Are we unknowingly training a generation of students for a “middle of the road” future, where creativity and critical thinking suffer at the hands of automation and convenience?

In this enlightening episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Matthew Warwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett sit down with Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon, a distinguished professor of Industrial Organizational Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. They dive deep into the world of creativity in education, exploring the essential skills students need for the future workplace, such as problem identification, empathy, and critical thinking. Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon shares practical examples and research-backed strategies, highlighting the importance of framing problems from multiple perspectives and understanding how creativity and critical thinking are intertwined. The conversation also touches on measuring creativity, the role of AI in assessment and idea generation, and the risks and rewards of integrating technology into creative educational processes.

Listeners will also gain insight into current trends shaping the field of creativity research, including team creativity, creativity with constraints, and innovative approaches to fostering creative skills in students. As the current President of the APA Division 10, Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon offers a unique perspective on emerging topics for 2025 and emphasizes the necessity of expertise and deep domain knowledge for meaningful creative work. Whether you’re an educator, administrator, or creativity enthusiast, this episode provides actionable advice and thought-provoking questions to help fuel your teaching journey in the age of AI and collaborative innovation. Be sure to check out the show notes for conference links and additional resources!

Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon is the John Holland Distinguished Professor of Industrial Organizational Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. With nearly 40 years in the field, her research zeroes in on creativity and innovation in workplaces, focusing especially on cognitive and social processes, creativity measurement, skill development, and the intersection of creativity with AI and teamwork. With over 200 publications in leading journals and books, Dr. Reiter-Palmon is a central figure in creativity research, currently editing the APA Handbook on the Psychology of Creativity and serving as the president of APA Division 10. In 2024, she was honored with the Arnheim Lifetime Achievement Award for her influential contributions to the study of creativity.

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