SG
Sherry Gilronan
  • Business Administration
  • Class of 2017
  • Darien, CT

Eastern Student Sherry Gilronan of Darien 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.

Sherry Gilronan '16 of Darien, who majors in Business Administration, presented a research poster at the event. Gilronan's research, conducted alongside two other classmates, was titled "Creating Value for Small Businesses Through the Development of Human Resource Best Practices."

"Human resource management tends to be widely ignored by small businesses due to a lack of resources for developing and implementing formal practices," said the students in a joint statement. "However, the introduction of formal practices can be beneficial for adequate human resource planning, managing employee motivation and performance, and integrating best practices with the strategy of the business. This study explored the human resource needs of small business enterprises (less than 50 employees) in Connecticut. Based on our interviews with owners of small businesses we identified three critical human resources areas - legal employment practices, employee code of conduct/handbook, and training programs. We designed generic documents covering these three areas in order to provide tools to local small businesses interested in implementing formalized human resource practices."

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.