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| Juliet Frate |
| Coordinator, NUMATS |
| Julie Frate brings the knowledge, skills and understanding she has gained from various perspectives — researcher, educator, school consultant, site visitor and workshop leader — to her work as coordinator for NUMATS. In particular, Frate aims to make an impact with regard to identifying and supporting gifted students in under-identified and underserved populations. For 30 years, she has worked with high-poverty, minority groups as an educator and researcher. Parents for Public Schools of Jackson, Mississippi, awarded Frate Educator of the Year for her work as a school counselor and International Baccalaureate (IB) primary years program coordinator. Her research experience includes working as a research associate in the rural health research program at the University of Mississippi’s Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and as a research assistant in the Office for Community Health Research at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford. Frate received a BA degree in Russian language and literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a master of education, with a focus on educational psychology, from the University of Mississippi. As both a parent of a gifted child and an educator, Frate is passionate about supporting the academic, career and personal/social development of gifted children. |
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| Rhoda Rosen |
| Associate Director, Center for Talent Development |
| For the last 20 years, Rosen has worked either as a professor at a university or a leader in the museum world. During the decade prior to joining CTD, she was director of Spertus Museum in Chicago. As an associate director, Rosen oversees Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) program, CTD’s efforts to build awareness of Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s prestigious Young Scholars Program, and Project EXCITE. She is eager to bring her arts background to the role of “identifying future leaders and, partnering with colleagues at CTD as well as organizations nation-wide, ensuring that gifted students from all walks of life are nurtured, supported and prepared with the intellectual, social and emotional tools they will need to serve society as creative, inspired thinkers.” She plans on accomplishing this goal by “deepening and growing” the benefits of NUMATS for its participants and “expanding our reach to academically talented students whatever their economic/geographic backgrounds so that they can participate meaningfully in their civic environments.” Rosen received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago. |
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| Jody Rosenbaum |
| Administrative Assistant |
| Department Assistant, Center for Talent Development |
| Jody Rosenbaum initially started working at Northwestern University in the Dean’s Office for the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP). While there, she acquired the task of handling label rentals for Center for Talent Development (CTD). Impressed with CTD’s programming, she decided to make CTD her new employment home. As a department assistant, Rosenbaum is responsible for all label rentals and data pulls, enabling gifted students to discover additional learning opportunities. She also provides coordination for special projects and helps with event planning. Rosenbaum received her bachelor of science in housing and environmental design (a.k.a. interior design) from Illinois State University, and SESP and CTD both have benefited from her space planning knowledge. Rosenbaum lives with her three kids and has enjoyed that all of them have been able to participate in CTD programs. In her spare time, Rosenbaum enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, swimming, rollerblading, reading and attending all her kids’ activities. She is proud to be a soccer mom! |
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| Christine Thom |
| Department Assistant, NUMATS |
Christine Thom is a master at management as a program assistant for Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS). But, in contrast to her former life, her managing activities these days rarely involve coordinating rehearsal schedules, planning set changes or calling shows. That was certainly not the case for the previous eight years when Thom was an Equity stage manager in Chicago. She worked for both Steppenwolf and Lookingglass theatres but says, “My home was Remy Bumppo Theatre Company for whom I stage managed 10 shows.” (Her favorites were Man and Superman, Hapgood and Top Girls.) Now Thom answers questions from parents, educators and students about the NUMATS program and registration process. She processes registrations, assists with mailings and helps proofread printed materials – all critical to the success of NUMATS. She came to work as a temporary employee in the fall of 2008 and happily accepted a full-time position six months later. She believes that “a good education is empowering, and what we do helps students find their optimal/customized education – the one that serves them best because it matches their ability.” Thom holds two bachelor of arts degrees, in English and theatre, from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
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| Tiffany Tuck |
| Program Assistant, NUMATS |
“I’m excited that I’ll have a small part in helping students identify their strengths and learn the importance of life-long learning,” says Tiffany Tuck. “I hope they end up liking learning as much as I do.” And learn Tuck does in her position at Center for Talent Development. As program assistant for CTD’s testing program, she assists parents, students and teachers who have questions about NUMATS or need help with registration. She also processes registrations and proofreads printed material. Tuck is well suited for her job, as a former high school English and drama teacher in Georgia. In her spare time, Tuck, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s from Northwestern University, reads, writes, scrapbooks, cooks and “plays with the world’s best puppy, my toy poodle whose full name is Beatrix Potter Tuck” (aka Trixie).
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