Bronwyn MacFarlane, Ph.D.

Bronwyn MacFarlane, Ph.D., has served as Past Chair of the NAGC STEM Network and the NAGC Counseling and Guidance Network.  She is Professor of Gifted Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where she teaches graduate courses in gifted education and educational leadership. 

Her book, "Specialized Schools for High Ability Learning" (2018) and her book, “STEM Education for High-Ability Learners: Designing and Implementing Programming” (2016), was the first book of its kind on the market to specifically bring together the elements needed for delivering comprehensive STEM educational programming to develop high ability.  Link: https://www.amazon.com/Specialized-Schools-High-Ability-Learners-Implementing/dp/1618217771/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bronwyn+macfarlane&qid=1614111364&sr=8-2

She served in the role of Associate Dean for the College of Education and Health Professions where she provided leadership for educator and health preparation programs. She has diverse experiences leading graduate academic affairs for the UALR College of Education and Health Professions, guiding college programs through accreditation and review processes, providing organizational leadership for community partnership projects, teaching diverse learners, managing academic school programs, designing and evaluating differentiated curriculum for high ability learners and online programs, and providing quality professional development. 

She has contributed to several large-scale differentiated curricular initiatives. She is a university site visitor for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.  Dr. MacFarlane holds school leadership qualifications for school superintendency, principalship, counseling, and teaching across a range of content areas and grade levels.  She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Planning from the College of William and Mary in Virginia with two specializations in K-12 Administration and Gifted Program Administration. 

Her research interests focus upon talent development and assessing programs and curricula interventions to increase talent development among learners.  She has authored numerous articles, book chapters, and technical reports and has delivered over 150 presentations for state, national, and international audiences.  She has publications in High Ability Studies, Roeper Review, Journal for the Education of the Gifted, Parenting for High Potential, Tempo, Understanding Our Gifted, and Gifted and Talented International.  She co-edited “Leading Change in Gifted Education: The Festschrift of Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska” (2009).  She wrote the column “The Curriculum Corner” for three years in the NAGC Teaching for High Potential magazine.

She received the 2021 College Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service; the NAGC Early Leader Award; the 2014 and 2019 UALR College Faculty Excellence Awards for Research and Creative Endeavors; the UALR Distinguished Teaching Fellow Medallion; and the UALR New Faculty Teaching Commendation.  She also received the NAGC Outstanding Doctoral Award; the College of William and Mary School of Education Dean’s Award for Excellence; the College of William and Mary Excellence in Gifted Education Doctoral Award; and the International P.E.O. Scholar Award. 

Speaker Topics:

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  • Leading Change in Gifted Education
  • Curriculum for Social Emotional Learning 
  • Gifted Program Design 
  • STEM Education Program Design
  • Second Language Learning and Dual-Language Teaching
  • Developing Challenging Curriculum for Gifted Learners, K-12
  • Rigorous Curriculum Design and the Integrated Curriculum Model
  • Aligning Gifted Curriculum Models and the Common Core State Standards
  • Improving Service Delivery for All High Ability Students
  • Bringing out the Best: Social and Emotional Development
  • Family involvement and the impact on promising learners
  • Counseling the Affective Needs of Gifted Learners