Kathy Hargrove
Adjunct Senior Lecturer
Ph.D., Texas Woman's University
Dr. Hargrove has been an educator for more years than she likes to count, teaching in a variety of assignments from an inner city high school to kindergarten in a small Texas town. She held positions in the Plano I.S.D. for more than 20 years as a middle school and high school teacher, English department chairman, curriculum writer, curriculum coordinator, and Director of Advanced Academic Studies. Highlights of her public school career include obtaining the first grant for a gifted program in the district and the subsequent development and expansion of that program as well as authorship of curriculum focusing on critical thinking, gifted education, and effective assessment strategies.
In addition to her district responsibilities, Dr. Hargrove served districts, regional service centers, and the state as a consultant, teacher trainer, and keynote speaker. She taught in SMUs Talented and Gifted Program for more than five years. Active in the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented, she was elected as a member of the TAGT Board of Directors and First Vice President. In 1993 she was elected president of the 8,000-member organization. In 2000 the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) and the University of North Texas named her Outstanding Administrator of the Year in Gifted Education. She has twice received the Presidents Award from TAGT. She has been a U.S. delegate to the World Council for Gifted Children for the last five years. She has a special interest in international gifted education, teaching in an international school in India and visiting gifted programs in England, South Korea, and Israel. She is a frequent presenter at educational conferences.
Dr. Hargrove came to SMU in 1992 as Director of the Gifted Students Institute and led in expanding the Institutes services. Institute programs now include workshops and lectures for educators and parents, special youth events, and summer programs for gifted youth. She led in gaining state approval of a graduate endorsement program in gifted education that has consistently been one of the largest in the state. In 2000 she assumed additional responsibilities as the Director of the Center for Teacher Education before being appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Her research interests are in the area of gifted education and curriculum and instruction as well as in program evaluation. She has served as lead evaluator in a number of large and small school districts in Texas. A regular columnist in Gifted Child Today, she serves as a reviewer for the journal for teachers and parents of gifted children. In 2010 she co-authored (with Dr. M. V. Prasad) a book, Best Practices for School Improvement, designed for educators in India. Dr. Hargrove was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to India as a Visiting Lecturer for 2011-2012.
Dr. Hargrove earned a B.A. in English and history from Baylor University, a M.A. in English from Texas A & M (Commerce), and a Ph.D. from Texas Womans University. She holds Texas K-12, supervisor, and reading specialist certifications.