NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Mensa Education and Research Foundation
(MERF) has selected Camilla Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of
Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody
College, as the recipient of its 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award.
MERF president Greg Timmers, Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee and
Vanderbilt Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Nicholas S.
Zeppos made a surprise appearance at Peabody’s first faculty meeting of
the academic year to give Benbow – an unknowing recipient – the award.
Benbow’s mentor, Julian Stanley, Johns Hopkins University professor of
psychology, emeritus, also surprised her by attending the brief award
ceremony.
The award consists of a showcase medal and $1,000. An issue of Mensa
Research Journal will also be dedicated to some of Benbow’s selected
research articles.
According to the award notification letter sent by MERF to Gee,
"only outstanding professionals who have contributed a lifetime of
scholarly pursuits in intelligence, giftedness or creativity are
eligible for the award." Stanley was the first recipient of the award.
In his presentation, Timmers cited Benbow’s "holding high
expectations for people she works with, her education policy and
advocacy efforts and her focus on turning research strategies into
human successes" as particularly impressive aspects of her career.
"I am so overwhelmed. This is an exceptional honor, and I can’t
think of a better place to receive an award than here with all of my
colleagues," Benbow said.
Both Gee and Zeppos praised Benbow’s talents as an effective administrator and researcher.
Benbow’s scholarship has concentrated primarily on gifted children
in an effort to identify different types of academically talented
adolescents, characterize them and then discover effective ways to
facilitate their development. Her work in the educational policy arena
has focused on equity and ensuring the optimal development of all
children through individualized educational services that capitalize on
strengths, build on high expectations, promote competence and focus on
results.
Her long-term study – the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
(SMPY) – with colleague and husband Vanderbilt professor David
Lubinski, examines the developmental trajectories of more than 5,000
individuals and the impact of education over their life span. The study
is in its fourth decade and will continue until at least its 50th year.
The SMPY officially started under Benbow’s mentor Stanley in 1971 at
Johns Hopkins University. From 1986 to 1998, Benbow directed the study
while it was located at Iowa State University. The SMPY is now located
at Peabody College where she co-directs the effort with Lubinski.
In addition to studying academic talent development, she is
interested in precocity’s fundamental nature. In collaboration with
other investigators, she is seeking to understand advanced academic
development from multiple perspectives, including the different ways in
which verbally versus mathematically precocious youth process verbal
and numerical information.
MERF is a philanthropic, non-profit organization committed to the
pursuit of excellence in the areas of intelligence. Funded by American
Mensa and other charitable donations, its mission and strategic focus
are directed at scholarships, education and awards.
Mensa is an international society whose only qualification for
membership is a score in the top 2 percent of the population on a
standardized intelligence test. The group has approximately 50,000
members.
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Media contact: Princine Lewis, (615) 322-NEWS
Princine.l.lewis@vanderbilt.edu