Skip to main content

Peters recognized nationally for research in gifted education

Lacey Klotz  | 

MeganParkerPeters_LARGE2

The National Association for Gifted Children recently honored Megan Parker Peters, assistant professor of education and director of teacher education and assessment at Lipscomb University, with a Hollingworth Award for her research on gifted education during the NAGC’s 63rd Annual Convention at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Florida in November.

The Hollingworth Award is an international award that recognizes educational and psychological research studies of potential benefit to gifted and talent students.

Honored alongside Peters for this award was Emily Mofield, lead consulting teacher for gifted education for Sumner County Schools. Within their research, Peters and Mofield explored the relationship between achievement-motivation, perfectionism and underachievement in gifted students.

“We are honored to have our work recognized as a meaningful contribution to the field,” said Mofield. “We hope our findings will guide efforts in reversing underachievement and promoting positive affective development among gifted students.”

“We are excited to continue to learn more about the affective needs and development of intellectually gifted children,” said Peters added.  

MeganParkerPeters_SIDE2With a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, as well as a Master of Arts in Applied Educational Psychology and Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Peters’ areas expertise include Assessment and intellectually gifted children and her primary research interest areas include academic and social-emotional needs of intellectually gifted children and assessment data. 

In August 2014, Peters received the Early Childhood Division Grant Award from NAGC, and has been a nationally certified school psychologist, designated by the National Association of School Psychologists since 2010.

Peters has also published several articles with Mofield including “The Relationship Between Over excitabilities and Perfectionism in Gifted Adolescents, in the Journal for the Education of the Gifted as well as “Multidimensional perfectionism within gifted adolescents: An exploration of typology and comparison of samplesin the Roeper Review37, 97-109 in 2015. In 2014, Peters independently published an article titled “What every psychologist should know about gifted children” in the National Association for Gifted Children—Early Childhood Division Newsletter, and in 2013, published an article with T. Stambaugh titled “Do you know this child? A checklist for identifying promising students of poverty” for Vanderbilt University.

Before coming to Lipscomb, Peters served as the assistant director for Child & Family Services at Vanderbilt University’s Programs for Talented Youth from 2012-2015 and was the educational consultant and school psychologist for Vanderbilt University’s Programs for Talented Youth from 2010-2012.

Peters joined Lipscomb’s College of Education in June 2015, and teaches Research in Classroom Practice, Human Development & Learning as well as Introduction to Educational Leadership courses.

The National Association for Gifted Children is a membership organization whose mission is to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building and research.

“NAGC is committed to providing opportunities and resources to better understand and serve gifted children,” said Rene Islas, NAGC Executive Director. “The awards program shines a light on those who are making a difference for gifted children.”

The NAGC receives many nominations and the Awards Committee does a thorough and thoughtful review of each candidate. Other award categories include the Ann F. Isaacs Founder’s Memorial Award, the President’s Award, Gifted Child Quarterly Paper of the Year, Doctoral Student Award, Early Leader Award, Early Leader Award, Early Scholar Award, Distinguished Service Award, Distinguished Scholar Award, NAGC David W. Belin Advocacy Award, Gifted Coordinator Award, Master’s Specialist Award and Community Service Award.

For more information about The National Association for Gifted Children, visit: www.nagc.org/. For more information about Lipscomb's College of Education, visit: www.lipscomb.edu/education.