Katrina Sitar '06
Pitzer's First Fulbright to Moldova

To most Americans, little is known about the Republic of Moldova, which was part of the USSR until 1991. Historically, the Roma people in Moldova have been a persecuted minority and are the poorest population in all of Europe.

Katrina Sitar will study contemporary visual representations of Roma as a form of identity construction.

“Romani identity in the region became closely associated with their status as slaves between the 14th and 19th centuries. From 19th century posters advertising Roma slave auctions to the Third Reich’s use of photography in eugenic studies, images of Roma have functioned as evidence of their ‘otherness,’” Sitar explained.

Sitar said she plans to use insights gained from her Fulbright experience in her future academic studies in art history in which she hopes to contribute to the inclusion of Roma in the existing art history discourse on ethnic identity.

Sitar was a New Resources student at Pitzer College. The New Resources program was established in 1974 to bring the Pitzer experience to students of non-traditional college age. The program was founded with the conviction that a truly diverse campus is one eager to encounter the added dimension brought by students of a range of ages as well as backgrounds and interests.

Julia Terlinchamp '04
Bulgaria