Creativity Expert to Deliver Richard Bland’s 50th Commencement Address

PETERSBURG, Va. - April 30, 2013 - PRLog -- Kyung Hee Kim, Ph.D., internationally acclaimed professor, researcher and author, has been invited to deliver the keynote address at Richard Bland College’s 2013 Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 6:00 p.m., in Statesman Hall. Dr. Kim is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at William and Mary and author of The Creativity Crisis. This will be Richard Bland College’s 50th Commencement since the College’s founding in 1962.

In 2010, Dr. Kim initiated a national and international dialogue when she authored The Creativity Crisis, indicating that the United States has been experiencing a decline in creativity since 1990. Her study on creativity was featured in Newsweek in 2010. Currently, Dr. Kim is in demand in the U.S. and around the world by parents and teachers seeking to foster creativity in students.

“The focus of Dr. Kim’s research and teaching fit perfectly with the College’s new emphasis on innovation and improved student learning outcomes. The College’s strategic plan—RBC-19—calls for the use of innovative teaching and support methodologies to improve retention, graduation and transfer rates,” said Richard Bland College president Debbie L. Sydow, Ph.D. “Enhancing creativity as part of the teaching-learning process is a priority, so having Dr. Kim as our 2013 Commencement speaker is both timely and highly relevant.”

Dr. Kim began her career teaching English in South Korean high schools for more than a decade, the taught at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Georgia prior to her appointment at William and Mary. Dr. Kim has published over 70 journal articles and other scholarly writings and is the recipient of The Torrance Legacy Speaker award, the Early Scholar Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, the Berlyne Award from the American Psychology Association, the New Voice in Intelligence & Creativity Award from the University of Kansas & the Counseling Laboratory, and the Hollingworth Award from NAGC.

About Richard Bland College

Richard Bland College prepares students for university transfer through academically rigorous programs grounded in the liberal arts tradition of William & Mary and expands access to college credentials through strategic partnerships, specialized programming, and scalable innovation. The College enrolls more than 1,500 students—residential and commuter—on a picturesque campus located just outside historic Petersburg, Virginia, two hours south of Washington, D.C. and one hour west of Williamsburg, Virginia. www.rbc.edu.