Tracy L. Cross

Past President, NAGC
William & Mary

Dr. Tracy L. Cross holds an endowed chair, Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education, and is the Executive Director of the Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary. Previously he served Ball State University as the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Gifted Education, the Executive Director of the Center for Gifted Studies and Talent Development, and the Institute for Research on the Psychology of the Gifted Students. For nine years he served as the Executive Director of the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities - a residential high school for intellectually gifted adolescents. He has published well over 100 articles and book chapters, 40 columns, made over 200 presentations at conferences, and has published eight books. He has edited five journals in the field of gifted studies and is the current editor of the Journal for the Education of the Gifted. He received the Distinguished Service Award from CEC-TAG and NAGC, the Early Leader Award and Early Scholar Award from NAGC, the Distinguished Scholar Award from NAGC and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the MENSA Education and Research Foundation.

Speaker Topics:

  • On the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Students
  • From Underachievement to Suicide: How Students Cope with Being Gifted
  • The Suicidal Behavior of Students With Gifts and Talents
  • Cutting, Branding, and Gauging: The Dark Lives of Some Gifted Students
  • Depression, Anxiety and Giftedness
  • Perfectionism and Giftedness.