Dr. Celeste D.C. Sodergren
Dr. Celeste D.C. Sodergren, who earned her PhD in educational psychology with a specialization in Gifted and Talented Education from Baylor in 2024, claimed the 2025 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Dissertation Award. The prestigious honor recognizes high-quality dissertations relevant in gifted education, creativity, and talent development; supports the development of emerging scholars; and provides a forum for the dissemination of research by leaders among emerging scholars.
Sodergren is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Connecticut’s National Research Center for Gifted Education, working with Project EAGLE, a federally funded Javits Grant initiative that identifies math talent in underrepresented student populations.
“Celeste was an outstanding student with strong qualitative research skills,” noted Dr. Todd Kettler, associate professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, executive director of Baylor’s Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, and Sodergren’s dissertation advisor. “Her research on parental support and talent development programs will have meaningful impact in the U.S. and beyond. Her current work positions her as an emerging national leader in gifted education.”
In her award-winning dissertation, Analyzing Families’ Hopes and Expectations for Gifted Education Programs, Sodergren explored what parents expect to gain from gifted education for their children and family. In a two-paper dissertation, she first conducted a scoping review of literature on parents of gifted children, providing a much-needed update of the last major review in 2012. Sodergren followed it with an investigation of the expectations of parents who were seeking or participating in a university-based gifted program, collecting qualitative data primarily through focus groups.
Her research offered new insights into the Evolving Complexity Theory (Dai, 2017) of talent development, emphasizing how family decisions influence a gifted child’s development. Sodergren conceptualized the early stages of the parent search for enrichment programming, presenting new opportunities for both theoretical research and practical application. Leading journals in gifted education have published both papers from her dissertation.
“My research reminded me of how I began my journey in gifted education—as a gifted child—and later a parent of gifted children,” Sodergren said. “These parents reminded me that everyone starts at the beginning, when children are most vulnerable and parents most afraid of making mistakes.”
Sodergren hopes that her dissertation can pave the way for more understanding among teachers, students, administrators, and parents involved in gifted education. Having played each of these roles herself, she understands the various perspectives and knows how hard it is for administrators and teachers to juggle obligations to everyone.
As part of her current work on Project EAGLE, Sodergren conducts interviews, observations, and focus groups. She also supports trainer development in three states—including Texas—and helps publish the project’s findings. “This five-year grant project demands extensive time, effort, and collaboration,” she said. “I feel incredibly fortunate to contribute to something so impactful. The EAGLE grant is led by Drs. Del Siegle, Betsy McCoach, and Susan Dulong Langley, names that are well known in the gifted education community.”
Sodergren earned a BA in English Literature and a minor in religion from East Texas Baptist University and an MA in speech communication with a focus on political rhetoric from Emerson College in Boston. Before pursuing her doctorate, she served as Director of Advanced Academics for Waco Independent School District and continues to actively support the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT), most recently as facilitator of the Forum for Advanced Leadership. After graduating from Baylor in August 2024, Sodergren also served Baylor Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development with Baylor TIP (Talent Identification Program).
Sodergren said, “Baylor’s incredible faculty, especially my advisor Dr. Todd Kettler, gave me the chance to grow as a researcher in a supportive environment. My faith, family, and friends brought me to a place I once thought unreachable. Because of Baylor, I now work in a role that challenges and inspires me every day.”
Project EAGLE, which has developed a dynamic approach to identify math talent in students who have been previously overlooked, will offer free training opportunities this fall in Texas. Teachers (grades 3-5), gifted specialists, and school or district administrators interested in Project EAGLE’s free training opportunities can visit identifygifted.education.uconn.edu/trainer for information on how to request a workshop.
Baylor educational psychology graduate Brenda K. Jones Davis, PhD ’20, received this NAGC award in 2021, with Rachel Renbarger, PhD ’20, receiving second place that year. Anna Payne, PhD ’23, received third place in the competition in 2023, making Baylor one of the top universities for NAGC Dissertation Award recipients in recent years. NACG is the nation’s leading organization focused on the needs of gifted and talented children and is the largest professional organization for gifted education.
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