Cheryl Taliaferro, Ph.D.

Cheryl Taliaferro, PhD, is the Director of Pre-Collegiate Programs in the Baylor Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, where she leads, develops, operates, and evaluates programs for students in grades 1 through 12. Established in 1999, the Center focuses on transforming potential into excellence by providing pre-collegiate students with classes and experiences that prepare them to achieve at exceptional levels. In addition to offering courses through its University for Young People, the Center launched Baylor TIP in 2021. 

With more than 25 years of teaching and administrative experience in a variety of public and private educational settings, Dr. Taliaferro is passionate about working with students and their families as they navigate educational landscapes that were not always created with their needs in mind. She enjoys working with students and parent groups and serves on the Board of the Gifted Education Family Network of Texas. Prior to joining Baylor, she helped develop and led the ASPIRE Academy, a public school-within-a-school for highly gifted students in grades 1-12 in the DFW area. In recognition of that work, she received the National Association for Gifted Children’s Gifted Coordinator Award in 2022. She also worked for several years as an Academic Coordinator for Duke University’s Talent Identification Program.

Dr. Taliaferro received her BA in politics from the University of Dallas, her MA in reading from Texas Woman’s University, and her PhD in reading with a minor in anthropology from the University of North Texas. She is certified to teach English, social studies, gifted education, and English as a second language in Texas, Tennessee, and New Mexico.