Nielsen Pereira

• Ph.D. — Educational Studies (Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• M.A. — Applied Linguistics (Second Language Acquisition), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS
• B.A. — English Education, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS

• 2023- Present
  • Executive Director
  • Gifted Education Research & Resource Institute (GER²I)
• 2021 – Present
  • Associate Professor
  • Department of Educational Studies
  • Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• 2015 – 2021
  • Assistant Professor
  • Department of Educational Studies
  • Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• 2011 – 2014
  • Assistant Professor
  • School of Teacher Education
  • Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
• 2012 – 2014
  • Talent Development Programs Instructor
  • The Center for Gifted Studies
  • Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
• 2007 – 2011
  • Graduate Assistant
  • Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GERI)
  • Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• 2008
  • Talent Development Programs Instructor
  • Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GERI)
  • Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

• 2024 Faculty Discovery Award, Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University
• 2022 Marcia L. Gentry Special Populations Early Career Award, National Association for Gifted Children
• 2022 Faculty Discovery Award, Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University
• 2022 Faculty Engagement Award, Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University
• 2022 Journal for the Education of the Gifted 2021 Paper of the Year (“Validity Evidence for the Revised Classroom Practices Survey: An Instrument to Measure Teachers’ Differentiation Practices”)
• 2020 Early Scholar Award, National Association for Gifted Children
• 2020 Seed for Success Award, Purdue University
• 2020 Dean’s Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award, College of Education, Purdue University
• 2020 Faculty Discovery Award, Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University
• 2019 Pathbreaker Award, American Educational Research Association – Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent Development Special Interest Group
• 2018 Hollingworth Award, National Association for Gifted Children

Editorial Board Member

• Gifted Child Quarterly
• Journal of Advanced Academics
• Journal for the Education of the Gifted

• Pereira, N., Bright, S., Ozen, Z., Safitri, S., Castillo-Hermosilla, H., Matos, B., Karatas, T., & Fonseca, P. (2025). A multi-tiered approach to computer science talent development. Gifted Child Quarterly, 69(2). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862241307662
• Ozen, Z., Pereira, N., Karatas, T., Castillo-Hermosilla, H., & Maeda, Y. (2025). A meta-analytic evaluation: Investigating evidence for the validity of the Cognitive Abilities Test. Gifted Child Quarterly, 69(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986224128
• Ozen, Z., Pereira, N., & Bright, S. (2025). Exploring critical predictors of math and science achievement for high achieving students in TIMSS data: Application of elastic-net logistic regression. Journal of Advanced Academics. Advance Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X251356325
• Desmet, O. A., Austin, G., & Pereira, N. (2025). Resolving relative underachievement through an achievement motivation intervention: A single-case study. Gifted Education International. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/02614294251364808
• Desmet, O. A., & Pereira, N. (2022). The Achievement Motivation Enhancement Curriculum: Evaluating an affective intervention for gifted students. Journal of Advanced Academics, 33(1), 129-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X211057424
• Pereira, N. (2021). Finding talent among elementary English learners: A validity study of the HOPE Teacher Rating Scale. Gifted Child Quarterly, 65(2), 153-166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986220985942
• Pereira, N., Tay, J., Desmet, O., Maeda, Y., & Gentry, M. (2021). Validity evidence for the Revised Classroom Practices Survey: An instrument to measure teachers’ differentiation practices. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 44(1), 31-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353220978304
• Parra-Martinez, F. A., & Pereira, N. (2021). Gifted education policy in Colombia: Legislation and guidelines for learners with exceptional abilities and talents. International Journal of Educational Research, 109, 85-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101814
• Desmet, O., Pereira, N., & Peterson, J. (2020). Telling a tale: How underachievement develops in gifted girls. Gifted Child Quarterly,64(2), 85-99. doi:10.1177/0016986219888633
• Pereira, N., Tay, J., Maeda, Y., & Gentry, M. (2019). Differentiation as measured by the Classroom Practices Survey: A validity study updating the original instrument. Learning Environments Research. 16, 1-18. doi: 10.1007/s10984-019-09284-z
• Hodges, J., Tay, J., Ozturk, E., & Pereira, N. (2018). The effect of the 2008 recession on gifted education funding across the State of Texas. AERA Open, 4, 1-11. doi: 10.1177/2332858418786224 (2019 Pathbreaker Award)
• Zhou, N., Pereira, N., George, T., Alperovich, J., Booth, J., Chandrasegaran, … Ramani, K. (2017). The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students’ Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 1-13. DOI 10.1007/s10956-017-9693-1
• Pereira, N., Bakhiet, S. F., Gentry, M., Balhmar, T. A., & Hakami, S. M. (2017). Sudanese students’ perceptions of their class activities: Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of My Class Activities–Arabic Language Version. Journal of Advanced Academics, 28, 101-119.
• Peters, S. J., & Pereira, N. (2017). A Replication of the Internal Validity Structure of Three Major Teaching Rating Scales. Journal of Advanced Academics, 28, 1-19.

• 2024-2025 Principal Investigator, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Project HOPE+. ($200,000)
• 2023-2025 Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation. Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), Fostering Black and Latinx student STEM efficacy, interests, and identity: A participatory study of STEM programming and practices at one community-based organization ($1,969,709)
• 2022-2027 Co-Principal Investigator, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program. Having Opportunities Promotes Excellence: Developing Scholar Identities Among Underserved Youth with High Potential ($3,573,200)
• 2019-2024 Principal Investigator, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program. Closing Excellence and Opportunity Gaps for Students from Traditionally Underserved Populations in Gifted