Fifth gifted education doctoral student named a MENSA Fellow
The Mensa Foundation named the College of Education’s Shahnaz Safitri as a 2026 Mensa Fellow.
Safitri is a doctoral student in gifted, creative, and talented studies in the Department of Educational Studies, and is part of the College’s Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER²I).
“Shahnaz joins four other GER²I doctoral students who have received this prestigious fellowship since 2020, which reflects both the meaningful scholarship produced by our students and the continued leadership of our graduate program in gifted education,” said Nielsen Pereira, the John Feldhusen Term Associate Professor of Gifted and Talented Education and executive director of GER²I.
The Mensa Foundation Fellowship Program supports individuals dedicated to advancing the understanding and application of intelligence. It currently includes the Gifted Education Fellowship, which empowers educators pursuing graduate studies in gifted education or related fields.
As a fellow, Safitri will receive financial support, opportunities to conduct research involving Mensa members, complimentary registration for Mensa Foundation events, and recognition as a Mensa Foundation Fellow.
“I’m really grateful for this honor as it supports the direction of my PhD research on talent development,” Safitri said. “It means a lot to have this encouragement to explore further how talent continues to develop and contribute meaningfully throughout life.”
“Shahnaz Safitri’s appointment as a 2026 Mensa Foundation Gifted Education Fellow is a recognition of the quality and promise of her research,” said Pereira.
Safitri is Pereira’s fifth GER²I doctoral student to receive this fellowship in recent years, following Brenda Matos in 2025, Hernán Castillo-Hermosilla in 2023, Fabio Andres Parra Martinez (2021), and Aakash Chowkase in 2020.
Sources: Shahnaz Safitri and Nielsen Pereira
About GER²I
Housed in the Purdue University College of Education, the Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER²I) focuses on developing human potential. Founded by John Feldhusen in 1978, GER²I’s mission is to promote the holistic growth of giftedness, creativity, and talents in individuals throughout their lives. It offers enrichment programs for talented youth, graduate programs for future leaders, professional development for educators, and conduct innovative research in related fields.
About the Mensa Foundation
Founded in 1971, the Mensa Foundation was established by members of American Mensa to extend the organization’s impact. While connected by a shared purpose, the Foundation operates independently, guided by its own Board of Trustees, strategic plan, and initiatives.