Cindy M. Gilson

Cindy M. Gilson serves as Associate Professor of Gifted Education and Associate Dean of the Honors College at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she joined the Cato College of Education in 2014 and assumed her current administrative role in 2024 while maintaining faculty affiliation with the Department of Special Education and Child Development.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology – Gifted Education and Talent Development from the University of Connecticut (2014)
• M.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Connecticut (1999)
• B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Connecticut (1998)

Dr. Gilson's research centers on Gifted Education, with specialized focus on Differentiated Curriculum & Instruction methodologies, Classroom Discourse analysis, Teacher Listening Orientations, STEM High School frameworks, and educator Professional Development. Her work bridges theoretical talent development models with practical classroom applications, particularly in enhancing creative problem-solving pedagogy for academically advanced learners.

She actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students through inquiry projects and honors coursework, having previously directed the Graduate Certificate in AIG (Academically or Intellectually Gifted) Program and co-directed the Honors in Education Program from 2014-2024.