Fielding Graduate University President Dr. JJudith L. Kuipers, who is retiring in June, will be honored Thursday for her nine years of service to the university and her distinguished career in higher education.

The reception will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Sara Miller McCune Garden at Fielding’s headquarters, 2112 Santa Barbara St. Among the guests will be members of the community and leaders in education, as well as Fielding staff, students, alumni and faculty.

During the reception, a sculpture that was commissioned by Fielding’s Board of Trustees to honor Kuipers’ legacy will be unveiled to the public. Santa Barbara artist MacLean Tiffany was commissioned to create the artwork, taking inspiration from Kuipers’ career and incorporating symbols of academic excellence, knowledge and servant leadership.

Fielding Graduate University is a leading provider of knowledge, new practices and graduate-level learning opportunities in the fields of clinical psychology, media psychology, organizational development and educational leadership. A nonprofit, accredited university, Fielding is based in Santa Barbara, where it was founded in 1974. Its distributed community of professionals is dedicated to lifelong learning; social justice and change; and innovation and advancement in organizations, communities and society. For more information, visit www.fielding.edu.

Sylvia Williams is director of communications for the Fielding Graduate University