Rose Marie Welles Presents at 2017 CREATE Conference

2017 May 2

The Third Annual CREATE Conference at Eastern Connecticut State University took place on April 21. CREATE stands for "Celebrating Research Excellence and Artistic Talent at Eastern," and is the University's premier conference showcasing student research and creative activity.

Rose Marie Welles '17 of Ledyard presented an oral presentation titled "The Mythic Rapist: Destructive Sexual Dehumanization of Black Men in the New South." Welles majors in History.

"My research paper was on the tumultuous race relations following the Civil War," said Welles. "I spend a good deal of time examining the controversial 1915 film "A Birth of a Nation" as a representation of popular attitudes towards black men during that time period. A successful campaign to delegitimize black men caused them to be perceived as sexually deviants and served as a huge roadblock in the push for civil rights. This narrative of over-sexualization also worked in conjunction with the creation and popularity of the Ku Klux Klan, and has had lasting effects on race relations in our nation."

The one-day conference featured more than 300 Eastern undergraduates who presented talks, professional posters, live music, dance performances, art and photography exhibits, documentary films and panel discussions.

"I was deeply honored to discuss my research at CREATE," said Welles. "I have found throughout my college career as a history student that I get the greatest satisfaction thrill from being able to share ideas and compare work with my classmates. Being able to participate in a conference where people came to listen to me speak was exciting. I am planning on pursuing a career in academia, so being able to have my work examined, critiqued and possibly enjoyed by my peers was immeasurably valuable."

"CREATE is a reaffirmation of Eastern's commitment to undergraduate research as Connecticut's only public liberal arts university," said Niti Pandey, business administration professor and conference co-chair. Reflecting on this year's record number of participants, she added, "There is a wonderful variety of presentations and performances for people to see. CREATE 2017 showcases the hard work and talent of our students and demonstrates the dedication of their faculty mentors. We look forward to an excellent event!"

From art to zoology, Shakespeare to social media, tax law to terrorism, Eastern students of all majors explore important concepts and produce exemplary research and creative work; the culmination of their work for the 2016-17 academic year was on display at CREATE.

Patricia Szczys, biology professor and conference co-chair, added: "CREATE is a superb learning experience for all who participate and a true celebration of our student's achievements."