Written by Joan Grim, senior lecturer in special education
Brittany Anderson, assistant professor of elementary and urban multicultural education, is a former Texas educator who received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Baylor University. She also received her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Texas, and doctorate degree in gifted and creative education from the University of Georgia. Anderson’s research focuses on pre-service teacher education, urban education, and gifted education. She was the recipient of the prestigious Carolyn Callahan Doctoral Student Award at the 64th National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) Annual Convention. She was selected for this award because of her scholarship and work in the field of gifted education.
For the past several years, Anderson has been involved in the professional development of in-service teachers in urban school districts, focusing on issues of recruitment and retention of culturally, linguistically, diverse educators. In October 2019, she was the keynote speaker at Baylor University’s Gifted and Talented Conference. Her keynote address focused on ways educators and community partners can use their agency to create and sustain collaborations focused on the talent identification and development of underserved youth. Anderson discussed the current landscape of gifted education in relation to talent identification and development for underserved youth, and provided strategies to help educators understand authentic ways to support the identification and development of underserved youth.
Anderson’s most recent work involved leading a teacher in-service workshop on cultural responsiveness, trauma, and restorative practices for children from diverse backgrounds during the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday weekend. It is a mark of excellence that Anderson’s research complements the principles of Dr. King’s commitment to social justice, economic empowerment, love, peace and unity. Anderson’s research and outreach serve as strong exemplars of the mission of the department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, in which faculty strive to advance equity through excellence in education.