Who is the leading expert in rural gifted education reform?

There isn't a single, universally recognized "leading expert" in rural gifted education reform. The field is relatively niche, and expertise is often distributed among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working in various regions and with different focuses.

To find relevant experts, you'd need to search for individuals specializing in:

* Gifted education: Look for professors of educational psychology, special education, or curriculum and instruction with a research focus on gifted students.

* Rural education: Search for researchers and practitioners focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities of education in rural contexts.

* Educational policy: Experts in educational policy who have worked on state or national initiatives related to gifted education, particularly those addressing rural disparities, would be relevant.

Your best approach would be to use keywords like "rural gifted education," "gifted education disparities," "rural talent development," etc., in searches of academic databases (like ERIC, JSTOR, Google Scholar), professional organizations' websites (e.g., National Association for Gifted Children, Rural Education Association), and university faculty directories. Looking for individuals who have published extensively on this topic, presented at relevant conferences, or have consulted with rural school districts on gifted programs would be helpful in identifying key players in the field.