C. Matthew Fugate, Ph. D., is Provost and Chief Academic Officer at The Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education. He received his doctorate in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies from Purdue University. Prior to this, Matthew worked as an elementary teacher in the Houston Independent School District where he also served as a Gifted Coordinator. During this time, Matthew received his Master of Arts in Educational Psychology, Gifted Education from the University of Connecticut. His research has examined the relationship between working memory and levels creative thinking in gifted students with ADHD. He has also examined the coping mechanisms of twice-exceptional girls in secondary education as they navigate both their academic studies and interpersonal relationships. Matthew has also served on a team that looked at the benefits of the Total School Cluster Grouping model, a Javits Grant funded project. He has presented to parents, teachers, and schools across the United States and internationally on topics such as creativity, curriculum compacting, identification, twice exceptionality, underserved populations, and Total School Cluster Grouping.  Matthew currently serves as President-elect of the Texas Association for Gifted and Talented and is an active member of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), having served as Chair of the Special Populations Network and on several organizational and network committees. Additionally, he serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal for Education of the Gifted and is the Associate Editor of Teaching for High Potential. Matthew was named one of Variations magazine’s “22 People to Watch in the Neurodiversity Movement” and has received the Dr. Marcia L. Gentry Special Populations Early Career Award from the NAGC Special Populations Network. He has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books related to his work.