Frank C. Worrell is a Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves as Director of the School Psychology program, Faculty Director of the Academic Talent Development Program, and Faculty Director of the California College Preparatory Academy. He also holds an affiliate appointment in the Social and Personality Area in the Department of Psychology. His areas of expertise include academic talent development/gifted education, at-risk youth, scale development and validation, teacher effectiveness, and the translation of psychological research findings into school-based practice. A member of the editorial boards of several journals, Dr. Worrell also serves on committees of several professional associations, including the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Educational research Association, and the National Association for Gifted Children. Dr. Worrell is a Fellow in five divisions of the American Psychological Association, a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and an elected member in the Society for the Study of School Psychology. In 2011, Dr. Worrell received a Presidential citation from the American Psychological Association as well as the Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence from UC Berkeley, and was one of two recipients of the 2013 Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Association for Gifted Children. In 2015, he was a co-winner of the Distinguished Contributions to Research Award from the Division 45 of APA, the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race. Dr. Worrell has research collaborations in China, Ethiopia, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Carrie has worked at ATDP for over twenty-five years, most of her working life since she graduated from Baylor University with an English degree. As someone with a long history with the program, she enjoys being in touch with others who have also made ATDP an important part of their lives. There are students who come to ATDP for up to twelve years as well as their parents and siblings. Some of these former students have returned to ATDP as adults to teach, and others are parents of their own ATDP students. She thinks it’s great that ATDP has become a family tradition! While she wishes that she could have also experienced ATDP as a student herself, including studying Human Anatomy as a third grader and learning about Cognitive Neuroscience as a high school student, she finds satisfaction in knowing that so many students, parents and teachers treasure ATDP as a very valuable academic community.

Stevie has been involved with ATDP since she was in sixth grade. After taking courses in the Elementary and Secondary Divisions, she went on to serve as a TA, an instructor, and a member of the office staff. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and American Studies at UC Davis and her PhD in Education at UC Berkeley. Her research interests include development of student motivation and the role of culture in developing higher-order thinking skills. She adores working with ATDP teachers and students, and she is grateful to be able to benefit from their passion and wisdom!

Since coming on board as a computer science instructor in 2010, Sam has found a permanent spot as ATDP’s web and database designer. He spent several years as a tutor and mentor to underprivileged students in his hometown of Tacoma, WA, where he also attended the University of Puget Sound. His undergraduate studies included behavioral psychology, computer science, and music theory.

Cynthia started as a seventh grade ATDP student before continuing on to become a TA and, eventually, an instructor in the computer science department. After graduating from UCSD, she attained a graduate degree in Interactive Media at the University of Southern California. She’s grateful for the opportunity to give back to the program that originally inspired her academic passions.

Originally from California, Sondra attended New York University, where she obtained her BA in Politics and Asian/Pacific/American studies as well as her MSW. She has worked in higher education for over a decade, providing support for students and faculty at the NYU Department of Philosophy and later at UCSF in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. She is passionate about building community and making higher education more accessible, supportive, and diverse. Sondra also enjoys nature, board games, skating, and crafting.

Originally from East Contra Costa, Alejandro obtained his BM in Music Education and Jazz Studies from CSU, Sacramento. Prior to ATDP, Alejandro served as a STIP Substitute for Melrose Leadership Academy, an English-Spanish dual language school in East Oakland. He also served as an Instructional Student Assistant in the CSUS School of Music and Art department and as the Summer Camp Program Manager for the City of Davis. He is excited to be a part of the ATDP community and is looking forward to meeting all of the students, teachers, and families. In his free time, you can find Alejandro cooking, biking, or listening to music.

Jackie is a PhD student in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. She has served as an ATDP Academic Support counselor and as a coordinator for Pathway Scholars. She is an alum of UC Santa Barbara, where she received her B.A. in Communication Studies in 2021. In her free time, Jackie enjoys reading, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and checking out different coffee shops.