Marcia Gentry, Ph.D. 1996 University of Connecticut
Director of the Gifted Education Resource Institute
Associate Professor Educational Studies

Marcia joined the faculty at Purdue in 2004 after spending 8 years as a

professor in Minnesota where she began her research into student

perceptions of school experiences and directed graduate programs in

gifted education. She accepted the role of GERI director in January of 2008.

Her research has focused on the use of cluster grouping and differentiation; the application of gifted education pedagogy to improve teaching and learning; student perceptions school, and on non-traditional services and underserved populations—areas in which she has over 50 publications. Dr. Gentry developed and studied the Total School Cluster Grouping Model and is engaged in continued research on its effects concerning student achievement and identification and on teacher practices. She is currently in the middle of a 3-year study of the effects of enrichment programming on children from low-income families.

Marcia is chair-elect of the American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group, Research on Giftedness and Talent. She has also served on the National Association for Gifted Children’s Board of Directors and is recipient of its Early Scholar Award for her contributions to the research concerning gifted child education. She frequently contributes to the literature, regularly participates in international, state, and regional venues concerning gifted child education and educational research, and she serves on the editorial review boards of 4 journals in her field. She is widely sought as a consultant and enjoys integrating her research with real-school applications that have positive effects on student learning and teacher practices.

Prior to her work in higher education Marcia taught math and science to  middle school students, enriched curriculum to gifted elementary students, and she served as a regional administrator for gifted programs, math/science, professional development, and curriculum.