Al Mansor Helal ("Shamim"), a Ph.D. candidate in education policy at the U of A, has been awarded the nationally competitive MENSA Foundation Dissertation Mini-Grant Award for 2025.

Each year, the MENSA Foundation offers this prestigious grant to an advanced doctoral student whose work shows promise in advancing knowledge of intelligence, creativity or gifted education. Helal's dissertation explores critical questions surrounding the effectiveness and equity of gifted and talented programs in Arkansas and nationwide, with a focus on informing education policy and improving outcomes for high-ability students.

The award supports innovative research aimed at broadening the scientific understanding of giftedness and talent development. As part of a small cohort of national recipients, Helal joins a select group of scholars working to influence the future of education policy and practice.

Helal expressed gratitude to his mentors, professors Jonathan Wai, Andy Parra-Martinez and the faculty of the Department of Education Reform, for their continued guidance and support.

For more information about the MENSA Foundation Dissertation Mini-Grant, visit www.mensafoundation.org.