C. June Maker is Professor Emerita at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Before retirement, she coordinated masters and doctoral degree programs in education of the gifted. Her awards include the International Research Award from the World Council for Gifted and Talented Students (WCGTS), an honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from Western Kentucky University, inducted into the Bridges Academy 2e Hall of Fame, and the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. Since 1992, she has designed, field-tested, and conducted research on performance-based assessments of creative problem solving in different domains in the Discovering Intellectual Strengths and Capabilities while Observing Varied Ethnic Responses (DISCOVER) Projects. Another focus since 2008 has been on field-testing, implementing, and evaluating the validity of the Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving (REAPS) teaching model. REAPS is based on the talent development principles outlined in her books on curricula and teaching strategies for gifted and talented students and is an integration of four evidence-based models. She has been active in and served in leadership positions in national and international organizations for gifted children and serves on Editorial Boards for national and international journals in education of the gifted such as The Gifted Child Quarterly, Gifted Education International, Gifted and Talented International, and Advisory Board Member for the Bulletin of Special Education in Taiwan. Dr. Maker has worked with children, teachers, and researchers in the US and many different countries, and has published over 130 scholarly books and monographs, chapters, and refereed journal articles. Her latest project is the Global Cooperative Synergy Group in which she and colleagues from around the world are connecting youth with passion and commitment to “think globally and act locally” to solve pressing problems to make our world a better place.
