Professor & Psychologist
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Rick Olenchak is Professor of Gifted/Talented, Professor of Educational Psychology/Research Methodology, and Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at Purdue University. Previously, he served as a department head at Purdue and as the associate provost at the University of Houston. Earlier, he was Special Education chair and Teacher Education director at the University of Alabama. Completing his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology/Gifted at the University of Connecticut, he later served as a post-doctoral intern at a secure medical facility. Prior to his university career, he was principal of a 2e school.
Having been NAGC President, Rick also held leadership roles in the Future Problem Solving Program, the Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students, and in the Research and Development Division of the Texas Association for Gifted and Talented.
His publications number over 100, including the award-winning books Social-Emotional Curriculum with Gifted and Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults. He is currently at work on manuscripts about the social and emotional aspects of talent development while directing a Javits project exploring gifted identification emphasizing individual's strengths in the affective domain. His interest in underrepresented students in gifted education serves as a platform for all his work.
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Dynamic Assessment: Uncovering Gifted Potential in Underrepresented Students
Friday, November 14, 2025
3:10 PM - 3:40 PM ET