has generated over 60 million dollars in grants in the last 15 years. Her scholarship on academically talented students and strength-based pedagogy is diverse and broad, as summarized by her numerous articles, books, book chapters, monographs, and technical reports. Her specialized research interests are related to diverse populations of talented students, education of students with both talents and disabilities, gifted girls and women, and using enrichment and strength-based pedagogy to enhance education for all students. She has won multiple awards, including being named a UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and a fellow of Division 15 of The American Psychological Association.

Dr. Edith Treviño

There are Superheroes Among Us

Wednesday, June 14

8:30 - 9:30 AM

This keynote is meant to motivate, engage, support talent, validate talent, and find the gifts of immigrant populations.

Dr. Edith Treviño, also known as “Dr ET”, is a dynamic presenter, self-taught edtech, storyteller, author, advocate of language and students, wife, mother, friend, abuela, and passionate educator who lives and teaches in The Rio Grande Valley.

Dr. ET is an immigrant from Coahuila Mexico, and as a resident alien proudly served in the United States Army Reserves. ET holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Bilingual Studies from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a Master of Education degree from Sul Ross State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Dr. ET is co-author to “The Death of My Mexican Name" published by Rethinking Bilingual Education. In 2020, Dr. ET’s guide titled “Teaching in the Time of Covid: A Toolkit for Teachers” was ranked in the top 100 for Amazon under Crisis Management.

Dr. ET’s research is focused on Teacher Perceptions of Mexican Immigrant students’ lived experience with border violence on the Texas-Mexico Border. Her passion and research are grounded on the border life of La Frontera, bilingual education, culture, language, historical trauma, social emotional well-being, and how those lived experiences intertwine and impact education.

Find Dr. ET by going to her website dretandcompany.org or any of the social medias @dretontheborder.org.

Claire E. Hughes, PhD

The Pandemic Generation: Implications for Teaching and Talent Development

Wednesday, June 14

7:30 - 8:30 PM

Generational differences are an aspect of diversity critical to understand. Boomers. Millennials. Gen X. Gen Z. “Where were you when….?” Understanding the factors that impact different generations is critical to understandings teachers and students and the process of talent development. Most theorists mark generations in 20- or 25-year increments because of significant changes in economic, political and social factors. Generational norms follow a bell curve where the cultural differences between generations are less clear at the tail ends of the curve and are very clear by the middle of the generation. The “vibe” shifts and so does the way we teach, what we teach, and who we teach. The pandemic marked the end of Generation Z. This session will examine sociological, media, and marketing approaches that explore the trends, the mindsets, and the stressors of each generation and how these differences impact school leadership, curriculum, and areas of talent development.

Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D., is a Professor of Twice-Exceptional and Gifted Programs at Cleveland State University. Previously, she has been a Professor of Special Education and Elementary Education at the College of Coastal Georgia, Faculty Director of the Special Needs and Inclusion program at Canterbury Christ Church University in England, and a Fulbright Scholar to Greece. She is the President-Elect of The Association for the Gifted division of Council for Exceptional Children, and is active in the National Association for Gifted Children, and Teacher Education Division of CEC. She is author of numerous books and chapters, and her research areas include: twice-exceptional children- particularly gifted children with autism; generational differences in schools; and international education.

Dr. Matt Zakreski, PSYD

Failure is Fun...damental

Thursday, June 15

8:30 - 9:30 AM

Failure is inevitable, and we spend a lot of time and emotional energy trying to prepare for and avoid failure. This talk helps us to understand the role that failure plays in teaching us and informing our practice, and then helping us to build resilience for future attempts. By reframing failure as inevitable, we can prepare ourselves for it and develop resilience around these incidents.

Matthew “Dr. Matt” Zakreski, Psy.D. is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodiverse clients. He is proud to serve as a consultant to schools, a professor, and a researcher on Giftedness. He has spoken over 200 times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent kids. Dr. Zakreski is a member of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC), and Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder and lead clinician at The Neurodiversity Collective: https://www.theneurodiversitycollective.com/.

Tracy Ford Inman, Ed.D.

Forget negativity. Let’s focus on joy!

Thursday, June 15

1:45 - 3:00 PM

During these unprecedented times of division, continued inequity, interrupted learning, and exasperated educators, we need some positivity. This presentation focuses on the importance of cultivating joy in our profession. It tells the narrative of learned wisdom and embraced joys. Dozens of experts in the field from across the United States were asked to share nuggets of wisdom – whether in the form of advice, perspective, belief, strategy, or story – they’d gained throughout their years in the field and believed essential for educators and administrators to understand about educating students with gifts and talents. They also shared stories of joy or reflections on cultivating joy whether that be through a student, a realization, a professional relationship – whatever it was that affirmed their choice of profession and brought them joy. Contributors ranged from educators of gifted students to mental health specialists, university professors to leaders in the field. This session is organized by topics in the field such as acceleration, twice-exceptional learners, and equitable access.

Tracy Ford Inman, Ed.D., has devoted her career to meeting the needs of young people, especially those who are gifted and talented. She has taught on both the high school and collegiate levels as well as in summer programs for gifted and talented youth. After a two-decade career as Associate Director of The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University, Tracy is now a consultant in gifted education. She has presented on the state, national, and international levels; trained thousands of teachers in differentiation and gifted education; published multiple articles and books including five Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Legacy Award winners; and worked with thousands of parents. Tracy currently serves on the boards of the National Association for Gifted Children and The Association for the Gifted Board, a division of CEC; is past president of her state gifted association; and chair of her state’s gifted foundation board.