Faculty & Staff

Meet Our Staff & Administration

• Dr. Joi Lin, Director

  She/Her/Hers 
  Director of Ricks Center  
  B.S. Mathematics and Secondary Education, University of Northern Colorado  
  M.A. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Northcentral/National University  
  PhD. Curriculum and Instruction, specialized in Gifted Education Leadership, University of Denver  
  Secondary Mathematics Endorsement  
  Gifted Education Director Endorsement  
  joi.lin@du.edu

  Joi earned her doctorate at the Morgridge College of Education, focused on Gifted Education Leadership, where she also completed her CDE Gifted Education Director Endorsement. Joi is a former middle school math teacher and an adjunct professor of gifted education in the teacher education program at the University of Denver. She has worked to deliver statewide professional development to teachers and school leaders in both urban and rural settings. Joi identifies as a multiracial, multicultural profoundly gifted woman of color. She has served as the Director of Professional Education at the Gifted Development Center, Gifted Youth Coordinator for Denver Mensa, and chairs the Education and Gifted Youth Committee at the Mensa Foundation. 

• Jessica Kennedy, Associate Director of Lower School

  She/Her/Hers
  Early Childhood Program Director
  B.A. Psychology, University of Denver
  M.A. Early Childhood Special Education, University of Colorado at Denver
  jekenned@du.edu

  Jessica has worked in early childhood education for over 15 years. She has taught and worked with all age groups from infants to school-age children. This year marks her sixth school year at Ricks, and she previously was a Master Teacher at Fisher Early Learning Center on the University of Denver campus. Jessica enjoys working with young children and their families as they begin their school journeys. She enjoys going on adventures with her family, reading, biking, and playing board games in her free time.

• Bernadette Howell, Associate Director of Operations

  She/Her/Hers
  Bernadette.Howell@du.edu

  Bernadette Howell brings over 20 years of clerical/administrative experience and knowledge as well as nearly 10 years in a school setting. Her journey through life has taken her everywhere from a bookkeeper trainer to a CFO to working in schools. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience including her devotion to superior customer service and an appetite to always learn! Her most rewarding journey has been the one she started with her husband, Joe, 23 years ago. They have been blessed with two children. When she is at home, she enjoys cooking and hanging out with her four fur babies!

• Amy Jacobs, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management

  She/Her/Hers
  Assistant Director of Enrollment Management
  B.A. Psychology, University of Colorado
  M.S.W. Social Work, University of Denver
  amy.jacobs@du.edu

  Amy was born and raised in Colorado and has been in education for nearly 25 years. She joined the Ricks Center as the Assistant Director of Enrollment Management in the fall of 2013. Her experience includes outreach in both formal and informal educational settings. Amy started as a school social worker in the Cherry Creek School District. She then spent 13 years at the JCC as the Director of Camp and Youth Services. In addition to program supervision, she was responsible for outreach and for the recruitment of all program participants. She also served as the Visitor Services Manager at the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) where she oversaw the educational outreach for all school and group visits. Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her family and her giant schnoodle, ski, workout, cook, and watch anything sports related.

• Maggie Wright, Extended Day Coordinator and Summer Learning Director

  She/Her/Hers
  B.A in special education, University of Northern Colorado
  Margaret.Wright@du.edu

  Maggie has spent her entire career working with youth. From Girl Scouts to Denver Public Schools, she has worked and built programs that engage students' inner passions. Maggie has been the Extended Day and Summer Programs Manager at Ricks since August 2017. She came to Ricks from Denver Public Schools' Department of Extended Learning, where she spent five years developing inclusive inquiry-based programming. As the Summer Programs Manager, Maggie and her team of graduate students from DU have created inquiry-based programming that challenges students to find and explore their passions in the world around them. She loves making jewelry, playing with her five cats, and watching the Colorado Avalanche with her family in her free time.

• Student Support

  Coming Soon

• Peggy Jurgs, Reading Specialist

  She/Her/Hers
  Reading Specialist
  Margaret.Jurgs@du.edu

  Prior to coming to Ricks, Peggy spent a long and successful career with Denver Public Schools. She spent the earlier part of her career as a first grade bilingual teacher where she delivered instructional content in Spanish while her students acquired English. Peggy then became an Instructional Coach enhancing teachers' knowledge and performance in the areas of English Language Acquisition and Elementary Literacy strategies in Reading and Writing. Peggy has a strong passion for reading and helping students become strategic readers through a balanced literacy approach. She is trained in Reading Recovery, F.A.S.T. and Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes; all are approaches to helping students refine their ability to decode the printed word. Peggy is also knowledgeable with Readers and Writers Workshop model, which places emphases on students' comprehension abilities. When not working with students, Peggy can be found walking the local golf courses, reading debut novels and spending time with her family.

• William Flores, Health Clerk

  william.flores@du.edu

  Mr. William is of Honduran descent. He is passionate for the safety of children and supporting their learning environment. Fun fact: He likes Marvel/DC comics. 

• Dr. Norma Hafenstein, Founder of Ricks

  Doctor of Philosophy, School Administration, Education of the Gifted, Communications, University of Denver, 1986

  Graduate Work in Educational Policy and Administration University of Kansas, 1981-83

  MS, Education of the Gifted, Special Education Kansas State University, 1980

  BS, Elementary Teaching, Early Childhood, Piano Performance

  MA, Musicology Emporia State University, 1979

  norma.hafenstein@du.edu

  Dr. Norma Lu Hafenstein, PhD, is the Daniel L. Ritchie Endowed Chair in Gifted Education, Department of Teaching and Learning Sciences: Curriculum and Instruction, Morgridge College of Education,University of Denver. Hafenstein is currently Principle Investigator: I-REECCH, Jacob K. Javits Federal Project (2020-2025), an initiative to significantly increase identification of and services to traditionally underrepresented gifted and talented student populations in rural Colorado. She teaches graduate courses including Research as Problem Analysis, Research as Intervention, Defense of Research, Psychological Aspects of the Gifted, Creativity: Theory and Practice, and Program Development, Leadership, and Communication in Gifted Education. Hafenstein has served as editor of the “Perspectives in Gifted Education” monograph series, most recently publishing Volume 10, Rural Realities and Innovative Practices. She was chair of an international committee of thirty-seven international scholars tasked with developing global principles for professional learning in gifted education, which resulted in a paper published through World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and presented at the 2021 international conference. Nationally, Hafenstein has served as Chair of the Leadership Development Committee of the National Association for Gifted Children. She has developed and hosted Gifted Education conferences since 2009, on topics including Policy and Practice issues and most recently the DU Rural Summit. At the college level, Hafenstein Chairs the Appointment and Promotions Committee of the Morgridge College of Edcuation, reviewing and making recommendations for teaching and professional faculty appointments and promotions. She has chaired or been a member of 97 dissertation committees and has served as an international representative for colleagues across the globe. Hafenstein has delivered over 250 juried and invited presentations at the international, national, regional and state level. Most recently, Hafenstein has been named as the Morgridge College of Education Liaison to the Ricks Center for Gifted Children.  Hafenstein is a musician at heart, with a piano performance undergraduate degree, and is currently working on a Masters in Musicology at the Lamont Schoool of Music.  She and her husband are the parents of two gifted children, now adults, both of whom are Ricks Center alumni.