The Bridges Education Group, a recognized leader in educational pedagogies for the 2e (twice-exceptional) student, is pleased to announce that Columbia University professor and esteemed speaker and author Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman has been named Director of Research at the Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development.

Dr. Kaufman is best known for his groundbreaking work on intelligence and creativity, and he has written or edited several influential works in the field, including Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined; Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind; Twice Exceptional: Supporting and Educating Bright and Creative Students with Learning Difficulties; and Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization, which will be released in April 2020. He is listed by Business Insider as one of the “50 groundbreaking scientists who are changing the way we see the world.”

As Director of Research, Dr. Kaufman will be advising on various research and writing projects centered around the Bridges 2e Model, which supports the development and education of gifted students with learning challenges. He will play an active role in conducting classes and workshops in positive psychology for Bridges Academy faculty and students and will be a featured speaker at the 2020 Bridges Parent University. He also will continue to serve as a faculty member at the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education, leading courses on cognitive diversity and the complexities of 2e.

“I am so excited to be working with the good folks at Bridges to help bring out the best in all students, and to help broaden our notions of human potential,” Kaufman said. “Too many children are falling between the cracks due to outdated notions of what it means to excel intellectually and creatively in life. Ability and disability can coexist; in fact, this coexistence is what makes us human.”

The Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development is a first-of-its-kind multi-disciplinary hub where professionals, scholars, and practitioners combine expertise to enhance understanding of the growing population of 2e students. The Center engages in research, outreach, and staff training, and hosts symposia and workshops in the area of twice-exceptional education.

“I am thrilled that Scott Barry Kaufman will be working with us at the Center and Graduate School,” said Dr. Susan Baum, Director of the Bridges 2e Center. “Scott brings so much knowledge, creativity, and compassion to those projects he values. Having Scott here will result in innovative efforts to better our advocacy and deepen understanding of the power of minds wired differently.”