Buffalo State's renowned Center for Applied Imagination is home to research and education in the fields of creativity, creative problem-solving, and creative leadership. For more than half a century, CAI has offered instruction in creativity and stands as the first educational institution in the world to offer graduate-level courses and a master of science in Creativity Studies. But CAI is more than an academic program. It is also an international hub for creativity resources and professional development opportunities, not to mention the collective expertise of our network of alumni.

CAI's latest innovation is the aptly named Innovation Suite. The Innovation Suite will create a new space on campus for collaborative learning, thinking, and problem solving in Buffalo State's Butler Library, which already houses the world's largest collection of books and archival materials on creativity.

Help us honor Dr. Ruth B. Noller, one of the founders of CAI and Creative Studies.

When we talk about the history of Creative Studies at Buffalo State, two names that are always well represented are advertising executive Dr. Alex F. Osborn, who coined the term "brainstorming," and Dr. Sidney J. Parnes, who collaborated with him to develop the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem-Solving Model.

But Dr. Noller, a groundbreaking mathematician and computer programmer, was no less a pioneer in the field of Creative Studies. One of her most significant contributions combined her love of math and creativity in the Formula for Creativity: C = fa(K,I,E), in which creativity is a function of knowledge, imagination, and evaluation, activated by a positive attitude. Dr. Noller was also a beloved teacher and mentor, whose guidance shaped the lives of generations of Creative Studies students at Buffalo State.

We want to make sure that Dr. Noller's legacy takes its rightful place within the Innovation Suite: in archival collections (both physical and digital, including video materials), in visual representation, and most importantly, the development of mentoring spaces within the suite. We need your help to make this happen.

Your support provides us with the resources we need to bring this labor of love to fruition. Please donate today, and honor Dr. Noller as a leader in the field of creativity!