Kristen Seward
Clinical Associate Professor in Educational Studies/Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies; Associate Director and Youth Programs Director, Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute; Graduate Certification and Licensure Advisor
Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies,
Educational Studies
Email:
ksseward@purdue.edu
Phone:
(765) 494-7252
Address:
Steven C. Beering Hall of
Liberal Arts and Education
100 N. University Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2098
BRNG 3160
Links:
LinkedInAbout
A proponent of gifted education for developing all students’ strengths since starting her teaching career in 1987, Dr. Kristen Seward was inspired by Dr. John Feldhusen, founder of Purdue University’s Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER2I). After teaching middle and high school English in self-contained gifted and mixed ability classrooms, Kristen earned her master’s in school counseling, and for the majority of her 17 ½ years in public schools, she counseled middle and high school students. Returning to her love of teaching and fulfilling her dream of teaching teachers, Kristen completed her Ph.D. in 2017 under the advisement of Dr. Marcia Gentry. Kristen continues at Purdue as a clinical associate professor in Educational Studies, associate director of GER2I, certification and licensure adviser and program coordinator, and GER2I ‘s youth program director. Since 2015, she has received over $7.6 million dollars in grant and fellowship funds, authored or co-authored five refereed articles and six book chapters, and led over 50 refereed presentations to national and international audiences on four continents. Kristen has held leadership positions in state and national gifted education associations and volunteers to review articles for nine professional journals in rural and gifted education. At Purdue, she received the 2025 Clinical Faculty Award for Engagement in the Department of Educational Studies and the 2023 Seed for Success Acorn Award from Purdue’s Office of Research for first $1,000,000+ grants, and in 2021, she was selected to participate in the Scholarship of Engagement Fellows Program and the IMPACT Faculty Fellow Program.
Education
- 2017 Ph. D., Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (years of study: 2013-2017)
Major Areas: Educational Psychology and Research Methodology; Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies
Related Area: Curriculum and Instruction
Advisor: Drs. Kristina Ayers Paul and Marcia Gentry - 1993 M. S., Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (years of study: 1991-1993)
Major Areas: Educational Psychology and School Counseling - 1987 B. A., Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (years of study: 1986-1987)
Major Areas: English and Secondary Education
Career Experience
- Purdue University (June 2016 – present)
- Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Educational Studies
- Associate Director, Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER2I)
- GER2I Youth Programs Director
- Gifted, Creative, & Talented Certification & Licensure Program Coordinator
- Purdue University (Aug. 2013 – May 2016)
- Graduate Student Associate, Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute
- Asst. Coordinator, 2014 Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute Summer Residential Program
- Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Educational Studies, College of Education
- Carroll Consolidated School Corporation, Flora, IN (Aug. 2004 – May 2013)
- K-12 Guidance Director, Carroll Jr.-Sr. High School
- Carroll County Division of Family and Children, Delphi, IN (Aug. 1998 – June 2000)
- Parent Educator
- Carroll Consolidated School Corporation, Flora, IN (Aug. 1998 – May 2000)
- Small Group Counselor
- Delphi Community School Corporation, Delphi, IN (Aug. 1995 – Dec. 1997)
- Delphi Community Middle School, School Counselor
- Logansport Community School Corporation, Logansport, IN (Aug. 1992 – May 1995)
- Lincoln Middle School Home-School Relations/At-Risk Counselor
- West Central School Corporation, Francesville, IN (Aug. 1988 – May 1991)
- Junior-Senior High School English Teacher
Awards & Honors
- 2025 Clinical Faculty Award for Engagement, Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University
- 2024 Intercultural Learning Badges in Global Learning and Intercultural Learning, Purdue University, CILMAR
- 2023 Purdue Employee Recognition Award
- 2023 Seed for Success Acorn Award, Purdue University, Office of Research
- 2021-2022 Scholarship of Engagement Fellows Program, Purdue University Office of Engagement
- 2021 IMPACT Faculty Fellow Program, Purdue University Center for Instructional Excellence
- 2020 Clinical Faculty Award for Engagement, Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University
- 2018 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Legacy Book Award, Scholar Category—Introduction to Gifted Education
- 2017 National Association for Gifted Children Doctoral Student Award
- 2016-17 Dean’s Doctoral Student Scholarship
- 2016-17 John and Hazel Feldhusen Doctoral Student Fellowship
- 2016-17 Cecelia Zissis Graduate Student Scholarship
- 2015 Texas Association of Gifted & Talented Legacy Book Award, Scholar Category—Serving Gifted Students in Rural Settings.
- 2010 Recipient of the Indian Trails Career Cooperative School Counselor of the Year Award
- 2007 Recipient of the American School Counselor Association’s Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) Award for Carroll Consolidated School Corporation’s K-12 school counseling program
- 2006 Recipient of Indiana’s Gold Star School Counseling Award for Carroll Consolidated School Corporation’s K-12 school counseling program
- 1996 Recipient of the Indiana Middle Level Education Association’s Regional School Counselor of the Year Award
Professional Affiliations/Memberships
- American Education Research Association (AERA)
- Division B Curriculum Studies
- Division C Learning and Instruction
- Division E Counseling and Human Development
- Division K Teaching and Teacher Evaluation
- Online Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group
- Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent Special Interest Group
- Rural Education Special Interest Group
- Social and Emotional Learning Special Interest Group
- Teacher as Researcher Special Interest Group
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- APA Division 15 (Educational Psychology)
- Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
- American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
- Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
- Indiana Association for the Gifted (IAG)
- Indiana School Counselor Association (ISCA)
- National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
- NAGC Counseling and Development Network
- NAGC Curriculum and Instruction Network
- NAGC Research and Development Network
- NAGC Professional Development Network
- NAGC Special Populations Network
- National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
- World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC)
Research & Publications
Dr. Seward’s research interests include the following areas:
- Professional development in talent development identification and programming
- The use of gifted pedagogy to improve teacher preparation and skills in differentiation
- Talent development in underserved populations, including students in rural areas
- Guidance and counseling gifted students, including career development
Selected Publications
- Smith, S., Robinson, A., & Seward, K. (2024). Pathways to talent: Gifted, creative, and talented education for preservice teachers. Multi Colors: An International Journal of Educational Research and Theory, 3(1). 79-91. Special issue on teaching highly able students. https://en.gordon.ac.il/Uploads/media/Files/7-Pathways%20(Sheyanne,%20Ann,%20Kristen%20(1).pdf
- Seward, K., & Akce, B. (2023). Creating an intercultural peace education course online with devised theatre for high-ability teenagers of different backgrounds and world regions. In C. Carter & R. K. Dhungana (Eds.). Educating for Peace Through Countering Violence: Curriculum and Instruction. Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education Book Series. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003383468-6
- Arnstein, K. B., Desmet, O. A., Seward, K., Traynor, A., & Olenchak, F. R. (2023). Underrepresented students in gifted and talented education: Using positive psychology to identify and serve. Education Sciences, 13(9), 955. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090955
- Seward, K., & Gentry, M. (2022). Students with gifts, creativity, and talents from low-income families. In J. L. Roberts, T. F. Inman, & J. H. Robins (Eds.), Introduction to Gifted Education (2nd ed.). Routledge.
- Lee, H., Seward, K., & Gentry, M. (2022). Equitable identification of underrepresented gifted students: The relationship between students’ academic achievement and a teacher-rating scale. Journal of Advanced Academics, 33(3), 400-432. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X221088816
- Seward, K., & Gentry, M. (2021). Protocols for identification: Increasing equity for underrepresented groups. In J. Nyberg & J. Mazone (Eds.). Creating equitable services for the gifted: Protocols for identification, implementation, and evaluation. IGI Global. https://www.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-8153-7.ch001
- Seward, K., & Gaesser, A. H. (2018). Career decision making with gifted rural students: Considerations for school counselors and teachers. Gifted Child Today, 41(4), 217-225. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217518786986
- Gentry, M., & Seward, K. (2018). Gifted students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In J. L. Roberts, T. F. Inman, & J. H. Robins (Eds.), Introduction to Gifted Education (pp. 353-368). Prufrock Press.
- Paul, K. A., & Seward, K. (2016). Place-based investment model of talent development: A proposed model for developing and reinvesting talents within the community. Journal of Advanced Academics, 27(4), 311-342. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1932202X16669546
- Seward, K., & Gentry, M. (2015). Grouping and instructional management strategies for rural gifted students. In T. Stambaugh & S. M. Wood (Eds.). Serving gifted students in rural settings (pp. 111-135). Prufrock Press.
Current Grants & Funded Research
- Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program, Principal Investigator, Having Opportunities Promotes Excellence: Developing Scholar Identities Among Underserved Youth with Gifts and Talents, U. S. Department of Education, 2022-2027, $3,573,200
- Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program, Co-Investigator, Underrepresented Students in Gifted & Talented Education: Positive Psychology Identification &
Service. U.S. Department of Education, 2022-2027, $2,770,110 - Jack Kent Cooke Youth Program Scholarship Grant, Project HOPE+, 2024-2026, $200,000
- Purdue University Undergraduate Research Trainee (URT) Program, 2024-2025, $1,500
Courses Typically Taught
- EDPS 54000 Introduction to Gifted Children
- EDPS 55500 Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction
- EDPS 54500 Social & Affective Development of Gifted Children
- EDPS 54200 Curriculum and Program Planning in Gifted Education
- EDPS 69500 Practicum in Gifted Education