Dr. Amy Rushneck is the Executive Director of the Center for Bright Kids Regional Talent Development Center. Dr. Rushneck spent over ten years with the Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth, an affiliate center of Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development and the Midwest Academic Talent Search. There, she was employed as a program assistant, residential assistant, teaching assistant, instructor, residential director, and program site coordinator.
She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Curriculum Theory and Teacher Education and her M.S. in Literacy Education and Visual Culture. She has been a licensed teacher with degrees in secondary education, English, and theater with emphases in gifted and talented education and linguistics.
Dr. Rushneck has also served as a professor and instructor of teacher education and curriculum policy, directing a Secondary Education Licensure Program and a Masters Program in Education, and been involved in various diversity education efforts at local and national levels.
More recently, Dr. Rushneck is involved with national research initiatves in talent development in work with the three other large talent development centers at Northwestern, Duke, and Johns Hopkins universities. Dr. Rushneck has published various articles and presents regularly at state and national meetings and conferences. This is her 14th year directing CBK through an evolution as an Academic Talent Development Center, and she has over 25 years of experience with academic talent search and talent development summer programs.