Eastern Student Kelvin Powell of Bridgeport Presents Research Poster at CREATE Conference

2016 May 3

More than 250 talented students at Eastern Connecticut State University presented research and creative work at the university's second annual CREATE conference this past April. CREATE stands for Celebrating Research Excellence and Artistic Talent at Eastern, and is the university's premier, academic year-end showcase. At the culminating event, students of all majors presented professional posters, live music, dance performances, artwork, photography, documentaries and panel discussions.

Kelvin Powell '17 of Bridgeport, who majors in Exploratory Professional Studies, presented a research poster at the event. Powell's poster presentation was titled "Legends of Nintendo."

"Nintendo was a founded in 1889 in Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi with the intent to sell Hanafuda playing cards," said Powell. "One hundred and twenty five years later we recognize Nintendo as the industry leader in video games. Over the past 20 years, Nintendo has propelled itself far ahead of two of its biggest competitors in the video games and consoles industry. This includes Sony with their PlayStation series and Microsoft with their Xbox series. This research study examines the human resource management practices and policies that have allowed Nintendo to continue to strive through its unique approach of product innovation. The goal is to identify core human resource values critical to the success of innovation in the context of Nintendo's Japanese culture."

Remarking on the variety of presentations, Professor Dickson Cunningham, conference co-chair, said, "CREATE encapsulates the essence of the liberal arts in one afternoon. It is an intellectual smorgasbord."

Speaking to the value of CREATE, Eastern President Elsa Nunez said, "It takes a very strong and dedicated student to produce this quality of work, and it's important for other students to see this output." Praising the faculty, she added, "It takes a committed and skillful mentor to guide students to the work that is on display. Mentorship is such an integral part of undergraduate research."

During the one-day conference, the Student Center crawled with artistic and scholarly activity. Students in professional attire addressed their peers, faculty and family. In the cafe, ensembles performed; in the theatre, student-produced documentaries were shown; in the Betty R. Tipton Room, aisles of posters depicting scientific research were displayed; across the hall, a gallery-worth of paintings lined the walls; and on the ground floor, panel discussions and oral presentations about the humanities took place.

In celebration of students' exemplary research, experiential learning and creative activity, CREATE serves to reinforce high-impact practices such as mentored research; increases the number of students presenting their work in a professional forum; raises public awareness of Eastern's liberal arts mission and student accomplishments; and contributes to the intellectual richness of the campus community.