Eastern Student Laura Perez-Handler of Willimantic Gives Oral Presentation at CREATE Conference

2016 May 5

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.

Laura Perez-Handler '16 of Willimantic, who majors in Sociology, gave an oral presentation at the event. Her research, conducted alongside classmate Alex Cross, was titled "Stepping Out: Creating a Safe Space for Minority Identities in Writing Centers."

"Through the lens of LGBT and cultural-racial theories, we will examine how minority identities do not fit conventional master narratives of both the stereotypical university and Writing Center, and how Writing Centers must break out of an oppressive state of neutrality to become a safe space for all identities," said the students in a joint statement. "We will address real-life applications of safe spaces for minority identities in Writing Centers. This presentation will include interactive sections that help the audience understand how they can work with the Writing Center on campus and how they can queer or deracialize their own interactions and spaces."

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.