Meet our Amazing Team
Click on any team member photo below to view their full bio.
F. Richard “Rick” Olenchak, PhD
Professor, Purdue Universty
Principal Investigator (PI)
F. Richard “Rick” Olenchak, PhD
Professor, Purdue University
Principal Investigator (PI)
Dr. Rick Olenchak, a Professor at Purdue University specializing in giftedness and talent, has been a teacher, a gifted education director, and a principal for students aged 5-15, including one of the world’s first schools for multiexceptional (2-e) students. Having served as President of the National Association for Gifted Children (USA), he has over 100 publications including the award-winning books, Social-Emotional Curriculum with Gifted (2009) and Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults (2005; 2016). Having also been a consulting psychologist, his primary interest is young people whose abilities are obscured by numerous challenges such as neurodiversity.
Ophélie Desmet, PhD
Assistant Professor, Valdosta State University
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Ophélie Desmet, PhD
Assistant Professor, Valdosta State University
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Dr. Ophélie A. Desmet is an Assistant Professor of educational psychology at Ball State University, where she also serves as the Director of the Center for Gifted Studies. Her research focuses on the social, emotional, and motivational aspects of talent development. Specifically, she studies interventions to best promote talent development among historically excluded populations in gifted and talented education, such as twice- and multi-exceptional students or underachievers. She earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology, focusing on gifted, creative, and talented studies, with certification in psychological statistics and qualitative research methods from Purdue University.
Kristen Seward, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor, Purdue University
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Kristen Seward, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor, Purdue University
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Dr. Kristen Seward has a rich history in serving 6th-12th grade students with gifts and talents in mixed-ability and self-contained classrooms, individual and small group counseling, and advising. She enjoys teaching teachers, conducting research, and directing academic enrichment camps for PreK-12th grade youth. Her research interests include online teaching and learning, teacher preparation, professional development, curriculum development, K-12 academic and counseling program development, gifted education in rural settings, social-emotional characteristics and needs of students with high ability, K–12 career education, and gifted education as GFALT (Good For All Learners and Teachers).
Anne Traynor, PhD
Associate Professor, Purdue University
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Anne Traynor, PhD
Associate Professor, Purdue University
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Dr. Anne Traynor is an Associate Professor of educational psychology and research methodology. Her research addresses technical and practical issues in educational assessment and measurement. Dr. Traynor’s current projects evaluate methods for measuring test-to-curriculum alignment, refining scoring rubrics, and quantifying the ‘instructional sensitivity’ of test items. Dr. Traynor also collaborates on quantitative policy evaluations in science and mathematics education.
Kristen Seward, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Purdue University
Karen Arnstein, EdD
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Purdue University
Dr. Karen Arnstein is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Educational Studies at Purdue University. She is part of a Javits grant-funded team examining positive psychology’s effects on identifying underserved gifted students. Her research examined the developmental transitions of twice-exceptional students. Prior to this, Dr. Arnstein worked as an assistant professor in Educational Psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown. Currently, she serves as Special Populations Chair-Elect for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC).
Advisory Board
- Dr. Claire Hughes
Cleveland State University - Dr. Dante Dixson
Michigan State University - Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon
University of Iowa - Dr Paul Beljan
Beljan Psychological Services - Dr. Thomas Hébert
University of South Carolina – Columbia
Graduate Assistants
- Fangfang Mo
Purdue University - Jhon (Anthony) Careth Henao
Purdue University - Tammy Jean Byrd
Purdue University
- Yichen Dong
Purdue University - Tybresha Ebony Glass
Purdue University
