Ashland University Education Professor Selected as Distinguished Scholar

ASHLAND, OH October 28, 2010 (Press-News.org) Dr. Jane Piirto, trustees' distinguished professor in the Dwight Schar College of Education at Ashland University, has been selected as the 2010 NAGC Distinguished Scholar by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). The Distinguished Scholar award is the NAGC's highest honor.

The NAGC Awards Committee said the Distinguished Scholar award is presented annually to an individual who presents evidence of more than 10 years as a researcher in the field of gifted and talented; who is recognized as expert in particular aspects of gifted education; who demonstrates a history of research published in refereed journals and of national and international refereed presentations; who has authored a seminal work or developed a theory or model that is recognized; who has published books, chapters, or monographs; who has been recognized by peers through awards; and who has been elected to offices in organizations and who participates on editorial boards.

Piirto will receive this award during the NAGC's 57th Annual Convention in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 12. The annual awards ceremony will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Piirto will be recognized from the podium and will come to the stage to receive her award. Additionally, she will be listed in the post-convention issue of Compass Points, NAGC's electronic newsletter and on the NAGC website.

The citation for the award will note that Piirto has published 13 books, both literary and scholarly, including an award-winning novel. She is the single author of the synoptic textbook, Talented Children and Adults, and of the award-winning book on creativity, Understanding Those Who Create.

She also has published Understanding Creativity, and "My Teeming Brain": Understanding Creative Writers. Her latest scholarly book, due out in a few months, is Creativity for 21st Century Skills. She has published many scholarly articles and chapters in peer-reviewed journals and anthologies.

Her Pyramid of Talent Development has been disseminated throughout the world. She is on the editorial boards of scholarly journals within the field. She is a recipient of the Mensa Education and Research Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

As this year's Distinguished Scholar award winner, Piirto also will conduct a conference session based on her research on the topic, "Chokecherries, The Pyramid, Creativity, Poetry, and My Teeming Brain."

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private institution conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.