Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognized for his interdisciplinary scholarly work on giftedness, Dr. Don Ambrose is Professor Emeritus of Graduate Studies at Rider University and editor of the Roeper Review. He brings to the field an intellectual synthesis, an ever-deeper dive into complex interdisciplinary theories and ideas, then uses his exceptional skill at creating verbal and visual explanations to simplify them for readers.

His Catch a Wave, co-edited with Robert Sternberg, models the impact of globalization on 21st century societies. Its creative visual models have inspired thought leaders in the giftedness field to see relationships and influences that were otherwise invisible. Recognized by his peers as “the single most impressive and endearing ambassador for the entire field of gifted education,” Dr. Ambrose serves on the editorial boards of major journals in creative intelligence fields and for several book series.

Dr. Ambrose has initiated and led numerous interdisciplinary scholarly projects involving eminent researchers and theorists from various fields, including gifted education, general education, creativity studies, cognitive science, ethical philosophy, psychology, political science, economics, law, history, sociology, urban planning, architecture, theoretical physics, and critical thinking.

Dr. Ambrose has received the Distinguished Scholar award from the National Association for Gifted Children, the Creativity Award from the International Center for Innovation in Education, and the Hall of Fame award from the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children, among other distinctions. He was a speaker at the Mensa Foundation’s 2023 Colloquium, Giftedness Across the Lifespan: The Talent and Potential of Neurodiversity.

For more than 40 years, the research and advocacy of Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli have reverberated across classrooms nationwide, revolutionizing curriculum development, teaching techniques, and learning models. With a focus on the identification and development of creativity and giftedness in young people, his organizational models and curricular strategies have resulted in numerous pedagogical breakthroughs.

Positing that creativity is inextricably linked with giftedness and “viewing giftedness as a displayed behavior rather than a possessed trait,” Dr. Renzulli’s efforts have for decades led to the development of new strategies to identify students for participation in gifted and talented programs. His impact has extended through his advocacy, emphasizing the need to apply the pedagogy and strategies common in gifted education to improve learning environments for all students.

His 1978 publication in Phi Delta Kappan, “What Makes Giftedness? Reexamining a Definition,” would “blaze the trail for what is now a hallmark of gifted education, talent development,” according to Dr. Melissa Mitchell. Later, his groundbreaking work on The Three Ring Conception of Giftedness, the Entrenchment Model, and curriculum compacting and differentiation would all be viewed as pioneering education efforts.

“Dr. Renzulli’s lifetime of pioneering research has led to substantial, positive changes in the theory and practice of pedagogy for all.” Mensa Foundation President Charlie Steinhice said. “But what impresses me the most is his dedication to putting those ideas into action, especially for low-income students with high potential.”

Dr. Renzulli has been recognized with numerous educational and research accolades. He’s the recipient of three Mensa Foundation Awards for Excellence in Research (2003, 2013, and 2019), has been named one of the 25 most influential psychologists in the world by the American Psychological Association, and was honored in 2009 with the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Award for Innovation in Education — one of the most prestigious honors in the field.

Dr. Renzulli is professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut and has served as the director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented and as a consultant to the White House Task Force on Education of the Gifted and Talented. A founding director of the University of Connecticut’s Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, the center was renamed the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development in 2016 in his honor.

The Mensa Foundation is proud to announce Dr. Dean Keith Simonton, Distinguished Professor in Psychology at the University of California, Davis, as the recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Simonton, a renowned figure in the study of human intelligence, has been recognized for his exceptional contributions to our understanding of genius, creativity, and human potential.

From an early age, Dr. Simonton’s passion for the classical arts, sciences, and humanities sparked a lifelong journey into the exploration of genius. His academic excellence led him to obtain a master’s and doctorate from Harvard, where he honed his unique historiometric approach. This method, blending history, biography, and psychometrics, has been instrumental in his extensive research career.

Dr. Simonton’s work, comprising over 500 books, chapters, and articles, delves deeply into the realms of genius, creativity, leadership, talent, and aesthetics. His perspective on intelligence emphasizes the cognitive capacities crucial for adaptation and thriving in various environments, including memory, retrieval, and problem-solving abilities.

Among his numerous accolades, Dr. Simonton has been a repeated recipient of the Mensa Foundation’s Award for Excellence in Research in 1986, 2009, and 2011. His receipt of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award further cements his legacy as a pivotal figure in the field of intelligence research.

Dr. Simonton’s work continues to inspire and influence the study of human intelligence, creativity, and genius, making him an exemplary choice for this prestigious award.