The nearly 600 seniors receiving their degrees May 5 at Winthrop’s undergraduate commencement heard that they should be prepared to spend the rest of their lives learning in a rapidly changing environment.

“The reality is that you must continually add to what you know because new information is doubling every 18 months or so,” said George Kuh, the keynote speaker and director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University-Bloomington.

Acquiring knowledge and skills and creatively solving practical problems are good habits to have because the world today insists on flexibility and adaptability, Kuh said. The average worker in coming decades will make 10 different career shifts.

“You will have to reinvent your job and yourself many times. Keep learning. And get better at it,” he said.  MORE ADVICE FROM KUH>>>
 

Kuh is director of the National Survey of Student Engagement, which asks first-year and senior students about their experiences at more than 600 colleges and universities around the nation, including Winthrop. He received an honorary degree during the ceremony at Winthrop Coliseum.

Faculty and Student Awards

The 2007 recipient of the Distinguished Professor award was Jane Bowman Smith, who is a professor of English, director of the Writing Center and the Margaret M. Bryant Professor for the Department of English. Jennifer Leigh Disney, assistant professor of political science, was recognized as the Outstanding Junior Professor.
 

The Tillman Award winners for highest academic achievement were Kimberly Paige Satcher, an early childhood education major from Graniteville, S.C., and Amber Michelle Smith, an elementary education major from Fort Mill, S.C.