Dr. Norma Hafenstein

Norma Hafenstein is the Founder and Director of Ricks Center for Gifted Children in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver, established in 1984. She has presented at over 150 state, regional, national, and international conferences on gifted education and educational research. Her research in the areas of Primary and Early Childhood Curriculum for gifted children has been published in Roeper Review and Gifted Child Quarterly, and she has contributed a chapter, "Young Children," to the book Smarter Kids: At Home and School. Primary areas of research interest for Norma are psychological aspects of the gifted, young gifted children and gifted girls.

In 1997, Norma established The Institute for the Development of Gifted Education in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver through a grant from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. The Institute conducts and publishes research, publishes curriculum units and educational monographs and organizes outreach programs to augment resources available for educating young gifted children. Norma teaches graduate courses in gifted education leading toward a Graduate Academic Certificate for Gifted Education Specialists.

In 2004, Norma received the Founders Day Award for Distinguished Service to the University of Denver in honor of her commitment and tireless work on behalf of gifted children and in 2006 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented. Norma is passionate about music and plays piano and sings with various groups including a women's chorale ensemble, Impromptu. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Historic Georgetown, Inc. Norma and her husband, Keith, have two college-age children.

Norma and the Ricks Center were recently featured on the Colorado Public Television series Studio 12, which can be viewed here.