Brenda C. Matos
Teaching Assistant
Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies,
Educational Studies
About
Brenda C. Matos (M.S.Ed.) is a PhD candidate in gifted, creative, and talented studies at Purdue University. She served as the academic coordinator for the Summer Residential Program in the Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER2I) at Purdue University, coordinating more than 60 teachers and welcoming over 1,000 students who attended the summer programs at Purdue for three years in this role. Before beginning her graduate work at Purdue, she taught at the High Ability/Gifted Education Resource Center in Brazil. She has been a member of the Brazilian Council for Giftedness’ board since 2018, serving as vice president in 2021–2022.
Education
- Bachelor’s and Licensure in Biology
- Master of Science and Education in Science Teaching; Specialized in Special Education
- PhD Candidate in Gifted Education.
Career Experience
- Teaching Assistant, Purdue University, 2025-2026
- Academic Coordinator of GER2I Summer Residential Program, Purdue University, 2023-2025
- Research Assistant, Purdue University, 2022-2023
- Special Education Instructor, Federal Institute of Mato Grosso do Sul, 2019-2021
- Limited-term Lecturer, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, 2019
- Secretary of the Scientific Initiation Program, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 2019
- Gifted Instructor, High Ability/Gifted Education Resource Center, 2015-2018
Awards & Honors
- Mensa Foundation Gifted Education Fellowship (2025)
- Feldhusen Doctoral Student Fellowship (2025)
- WCGTC Conference Scholarship (2025)
- AGSERS 1st Place in the 3-Minute Thesis Competition (2025)
- EDST Graduate Student Travel Award (2024, 2023)
- AERA RoGCT Graduate Student Travel Award (2023)
- Maria Helena Novaes Mira Award (2016)
- Fulbright Scholar (2013-2014).
Professional Affiliations/Memberships
- World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC)
- National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC)
- American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- Brazilian Council for Giftedness (ConBraSD)
- The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Research & Publications
Brenda Matos’ primary research interests include underachievement, STEM education, socio-emotional curriculum, and student motivation and engagement. For her dissertation, she is developing and testing a STEM curriculum for gifted students based on the lives and discoveries of scientists. This curriculum incorporates aspects of cognitive and socio-emotional development to achieve holistic outcomes.
Selected Publications
- Pereira, N., Bright, S., Ozen, Z., Safitri, S., Castillo-Hermosilla , H., Matos, B. C., Karatas , T., & Fonseca, P. (2025). A multitiered approach to computer science talent development. Gifted Child Quarterly, 69(2), 130-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862241307662
- Matos, B. C., Machado, V. M., Maciel, C. E. (2020). Biomas mundiais: Construindo um modelo didático de baixo custo. [World biomes: building a low-cost didactic model.] 1 ed. Editora UFMS. https://repositorio.ufms.br/handle/123456789/3535
- Matos, B. C., Machado, V. M., Maciel, C. E. (2018). Modelização para o ensino de ciências e biologia como proposta pedagógica diferenciada de ensino-aprendizagem. [Modeling for science and biology teaching as a differentiated pedagogical approach for teaching-learning]. [Special issue]. Revista Tecné, Episteme y Didaxis (TED). Article 2A021. VIII Congreso Internacional sobre Formación de Profesores de Ciencias, p. 2A021. https://revistas.upn.edu.co/index.php/TED/article/view/9760
- Matos, B. C., Maciel, C. E. (2016). Políticas Educacionais do Brasil e Estados Unidos para o Atendimento de Alunos com Altas Habilidades/Superdotação (AH/SD). [Educational Policies from Brazil and the United States to the Services for Gifted and Talented students]. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, v. 22, p. 175-188. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-65382216000200003
- Matos, B. C., Maciel, C. E., Machado, V. M. (2016). Práticas pedagógicas para alunos com Altas Habilidades/Superdotação em disciplinas de Ciências: Perspectivas e Possibilidades. [Pedagogical Approaches for Gifted and Talented Students in Science courses: Perspectives and possibilities]. Revista Brasileira de Altas Habilidades/Superdotação, v. 3, p. 46-60. https://ojsconbra.conbrasd.org/index.php/revista/issue/view/4
- Matos, B. C., Machado, V. M. (2016). A transposição didática e a escolha de práticas com base nas concepções epistemológicas do professor [The didactic transposition and the choice of practices based on the teacher’s epistemological conceptions]. Revista de Ensino de Biologia da Associação Brasileira de Ensino de Biologia (SBEnBio), v. 9, p. 2695-2705. https://www.sbenbio.org.br/revistas/renbio-edicao-9/
- Santos, G. C. J. P. dos, Matos, B. C., Bifon, G. F. (2016). Resultados obtidos com o atendimento educacional especializado oferecido no núcleo de atividades de altas habilidades/superdotação de Mato Grosso do Sul: Relatos de alunos. [Results achieved with the specialized services for the gifted and talented offered by the Mato Grosso do Sul’s activities center: Students report]. Revista Brasileira de Altas Habilidades/Superdotação, v. 3, p. 83-93. https://ojsconbra.conbrasd.org/index.php/revista/issue/view/4
Advisor
Courses Typically Taught
EDPS 24001 – Foundations of Gifted Education and Differentiated Instruction (Teaching Assistant)
Research Area / Dissertation Topic
Underachievement among gifted students; and Enrichment Programs for gifted students