About Brian

Hello, my name is Brian, and I am a GEEK.

Today, this once derogatory term often serves as a badge of honor for myself and for many of our gifted kids. Growing up in gifted programs during the 1970s and 1980s, I was provided with opportunities to develop my creativity, interests, and talents. As an adolescent in the 1980s terms like geek or nerd were hardly a symbol to be celebrated, but it was growing up in gifted programs that helped me to find solace, understanding, and ultimately empowerment. As a result of these experiences, I have devoted my life to advocating for gifted education.

WHAT DO I DO?

Part of the time, I am the Coordinator of the Academically or Intellectually Gifted Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

I also work as an educational consultant working with schools, districts, and educational organizations. My work focuses on the integration of technology and creativity into the learning environment. 

I also teach courses in gifted education for Rutgers University and Bridges Graduate Schools. 

WHAT DID I DO? 

​I was a gifted kid, and I am a gifted adult. 

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, I managed an independent video store in Atlanta. 

I taught 4th and 2nd grade, and then I was an elementary teacher of the gifted in the Atlanta Metro Area.

I earned a Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in Gifted Education. 

I was a graduate research assistant at the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented at the University of Connecticut and worked to help develop the Schoolwide Enrichment Model Reading Framework (SEM-R). 

​I was an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Gifted Program at East Carolina University for 10 years.

I served two terms on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children as a Member-at-Large. 

I co-authored Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model with Technology with Angela Housand and Joe Renzulli. 

I wrote Fighting Fake News! Teaching Critical Thinking and Media Literacy in a Digital Age. 

WHAT DOES "HOUSE AMPERSAND" MEAN?

With a last name like Housand, you can only imagine the mispronunciations that I have heard in my lifetime. I find it odd that butchering people's names is where many people decide to be creative. My father (who has had this name much longer than I have) always tried to explain it as "it is like THOUSAND without the T." I have seen more than a few puzzled faces as they try to decode this mental math riddle that somehow employs spelling. In 2005, it finally occurred to me that Housand works as a pictograph. Since then, I have used it as my personal brand. I encourage you and your students to create your own personal logo.