Having recently retired from teaching at Lowell High School in San Francisco, Anne Wallach proposes a summer program for gifted students to Graduate School of Education (GSE) Interim Dean James Guthrie.Wallach cites a lack of academic summer opportunities for teens. Guthrie agrees to try the experiment if a minimum of fifty students can be recruited.

Some of the program’s very first courses—History of Science and Problem Solving with Computer Assistance—are unique offerings that would never be seen again. Many others, however, are academic staples that would continue for many years: Algebra I, Algebra II, and Marine Biology.

Dr. Bernard Gifford becomes Dean of the GSE, the first African American dean at UC Berkeley.Gifford reviews GSE programs to ensure alignment with Berkeley’s mission as a public institution, and turns his focus to the Gifted Program. It is Gifford’s priority to reconceptualize the program in a way that promotes diversity, and ensures equity and access for all academically eligible students.

The program expands its natural science courses, offering an astronomy course and—for the first time—an Advanced Placement curriculum in biology.

Cal undergrad Lloyd Nebres joins the program staff as an office clerk and database administrator. He would go on to serve many roles, including graphic designer, mentor, and instructor.

The need for support staff grows with the popularity of the program. Carole Swain, left, becomes the first full-time program director.

Yoshiko Tagami joins the staff as a student worker. She would later serve as a full-time staff member for many years before retiring in 2007.

The legendary Flossie Lewis, a teacher from Lowell High, joins the program as an instructor. Over the next 20 years, Flossie would teach writing, poetry, and drama in courses for both younger and older students. Left, Flossie leads a dance number in her 1992 elementary class The Melodrama and the Music Hall.

Nina Gabelko brings her expertise from coordinating outreach efforts including the GSE’s School-Univer-sity Partnerships for Educational Renewal (SUPER) and joins ATDP as its new executive director. Her priority is to establish a self-sustaining program that includes a financial aid fund, in-line with Gifford’s vision of equity, inclusion, and access. She continues to serve as director for 22 years.

Elise Lustig creates the ever-popular Human Anatomy course for younger students.

Micah Sabraw creates Rocky Reefs and Tide Pools, beginning a long tradition of marine science courses for kindergarteners.

Carrie Brown joins the program staff. She still remains today as the assistant director, setting the record for longest-serving ATDP employee!

Husband of Nina, Anatoly Gabelko begins teaching Russian language courses. He would go on to offer Latin and German courses as well.

Berkeley High School math teacher Philippe Henri spends his first summer with the program leading the Geometry course. He would become the first instructor to reach 25 years of service with ATDP.

Sue Magidson creates Foundations of Algebra, one of ATDP’s longest-running enrichment math courses. Video recordings of the class are used for math education research.

Laura Schooley first offers Myths & Legends for 1st Graders. Among others, Greek mythology is a subject she would continue to teach through 2014.

Former ATDP student Gary Hsueh joins the staff while an undergraduate at Cal, focusing on expanding the Explorations program.

Steve Kirby joins ATDP, creating the popular course Those Wonderful Simple Machines! Kirby—pictured assisting with instructor evaluations using cutting-edge tech—would go on to serve as the Assistant Site Supervisor for the Elementary Division for many years, manning the iconic red gate at Washington School.

Instructor Bob Fabini creates the popular Fluid Physics course for 4th grade students.

Cal English major Candace Grant joins the program staff and serves as the editor of the weekly newsletter for several summers to come.

As a student, Cynthia Nie first joins ATDP for Introduction to Computers and the Internet. She would go on to TA for Lloyd Nebres, inherit his instructor position for TIC, and today serves among the program office staff.

Having worked as a colleague with Dr. Worrell at Penn State, Dr. Beverly Vandiver begins visiting ATDP for many summers to come. Known affectionately as “Dr. V,” she works as Secondary Division Counselor and would later also teach statistics and psychology courses.

SD instructor Edan Dekel begins a years-long run of impressively diverse teaching: each year he led three classes—sometimes four!—in subjects such as writing, Latin, Greek, philosophy, comparative religion, and symbolism.

Laura Shefler joins the program as a study lab mentor. She would go on to teach several courses including literature, creative writing, and public speaking, and she still serves as an ATDP instructor today!

ED instructor Heather MacLeod begins teaching Authors' Corner, and has done so every year to this day!

Stevie Jeung enrolls in TIC as an 8th Grader. She would pursue a prolific career at ATDP: as TA , a writing instructor, a program counselor, and a graduate student under Dr. Frank Worrell. Today, Dr. Jeung serves as a pivotal member of the ATDP office staff.

This photo from Introduction to Engineering—taught by Brian Cooley—features student Abraham Liao, who would later join ATDP as a computer science instructor and office staff member.

Richard Kleine joins ATDP as an Elementary Division instructor. For many years, he taught a math course and a writing course at the same time!

Lydia Butler creates Mathmagic!, an algebra course for 1st Graders.

We remember program founder Anne Wallach: September 23, 1912–October 3, 2005.

Having worked with ATDP in the past, ED Site Administrator Lisa Levi officially assumes her lead role.

Herlinda Tin joins the ATDP office staff. She would go on to pursue a doctorate degree in clinical psychology, and is now working in science education for children.

The ATDP office staff welcome Erin Donohue who, among many other critical contributions, would single-handedly rework the office’s email account into a shining beacon of inbox organization.

Samuel Pierce joins the summer program as co-instructor for TIC. He would go on to join the ATDP office staff that fall, providing IT, database, and visual design services, as well as continuing to serve as instructor.

ATDP staff and faculty gather in Tolman Hall for Nina Gabelko’s retirement party. Dr. Young begins a 6-month stint as interim ATDP Director.

Mildred Flores joins the ATDP staff, quickly becoming the point person for Spanish-speaking applicants, helping families navigate the application process, reviving the Elementary Division newsletter, and having very strong opinions on all ATDP design decisions.

Christine Gerchow, right, a doctoral student working with Dr. Worrell, joins ATDP as SD Counselor.

Former student and CHA House member Ricardo Gonzalez reboots the central valley program under the name Rising Scholars Academy. Left, Gonzalez assists pre-algebra students in 1989. Gonzalez started as an ATDP student in 1986, and would continue to serve as an ATDP Advisory Committee member and Tech Support Coordinator for remote learning.

Dr. Lisa Kala, formerly Assistant Dean and lead of the GSE’s outreach center, joins ATDP as its Program Director. Her invaluable experience helps ATDP navigate tumultuous times for campus budgets and operations.

The first cohort of ATDP’s Distinguished Scholars are conferred awards for enrollment in five or more years of the Secondary Division. These rising high school seniors are recognized during SD orientation.

Berkeley Way West officially opens in the northwest corner of campus to replace Tolman Hall and serve as the new home of the Graduate School of Education (as well as the School of Public Health and the Psychology Department). The building features gender-neutral restrooms and a robotic cafe!

Through a planned handoff of the director’s chair, Dr. Christine Gerchow becomes the new program director under very un-planned circumstances.