Frank Worrell was interviewed by David Lubinski at the 2023 meeting in Berkeley, California, on the campus where he earned his doctorate and has taught for two decades. Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Frank earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology at the University of Western Ontario and, after a period teaching school back home in Trinidad, completed his PhD in educational and school psychology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1994.

He began his academic career at Pennsylvania State University before returning to Berkeley, where he is now a Distinguished Professor in the School of Education. There he directs the School Psychology Program, the Academic Talent Development Program, and the California College Preparatory Academy. His research spans academic talent development and gifted education, the psychology of time perspective, ethnic and racial identity, and the design and validation of measures for diverse populations, with a consistent emphasis on translating findings into practice for schools and students.

In 2022 Frank served as president of the American Psychological Association, and in 2018 he was elected to the National Academy of Education. His honors include the National Association for Gifted Children’s Distinguished Scholar Award and an honorary doctorate from Heidelberg University. His long commitment to identifying and developing talent, especially among students who are too often overlooked, ties his work closely to the questions at the heart of intelligence research.