Norma Lu Hafenstein
Clinical Professor
What I do
Norma Lu Hafenstein, Ph.D., is the Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education at the University of Denver's Morgridge College of Education Department of Teaching and Learning Sciences.Specialization(s)
giftedness, gifted education, early childhood education, rural education, professional learning, Dabrowski, social and emotional development, adult giftedness, gifted education policy, gifted education research, doctoral education
Professional Biography
Norma Lu Hafenstein, Ph.D., is the Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education at the University of Denver Morgridge College of Education Department of Teaching and Learning Sciences. A former teacher and school administrator, Hafenstein brings 39 years of experience and expertise in graduate level and K-12 teaching, program development and evaluation, supervision and research. As program designer and initiator, Hafenstein led the development and implementation of the University of Denver’s Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Education Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Gifted Education. She was a member of the Colorado Department of Education Standards Development Team, designing the Core, Specialist and Director of Gifted Education endorsements for Colorado educators. Hafenstein led the development of aligned graduate coursework at the University of Denver and received approval from the Colorado State Board of Education for educators to acquire multiple endorsements. She designed and implemented a full course in Gifted Education for pre-service teachers, providing knowledge and skill development not typically addressed. Hafenstein has secured over $12.5 million in grants, gifts and contracts toward Gifted Education at the University of Denver including support through the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act Grant of the US Department of Education, the Bradley Foundation, the Considine Family Foundation, the Sturm Family Foundation, the Buell Foundation and Daniel L. Ritchie. Hafenstein is currently principal investigator for a $2,845,155 Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program, United States Department of Education five year project to increase identification of and service to traditionally under-represented gifted students in rural Colorado. From 2015-2018, she was co-PI on a federally funded Jacob K. Javits grant to increase the identification of and service to traditionally under-represented gifted students in rural Colorado, including those eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch, English Language Learners, Native students and Hispanic students. Hafenstein has conducted research and professional development in Colorado’s rural districts since 2014 with the goal of understanding barriers to identification and service to traditionally marginalized populations. Another of Hafenstein’s current research projects is the examination of pre-service teacher training related to the needs of gifted learners. Hafenstein was the founding director of the Institute for the Development of Gifted Education at the University of Denver from 1998 through 2016 where she led efforts in research, publications, outreach and service to the community. Publications through the Institute included a monograph series entitled “Perspectives in Gifted Education” with special topics in Young Gifted Children, Twice-Exceptional Children, Complexities of Emotional Development, Spirituality and Hope, Diverse Gifted Learners, Creativity and Influences and Impacts of the Education Doctorate, Vols. I, II and III. Hafenstein has directed fourteen national conferences hosted through the Institute for the Development of Gifted Education or through the office of the Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education. Each of these conferences has hosted a policy symposium to examine issues and implications of the practice. Hafenstein has over 250 presentations at International, National and State level conferences relevant to gifted learners. In 1984, Hafenstein founded the Ricks Center for Gifted Children, a private school for preschool through 8th grade gifted children on the University of Denver campus. For 29 years she supervised a staff of 45 associate directors, faculty, graduate assistants and staff and administered an annual budget of over $3.45 million. She also led a successful fundraising campaign which included capital for a new building, student scholarships and a program endowment. Hafenstein has chaired or participated in over 85 doctoral dissertations or doctoral research projects. She has developed and currently teaches graduate courses including Research as Intervention, Defense of Research, Program Development, Leadership and Communication in Gifted Education, Special and Gifted Education Legal Issues, Instructional Strategies for the Gifted, Creativity: Theory and Practice. Dr. Hafenstein was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Emporia State University in 2012. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented in 2006. In 2005, Norma was presented with the Founder’s Day Distinguished Service to the University Award. Hafenstein is a nationally recognized expert in program development and evaluation, gifted education and teacher training.
Degree(s)
- Ph.D., Education of the Gifted, University of Denver, 1986
- MS, Education of the Gifted, Kansas State University, 1980
- BS, Elementary Teaching, Emporia State University, 1979
Professional Affiliations
- American Educational Research Association
- National Association for Gifted Children
- Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
- World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
- Colorado Consortium for Educator Programs: Gifted Education
- Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented
- Colorado Academy for Educators of the Gifted, Talented and Creative
- Council for Exceptional Children
Research
Since 2014, I have conducted research in rural schools throughout Colorado. Results of our interventions are emerging with data to substantiate improvements in services and impacts on communities.
a. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K. (August, 2018). Culturally Proficient Leadership in Identification of Under-Represented Gifted Students. 16th Conference of the European Council for High Ability (ECHA), Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland.
b. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K. (June, 2018). Design Thinking: Innovative Strategies to Improve the Identification of and Service to Gifted Learners. Right4Rural Education Symposium, Denver, CO
c. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, Taylor, R. (April, 2018). Leadership Considerations to Improve Gifted Identification and Talent Development for Historically Marginalized Students in Rural Settings. Belin-Blank Center, The 2018 Wallace Research Symposium on Talent Development, Baltimore, MD.
d. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K, Medina, J., Taylor, R., & Amiri, F. (April, 2018). Influencing Leadership to Enact Culturally Responsive Practices in Gifted Education. Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2018 Annual Meeting, New York City, NY.
e. Hesbol, K., Hafenstein, N.L., Amiri, F. (January, 2018). Rural and Remote: Changing the Unerrepresentation of Giftedness among Underrepresented Minority Students. Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE), 2018 Winter Leadership Conference, Westminster, CO.
f. Hafenstein, N.L., Lopez, J., Hesbol, K., Medina, J. (November, 2017). Rural and Remote: Challenges and Strengths in Gifted Education. National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), 2017 Annual Convention, Charlotte, NC.
g. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K., Medina, J., Lopez, J. & Taylor, R. (February, 2017). Giftedness in Rural Poverty: What Do We Know? Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education, Policy Symposium and Conference. Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver, Denver, CO.
Ongoing Research Support
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act Grant (Co-Principal Investigator)
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) in collaboration with the University of Denver, $1,148,389 (2015-present) The goal of this grant, named “Right4Rural”, is to use various resources and implement innovative, locally defined programs so strong sustainable gifted programs exist in every part of the state, especially in rural and at-risk populations where aspirations and practices fluctuate depending upon person, vision, and recorded history.
Completed Research Support
Bradley Foundation (PI)
This project is aligned with and supported by the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), $75,000 (2014-2018)
Project E-RiDGE (Evaluation and Replicability in Doctoral Gifted Environments) was designed to measure the impact of doctoral students (Curriculum Studies and Teaching with a specialization in Gifted Education) at the student-service level. Researchers designed a constructivist approach in which doctoral students identify complex problems of practice and develop impact projects to address these issues.
The Buell Foundation (PI)
$10,000, (2014-2018
Longitudinal Research Project: The Development of a Longitudinal Database Consisting of Information Regarding the Graduates of the Ricks Center.
a. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K. (August, 2018). Culturally Proficient Leadership in Identification of Under-Represented Gifted Students. 16th Conference of the European Council for High Ability (ECHA), Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland.
b. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K. (June, 2018). Design Thinking: Innovative Strategies to Improve the Identification of and Service to Gifted Learners. Right4Rural Education Symposium, Denver, CO
c. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, Taylor, R. (April, 2018). Leadership Considerations to Improve Gifted Identification and Talent Development for Historically Marginalized Students in Rural Settings. Belin-Blank Center, The 2018 Wallace Research Symposium on Talent Development, Baltimore, MD.
d. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K, Medina, J., Taylor, R., & Amiri, F. (April, 2018). Influencing Leadership to Enact Culturally Responsive Practices in Gifted Education. Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2018 Annual Meeting, New York City, NY.
e. Hesbol, K., Hafenstein, N.L., Amiri, F. (January, 2018). Rural and Remote: Changing the Unerrepresentation of Giftedness among Underrepresented Minority Students. Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE), 2018 Winter Leadership Conference, Westminster, CO.
f. Hafenstein, N.L., Lopez, J., Hesbol, K., Medina, J. (November, 2017). Rural and Remote: Challenges and Strengths in Gifted Education. National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), 2017 Annual Convention, Charlotte, NC.
g. Hafenstein, N.L., Hesbol, K., Medina, J., Lopez, J. & Taylor, R. (February, 2017). Giftedness in Rural Poverty: What Do We Know? Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education, Policy Symposium and Conference. Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver, Denver, CO.
Ongoing Research Support
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act Grant (Co-Principal Investigator)
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) in collaboration with the University of Denver, $1,148,389 (2015-present) The goal of this grant, named “Right4Rural”, is to use various resources and implement innovative, locally defined programs so strong sustainable gifted programs exist in every part of the state, especially in rural and at-risk populations where aspirations and practices fluctuate depending upon person, vision, and recorded history.
Completed Research Support
Bradley Foundation (PI)
This project is aligned with and supported by the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), $75,000 (2014-2018)
Project E-RiDGE (Evaluation and Replicability in Doctoral Gifted Environments) was designed to measure the impact of doctoral students (Curriculum Studies and Teaching with a specialization in Gifted Education) at the student-service level. Researchers designed a constructivist approach in which doctoral students identify complex problems of practice and develop impact projects to address these issues.
The Buell Foundation (PI)
$10,000, (2014-2018
Longitudinal Research Project: The Development of a Longitudinal Database Consisting of Information Regarding the Graduates of the Ricks Center.
Key Projects
- Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program
Featured Publications
(1969). Perspectives in Gifted Education: Influences and impacts of the Education Doctorate on Gifted Education. Denver, US: Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education.
. (2011). Greatest Potential, Greatest Need: Soaring Beyond Expectations; Conference proceedings and selected articles focusing on the highly gifted. Denver, Colorado, USA: Institute for the Development of Gifted Education.
. (2009). Creativity. Perspectives in Gifted Education.
. (2009). Diverse Gifted Learners. Perspectives in Gifted Education.
. Presentations
(2017). An Examination of the Identification of Underrepresented Rural Minority Gifted Students in a Western State. . American Educational Research Association 2017 Annual Meeting. San Antonio: American Educational Research Association.
. (2018). Leadership Considerations to Improve Gifted Identification and Talent Development for Historically Marginalized Students in Rural Settings. The 2018 Wallace Research Symposium on Talent Development. Baltimore, MD: Belin-Blank Center, University of Iowa and Johns Hopkins University.
. (2018). Developmental Potential in Pre-Service Teachers: Self-Understanding and Classroom Applications. 13th International Dabrowski Congress. Naperville, IL: Dabrowski Congress.
. (2017). Rural and Remote: Challenges and Strengths in Gifted Education. National Association for Gifted Children 2017 Annual Convention. Charlotte, NC: National Association for Gifted Children.
. (2018). Alternative Methods for Rewarding Teaching. University of Denver: Office of Teaching and Learning, University of Denver.
. Awards
- Named Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education, Considine Family Foundation, Daniel L. Ritchie, University of Denver, Morgridge College of Education
- Faculty Career Champion, University of Denver
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented
- Distinguished Alumni Award, Emporia State University
- Cast Bronze Bell in Ricks Center entry, University of Denver; Chancellor Daniel L. Ritchie