Kimberly Lansdowne receives lifetime achievement award
Kimberly Lansdowne, founding executive director of the Herberger Young Scholars Academy, a secondary school for highly gifted students, located at Arizona State University’s West campus, has been honored for her lifetime achievements by the Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented.
Lansdowne was recognized on January 12 as the 2023 recipient of the AAGT's Dr. Sanford J. Cohn Lifetime Achievement Award. The AAGT award is given to an individual who has devoted time, expertise and resources to the advancement of gifted education in the state of Arizona and nationally so that gifted children of all races, cultures and groups have had the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
From 2010 to 2022, Lansdowne was instrumental in founding and expanding the Herberger Academy, which serves students in Grades 7–12. Funded by an endowment from the Herberger Family and supported by ASU, the Gary K. Herberger Young Scholars Academy continues to thrive under the direction of Executive Director Michael Twilling. Experiential learning is an important part of Herberger Young Scholars Academy’s curriculum, and as students on ASU’s campus they become acclimated to a college environment. Some continue their education at Barrett, the Honors College at ASU.
Lansdowne received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from ASU, which is home to Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, and had a lengthy career in teaching and administration at universities, colleges, public and private schools. Lansdowne’s professional contributions have been recognized by her colleagues in education as evidenced by being selected as the 2014 Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented Administrator of the Year.
Additionally, she was elected to serve both locally and nationally in organizations that advocate for gifted students: Center for Talented Youth, Ireland advisory board member (2014–present), Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented (2000–08), and as a member of the National Association for Gifted Children Diversity and Equity Committee (2003–10).