Accomplishments in Mathematics, Creativity, and Mentoring

Source abstract

Abstract Dr. Ruth B. Noller was cofounder of the Creative Studies program at Buffalo State University. Prior to her career in creativity, Noller worked as a mathematics professor and was the second woman computer programmer in the United States, working with the IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator while in the Navy during World War II. In the early 1970s, she and Sidney Parnes conducted the seminal research study known as the Creative Studies Project, which confirmed that creativity could be taught and learned. This interview with Ruth and her husband, David, in June 2003, was conducted by Gerard Puccio, chair of the Creativity and Change Leadership Department, as part of a graduate class at Buffalo State University. Noller discusses her life and career, the history of the department, the development of her mathematical formula for creativity, and her involvement in advancing the topic of mentoring.