CCT Community Open House
Nina Greenwald and Critical & Creative Thinking: 25 Years and More
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Join is as we celebrate the work of Nina Greenwald as a leader, mentor, and friend to the CCT community and among all critical and creative thinkers. We'll share tributes and stories as we join together to close off the spring semester.
Audio recording can be listened to at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/16894 sometime after the event.
Sponsored by the CCT Network and CCT Forum.
Comments from Delores Gallo, co-founder of CCT
Nina’s 25th Anniversary Comments
I was so happy to see the photograph on the invitation to Nina’s 25th Anniversary Tribute. In it, Nina is characteristically smiling broadly, radiating warmth with that impish glint in her eye that is so familiar to me as her longtime colleague and co-teacher in the Creative Thinking course. Through the many cherished years of our work together, through CCT Program and personal good times and bad, Nina always managed to maintain an ebullient optimism and a contagious good cheer. To Nina, humor was not just her strong academic interest, and a topic on which she created a seminar, it was her way to being in the world. And among the things I have missed most about Nina are her quick wit and the ring of her laughter.
Nina and I were first introduced to each other by Jane Gaughn, a gifted CCT student, who astutely observed that Nina would be a perfect match for our program. Nina and I promptly started working together. Nina was then head of the Massachusetts Association For Gifted and Talented and among her many duties was the administration of the the annual Future Problem Solving Bowl. As Co-director of CCT, I arranged for the Program to host and to contribute judges to the event. Nina was such a fine administrator and teacher and demonstrated such a passionate zeal for bringing creative problem-solving to teachers and students, it was not long before she joined our faculty, sharing with us her sharp intellect, broad knowledge, and energetic outreach. The Critical and Creative Thinking Program has indeed been fortunate to have Nina, a person who embodies the characteristics of the creative individual and who adds to them a kind, true heart.
I am delighted to to know that Nina is not retiring from teaching but just abbreviating her commute. Her future students and colleagues are sure to be delighted as well. I wish you all the best, Nina; I am with you in spirit tonight. Come visit soon. Delores Gallo
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Comments from Steve Schwartz, co-founder of CCT
It’s a pleasure to offer a few comments on the occasion marking Nina’s 25 years in the Critical and Creative Thinking Program. I will briefly touch on three themes. They are:
1. What Nina has meant to the Program over these two and a half decades;
2. What is it about her that makes this possible, and lastly;
3. What she has meant to me personally.
I am ashamed to confess that I don’t remember when I first met Nina, it seems like she always was a central part of the C&CT Program. I can tell you however that there were numerous periods of time in the history of our modest program when, if it were not for Nina and her dedication, the Program would have disappeared. In particular, in the early 90s the three original founders of the Program, Robert Swartz of the Philosophy Department, Delores Gallo from the School of Education, and myself from the Psychology Department, could not contribute much at all. Robert Swartz left the Program to pursue other personnel interests, and Delores Gallo had to retire prematurely due to a very serious chronic illness, while I was occupied with heavy administrative duties (chair of the Psychology Department and then associate dean and associate Provost.) Peter Taylor had not yet joined the University. During this time Nina assumed major responsibility for the Program and the majority of its students. She kept us going, despite the fact that as a distinguished but nonetheless, non-tenured track faculty member, she was and never has been, compensated by the University for the quantity and quality of the work she puts in.
Nina has taught more courses in the Program than any other faculty and has mentored more students than any other faculty member in the Program. In addition she has inspired, encouraged, and nurtured more students than any other faculty member. In short, she impact on the Program, her students, and her colleagues cannot be overestimated.
What is it about her that makes all this possible? Its not easy to put it all into words, but it stares you right in the face. Nina is one of the warmest, cheerful, empathetic, giving persons you will ever meet. She really cares about the Program, the students and her colleagues. In addition she is a very courageous individual. It takes courage to continually try different approaches, to venture into new possibilities, to offer new, even oddball perspectives – in short to be creative in how one teaches and interacts with life. Nina thus provides a wonderful model for all of us.
I will close with a little of what she has meant to me personally as a faculty colleague and friend. Let me confess. Although in my career I have been recognized for my talents as an administrator and researcher, the role of teacher has not come easily. I was not the “natural teacher” that some of my colleagues are – in particular, Delores Gallo and Nina Greenwald come to mind. I have a tendency to lecture about the theoretical aspects of a subject rather than really enabling a student to more fully experience the thing itself. In a very real way, co-teaching the Creativity course with Nina enabled me to become a better teacher, and even a better friend to my family members and friends. What a gift she has given me!
We are so fortunate to have had Nina as a colleague and teacher for 25 years, and I hope she continues to share her many talents with students and colleagues in the Program for many years to come.
From Jan Coe
Dear Nina,
I tried Skype just now but couldn't get connected - but I am with you in spirit!
I'm sure the tributes are flowing thick and fast - how I wish I could be there. Although it's now been almost 5 years since I was in the CCT program, it feels like I never left.
I know that I 'lucked out' being your RA for those few semesters. You were such an easy and comfortable person to work with - and that was before I even took one of your classes! I don't know what kind of magic it is that you possess (being a 'born teacher' probably!) but your classes were just the best. I remember some of the things we did in groups and even though I might have had qualms or doubts about the outcomes, we never failed to coalesce in the end. In the PBL class, I remember I was having big doubts about our topic of death and dying but after flailing around for a a while, just a few suggestions from you managed to get us back on course - it was amazing!
I think the idea of having CCT on the Cape sounds wonderful! I don't know how you manage to keep so many balls in the air:)
Best and warmest wishes for an amazing, ongoing career!
Jan
From Shari Tishman, Project Zero
Hi Nina,
I am so sorry to have missed sending you a congratulations message for your party! I mistakenly thought the date was a few days away. This note is to belatedly, but very warmly, wish you the very best of luck in this new chapter in your life. What a wonderful career you have had! I remember more than 25 years ago when I first met you, through Rose Feinberg. At the time you were quite a luminary in the GT field and I felt a little shy in your presence. But you were always so warm and supportive. I don't know if I ever thanked you, but I thank you now.
I imagine you plan to spend lots of time with your family and enjoying life on the Cape. But great minds never rest and I'm sure you'll continue to enrich the world with your energy and ideas. Perhaps you already have plans for how you'll do so -- perhaps you are giving yourself some time to let them emerge. Either way, I'm sure it will be wonderful.
I wish you all the best for the future, and I hope our paths continue to cross.
Warmly,
Shari