The Mensa Education & Research Foundation is proud to announce a new scholarship in honor of  Greg Timmers, who passed away in May. Greg had been a trustee for 13 years and was a past President, Vice President and Treasurer, as well as a 30-year member of Mensa.

The Greg Timmers Arts Education Scholarship, an endowed, national award in the amount of $600, will be available for students enrolled in fine arts (but may include architecture, photography, ceramics and textiles). The scholarship will be available to applicants for this year's scholarships. The application period starts Sept. 15 and runs through Jan. 15; find more information at www.mensafoundation.org/scholarships.

Your donation to the Mensa Foundation helps fund our scholarships.
Give today at www.mensafoundation.org/donate.

On the heels of the 2013 Colloquium success, the Mensa Education & Research Foundation’s 2014 event in Boston is already proving popular. With early registrations already passing the 200 mark, Colloquium 2014 promises to be an even greater success than the 2013 event, where more than 220 attendees and a stellar panel of experts explored the blurring boundaries between science and science fiction.

Colloquium 2014: Crime Scene Intelligence will examine the world of forensic science, from fingerprints to forensic psychology, from computers to crime scenes and beyond. Grab your lab coat and join us July 1 in Boston, a city with a little something for everyone. To get more information and register, visit www.colloquium.us.mensa.org.

Colloquium and other Foundation programming are possible because of the generous donations from people like you. To support the Foundation, please visit www.mensafoundation.org/donate.

Each year, the Mensa Foundation awards tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships, based solely on written essays, to individuals attending universities and colleges around the country. This year, the Foundation is awarding scholarships totaling $82,000.

The application is available Sept. 15 through Jan. 15. Applicants are required to write an essay up to 550 words and fill out a general application. Eligibility requirements for a general Mensa Foundation scholarship include legal U.S. residency and enrollment at an accredited U.S. institution of post-secondary education for the 2013-2014 academic year.

A number of Mensa Foundation scholarships are awarded with no restrictions regarding age, gender, academic grade point average, or financial need. (New this year, applicants are also no longer restricted geographically to particular Local Groups.) Most scholarships are based solely on the essay written by the applicant, and special category scholarships are awarded to applicants who meet specific academic or personal requirements.

The scholarship program, which began accepting online applications in 2012, more than doubled the number of entrants in the first test of the online process. Since 1997, the Foundation has awarded more than $900,000 in scholarships to deserving students. Learn more at by visting the Foundation website's scholarship page.

Your donation to the Mensa Foundation helps fund this program and many others.
Give today at www.mensafoundation.org/donate.

Each year on the third weekend in September, the literary eyes of the nation are focused on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where 300,000 avid readers gather to hear their favorite authors at the National Book Festival sponsored by the Library of Congress. Last year, the Mensa Foundation provided the Children’s Guide to the Festival, and this year the role is expanding to include a Teacher’s Guide and an “Eye Spy” activity connected with the Festival’s poster.

The Foundation’s “contribution to last year’s festival was fantastic and truly appreciated,” said Lola Payne, Chief of Outreach for the festival, who adds that the library is grateful for the Foundation’s expanding assistance with the youth side of the Festival.

The Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, insisted on expressing his appreciation in person for last year’s guide. The guides are written by the Foundation’s Gifted Youth Specialist, Lisa Van Gemert, who says, “It is so gratifying to see young readers walking around the Festival scouring the guides the Foundation provides. Many of these readers are bright, bright kids, and the Foundation’s assistance makes the festival even more meaningful for them.” 

The Mr. Mensa pageant, an Annual Gathering tradition, was another fun affair at the 2013 AG in Fort Worth, Texas, and, most importantly, raised vital scholarship money. The 2013 pageant, won by Chris Gilbert and hosted by 2011 winner Nguyen Pham, raised $3,710 for the Skinner HELL’s M’s Memorial Scholarship, and the HELL’s M’s SIG raised another $2,230.

A spinoff of traditional beauty pageants, the Mr. Mensa competition is a hilarious, standing-room-only event that invites male Mensans to compete in categories such as “best dressed,” “best legs” and “most talented.” Slots on the judging panel are auctioned off as part of the fund-raising.

All contestants and judges were invited to the Foundation reception, which is the Foundation’s annual opportunity to thank donors and volunteers face to face.

Congratulations to Trustees Michael Jacobson and Phyllis Miller, the inaugural recipients of the Distinguished Trustee award created by the Mensa Foundation Board of Trustees. Among the Foundation’s highest honors, the Distinguished Trustee and Distinguished Trustee Emeritus recognitions are granted to current or former trustees with nine or more years on the Board for exemplary services benefiting the Foundation.

“Phyllis and Mike truly represent what it means to be a Trustee — dedication, commitment and service,” said Foundation President Dave Remine. “They have it all and certainly help bring awareness to our value of human intelligence as it benefits society.”

Michael Jacobson has served as Foundation Treasurer since 2002. He also has served as Foundation President and as American Mensa’s Director of Science & Education. Among other honors, Michael was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service to American Mensa in 2008. He also has served as Treasurer for the Council for the Children with Behavorial Disorders Foundation and as Executive Director for the National Board for Educational Administrators.

Phyllis has served the Foundation in a variety of roles, including Vice President of the board and Executive Editor of the Mensa Research Journal. She has won numerous professional and civic awards, including the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service to American Mensa in 2004 and American Mensa’s Lifetime Membership Award in 2003.

The Mensa Education & Research Foundation continues to receive honors for its communications work. This time, it’s Bright, winner of an Award of Excellence for New Newsletters from APEX, which recognizes excellence in publications work by professional communicators.

Brought to you by Mensa for Kids and the Foundation, Bright is a smart monthly enewsletter that encourages kids ages 6-10 to learn, explore and think in new ways. It’s easy to join the more than 1,600 subscribers. Current Mensa members can sign up at www.us.mensa.org/enewsletters, and nonmembers can visit www.mensaforkids.org/bright and follow the links under “Bright Newsletter.”

The APEX honor follows the recent recognition of the Foundation’s website, which earned a Bronze Award at the Association Media & Publishing’s 2013 EXCEL Awards competition. The award honored the web team’s work in redesigning the site in 2012.

“Kudos to the members of the National Office who work so hard on Bright, the Foundation’s website and all of the other publications under the Foundation umbrella,” said Foundation President Dave Remine.

These awards are a good reminder to revisit the Foundation website and catch up on the Foundation's activities, including the Bright enewsletter, all of which are funded through donations from involved individuals like you. We hope you'll support the Mensa Foundation today.

In the latest episode of Conversations with Mensa, intelligence specialist Dr. Deborah Ruf interviews Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, a lifelong educator, former Executive Director of the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary, and Mensa Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award winner. As Dr. VanTassel-Baska makes her transition into retirement, her focus remains on contributing to the programmatic education of gifted youth, both at home and abroad. This conversation touches on myriad facets of gifted education including:

• The design and development of curriculum and programming in line with the new common core
• Philosophical attitudes that may be hindering student growth
• The differences and similarities in domestic and foreign education
• The division in research goals between those gifted educators with education-specific and psychology-specific backgrounds

You can download the podcasts from the Foundation website or from iTunes.

The Summer 2013 issue of Mensa Research Journal is out. In it, Executive Editor Robin Crawford writes: “In this issue, we present some articles about defining and measuring ‘creativity,’ ” specifically:

• How can it be assessed?
• What role does cognitive inhibition play?
• Why do people reject creative ideas?

The summer issue also explores other timely topics, including genetic associations with general intelligence and the relationship between music training and verbal intelligence, and includes book reviews and regular columns. Order your copy or subscribe today!.

Each month, Foundation leaders address projects, programs and the general news of American Mensa's philanthropic arm. Members have the opportunity to learn our programs and efforts from the Trustees themselves, as well as from committee chairs, appointees, donors, staff members, and supporters of the Foundation.

Colloquium updates, donation efforts and outreach opportunities are just a few of the topics covered. The columns provide a great way to stay up-to-date and learn more about where your valuable contributions are going.

Can't find your current Bulletin copy? Head to www.mensafoundation.org/foundationvoices to read the organization's blog. You'll find the latest columns, as well as thoughts from Foundation leaders and supporters. We hope you'll find their insights informational and inspiring.

Have you considered making a donation to the Mensa Education & Research Foundation?

For 40 years, the Mensa Foundation has been pursuing excellence in the study and use of intelligence. We’ve awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, published more than 50 issues of the Mensa Research Journal and recognized numerous researchers, educators and journalists for their work. More recently, we have reinvigorated our focus on gifted youth.

These accomplishments in the area of intelligence herald a bright future for the Foundation. We hope you’ll join us in this future by making a donation today. Donations to the Mensa Foundation are tax-deductible. To support the Foundation, please visit www.mensafoundation.org/donate.