Program & Agenda: NYSS APS Spring 2026 Meeting

NYSS APS Spring 2026 Meeting at Wells College

Physicists from across the region are invited to the spring gathering of the New York State Section of the American Physical Society, taking place at Wells College on April 19–20, 2026. Everything you need is collected here — the complete program, how to register, travel and lodging guidance, and ways to get involved. Browse the sections below to locate the details you're after.

Contact for NYSS APS

Have a general question about the New York State Section of the American Physical Society? Get in touch with Sunil Labroo.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 607.436.3323

Agenda and Program

All sessions are held in Stratton Hall, Room 209 — the E Margie Filter Hostetter Lecture Room — unless otherwise indicated.

Friday, April 19, 2026

  • 9:00 AM – Noon — Executive Committee meeting (Henry Wells Room, Long Library)
  • Noon – 3:00 PM — On-site registration (Stratton Hall, 2nd Floor Foyer)
  • 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM — Welcoming remarks: Lisa Ryerson, President of Wells College, and Dr. Sunil Labroo, Department of Physics, SUNY Oneonta and Outgoing Chair of the NYS Section of APS
  • 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM — Rebecca Thompson, American Physical Society: Connecting With the Public: Best Practices for Public Engagement
  • 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM — Dr. Abigail Flower, Philips Laboratory, Tarrytown NY: Investigation of Decelerations in the Neonatal Heart Rate
  • 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM — Break
  • 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM — George Lindberg, University of Buffalo: Science Days: Graduate Student Run Outreach on a Budget
  • 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM — Dr. Martin Forstner, Department of Physics & Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, Syracuse University: Biomimetic membranes in basic science and application
  • 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM — Crystal Bailey, American Physical Society: Breaking The Myth of the "Non-Traditional" Physicist: The Real Story About Employment for Physics PhDs
  • 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM — Poster session and social time (Stratton Hall, 2nd and 3rd Floor Atrium)
  • 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM — Banquet (Sommer Center)
  • 7:15 PM – 8:00 PM — Keynote lecture: Dr. Carl Hagen, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Rochester: 50 Years of Broken Symmetry

After the keynote wraps up, many attendees travel back to Auburn or Ithaca for the evening. Need a ride or able to offer one? Gather on the sidewalk outside the Main building — leave the Sommer Center by the front entrance and head toward the lake; Main will be on your right. It's also a handy time to sort out Saturday transportation back to Wells.

Saturday, April 20, 2026

  • 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM — On-site registration and continental breakfast (Stratton Hall, 2nd Floor Foyer)
  • 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM — Dr. Zhaolin Lu, Department of Electrical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology: Metamaterials, Graphene, and their Applications in Nanophotonics and Electromagnetics
  • 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM — Dr. James Lloyd, Department of Astronomy & Space Sciences, Cornell University: Super-Earth and Super-Venus
  • 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM — Break
  • 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM — Dr. Jennifer Ross, Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts – Amherst: Reconstructing the Cell
  • 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM — Dr. Anders Rys, Department of Physics, Cornell University: The Search for the Higgs Boson at the Large Hadron Collider

Safe travels home — and we look forward to seeing you in the fall at the 109th NY Section Symposium.

Local Information and Program Contacts

Questions about the program or local arrangements? Please contact:

Phyllis Siemiatkowski
Phone: 315.364.3311
Email: [email protected]

Professor Scott Heinekamp
Phone: 315.364.3361
Email: [email protected]

Planning Your Visit

Preparing for the meeting is easy: look over the session schedule, confirm your registration, and sort out lodging and travel in advance. If any part of the program or local arrangements is unclear, the contacts above are glad to assist. We look forward to welcoming you to Wells College.

The two-day program pairs invited talks and outreach sessions with a poster social, banquet, and keynote, so plan to arrive in time for Friday registration if you want the full experience. Review the schedule in advance, note the Stratton Hall room assignments, and reach out to the program contacts early with any questions about local arrangements.