Imagination Now

Image by Asher Swan

The first Utah Imagination Conversation, hosted by Southern Utah University (SUU), took place on August 16, 2011, in Cedar City. Held as a Faculty Convocation, it coincided with the launch of SUU’s Center for Creativity and Innovation. The Cedar City Daily News reported on the gathering.

Dan Bammes, host of Morning Edition on NPR affiliate KUER, moderated the panel discussion before a sizable audience of university faculty members. Serving on the panel were assistant professor of English Kyle Bishop; assistant professor of creative writing Danielle Dubrasky; Matt Edwards, professional-in-residence in the construction management program; assistant professor of information systems Shalini Kesar; associate professor of management Greg Powell; and assistant professor of biology John Taylor.

According to the Daily News, the educators in attendance “learned about efforts to enhance creativity in their students, with the goal of turning out graduates who are prepared to be innovative in the business world.” To this end, the new Center for Creativity and Innovation will look for ways to “patch creativity into the curriculum,” explained its director, Todd Petersen, who also spoke at the event.

I want to take this opportunity to extend a special thank-you to Raymond Grant, distinguished fellow for creative engagement at SUU, for establishing Lincoln Center Institute‘s partnership with the university and making this Conversation possible. I look forward to seeing the results of the school’s enterprising initiative to impart skills of imagination, creativity, and innovation to its students.

To view videos from the event, click here.

Another Utah Imagination Conversation, to be hosted by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, is currently in the works.

Click here to view all Imagination Conversation Reports.

Filed under: Imagination Conversation Reports Tagged: | Cedar City Daily News, Center for Creativity and Innovation, creativity, Dan Bammes, Danielle Dubrasky, Greg Powell, imagination, imagination conversation, innovation, John Taylor, KUER, Kyle Bishop, LCI, Lincoln Center Institute, Matt Edwards, Raymond Grant, Shalini Kesar, Southern Utah University, Todd Petersen, University of Utah, Utah Imagination Conversation