Beth A. Hennessey

Beth A. Hennessey is a professor of psychology at Wellesley College. A member of the faculty since 1985, Professor Hennessey teaches courses in educational psychology, the psychology of creativity, research methods and statistics. Her own research interests focus on the question of how to construct classroom and workplace environments so that they are more conducive to intrinsic motivation and creativity of performance. In addition to teaching and research, she also serves as faculty director of the Pforzheimer Learning and Teaching Center.

Professor Hennessey received an A.B. degree from Brown University in 1977, with a concentration in bilingual education. She earned an M.Ed. in elementary education from Lesley College in 1979. Trained in the British Infant System, she taught elementary school for three years and then went on to receive a Ph.D. in social/developmental psychology from Brandeis University in 1986.

Dr. Hennessey is the author of numerous book chapters and scholarly journal articles and delivers papers at scientific and educational bodies both here and in other countries. One monograph, co-authored with Teresa Amabile in 1987, is entitled "Creativity and Learning: What Research says to the Teacher" (Washington, DC: National Education Association Professional Library). Another monograph entitled "Developing creativity in gifted children: The central importance of motivation and classroom climate" was published as part of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Senior Scholar Series in 2004.

Dr. Hennessey's work has been supported by a grant from the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation. Her current projects include cross-cultural examinations of the social psychology of creativity.

Profile last updated: 8/08

Office for Public Affairs
Last Modified: August 20, 2008