WKU News

Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies at WKU and the Executive Director of The Center for Gifted Studies and The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, presided over the Proclamation Signing Ceremony designating February as Gifted Education Month in Kentucky on February 6. Hosted by The Kentucky Association for Gifted Education (KAGE), the ceremony brought together state legislators, representatives from gifted education advocacy groups, teachers, and students in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.

Speakers included Dr. Roberts, Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives David Osborne, Chair of the Senate Education Committee Max Wise, House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins, and House Majority Floor Leader John Carney. Many spoke about the need for continued support of gifted education initiatives and the importance of keeping Kentucky’s best and brightest in the Commonwealth by ensuring the education and job markets meet their needs. 

Gifted students were also featured among the speakers, including Matthew Pinkham, 2013 KAGE Distinguished Student; Rachel Ritchie, 2015 KAGE Distinguished Student; Lori Porter, a senior at Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics; Katherine Goble, 2010 KAGE Distinguished Student; Todd Prater, 2018 KAGE Distinguished Student; and Sydney Wheeler, a senior at The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky. They detailed their experiences as gifted students in Kentucky. Many stressed the important role organizations like KAGE and The Center for Gifted Studies at WKU play in nurturing gifted students so they have the opportunities available to reach their full potential.

Photographs from the event can be found here.

Contact: Jesse Knifley, 270-745-3014 or jesse.knifley@wku.edu.