Registration
Please take a minute to register for this year’s River Symposium. It’s free and only take a minute and will allow us to run things much more smoothly upon your arrival.
Program with Abstracts
A copy of the 2026 symposium proceedings is available for download. Complete with schedule of events, list of exhibitors, and abstracts for 62 oral and poster presentations that feature the work of 146 authors from 22 academic institutions, 6 state and federal agencies, and numerous conservation districts, environmental agencies, and watershed groups. The Program also contains the Zoom link to watch Friday evening’s Keynote Address from 6:00-7:00 pm and Saturday’s Plenary Presentations from 9:00-11:30 am. All other events are in-person only and will not be streamed online.
Note: the Program with Abstracts is 90 pages in length and 8.8 Mb in size, so it may take 10-15 seconds to appear in your browser or download to your mobile device or computer, depending on your internet connection speed.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. John (Jack) Schmidt
John (Jack) Schmidt, Ph.D., is a fluvial geomorphologist and the Janet Quinney Lawson Chair in Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, where he directs the Center for Colorado River Studies. For nearly four decades, his research has focused on the Colorado River and other rivers of the American West, particularly the interactions among river processes, dams and reservoirs, ecosystem health, restoration, and water management. He previously served as Chief of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center.
Schmidt received the National Park Service Director’s Award for Natural Resource Research in 2009 for his work on the management of large regulated rivers throughout the National Park System. He was also a member of the Minute 319 Binational Partnership, which received the U.S. Department of the Interior Partners in Conservation Award in 2013 for its work leading to the historic pulse-flow release of Colorado River water into the river’s delta in Mexico.
Throughout his career, Schmidt has worked at the intersection of river science, restoration, and water policy, bringing together scientists, resource managers, federal and state agencies, Tribes, conservation organizations, and other stakeholders to address the challenges facing the Colorado River and its ecosystems. Schmidt is a 1972 graduate of Bucknell University.
Dr. Schmidt will deliver the symposium’s plenary address entitled “The Colorado River” on Friday, Nov. 6 from 6:15 -7:00 p.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Schedule
The Forum (Room 272), Elaine Langone Center
6:00 – 6:10 pm
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Jonathan Duncan
Executive Director, Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center
(PAWRRC)
Associate Professor, Dept. of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University
6:10 – 6:15 pm
Honoring Franklin Kury
PA State Senator and leading advocate for clean rivers and sustainable water resources management.
6:15 – 7:00 pm – Keynote address
“The Future of The Colorado River”
Jack Schmidt, Director, Center for Colorado River Studies, Watershed Sciences, Utah State University
7:00 – 9:00 pm – Poster Presentations and Exhibits
8:00 – 9:00 pm – Evening Social
8:00-9:00 am – Walk-in registration and self-guided tour of research posters in the Terrace Room (Rm. 272). Coffee and refreshments available.
MORNING EVENTS
The Forum (Room 272), Elaine Langone Center
9:00 – 9:15 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Benjamin Hayes, Symposium Chair
9:15 am – 9:45 am – Plenary talk #1
Landscape History
R. Craig Kochel, Fluvial Geomorphologist and Emeritus Professor of Geology, Bucknell University
9:45 am – 10:15 am — Plenary talk #2
Aquatic Ecology
Rick Spear, Aquatic Biologist Supervisor, PA Department of Environmental Protection
10:15 am – 10:45 am — Plenary talk #3
Improving Fish Passage and Connectivity
Jack D. Hill, Natural Resource Specialist, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
10:45 – 11:00 am – Intermission
11:00 am – 11:30 am — Panel Discussion
Rivers, Landscapes, and Life
Jack Schmidt, Craig Kochel, and Rick Spear
Reflections and questions from the audience, thoughts about the past, present, and future.
AFTERNOON EVENTS
11:30 – 1:00 pm
Lunch
Walls Lounge (Room 231)
1:00 – 3:50 pm
Oral Presentations
Concurrent sessions in Room 241 A/B, 241 C/D, The Forum (Rm 272), and Gallery Theater
3:50 – 4:00 pm
Student Awards and Wrap-Up
The Forum (Rm 272)
This year, Bucknell University is especially excited to pair this conference with the Annual Meeting of the PA Master Naturalist partnership,
whose theme this year is “Where Waters Meet: Conserving Pennsylvania’s Natural Heritage“.
Coming Together to Inspire Change
This symposium draws together people from all walks of life who share a common interest in rivers, watersheds, communities, and the connections therein. It also offers a time and a place where the public can interact with academics, professionals, and regulators, all working toward the same goal – ensuring our watersheds remain healthy for generations to come.This year’s event celebrates 20 years of river symposia
Commitment to Care
We are hosting this year’s symposium as an in-person event so that all individuals onsite — attendees, speakers, staff, vendors, and venue personnel — remain safe and comfortable. Creating a safe, worry-free symposium experience is our top priority. We are following the guidance of our partners at Geisinger Medical Center, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Center for Disease Control for large, public events.
2024 Keynote speaker Charles Cravotta, III, Ph.D., P.G, with students and faculty who presented posters at last year’s River Symposium.
Getting Here
Please feel free to use the helpful links below to plan your trip to the River Symposium
Testimonials
“This is a terrific event! It’s great to see the students present their posters on Friday night and attend the talks and breakout sessions on Saturday. I made a lot of contacts too.” (member of the public)
““I get a lot out of the plenary talks, breakout discussions, oral presentations, and conversations over lunch. I learned so much and plan to come back next year.” (undergraduate student)
“I really appreciate the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of this symposium. It’s a great networking event too. The evening social during Friday’s poster session and the lunch and refreshments during the exhibits are a very nice touch.” (member of local conservancy)
“I really appreciate the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of this symposium. It’s a great networking event too. The evening social during Friday’s poster session and the lunch and refreshments during the exhibits are a very nice touch.“I like how this symposium tries to weave together art, religion, science, economics and policy. I hope Bucknell continues it for many years to come.“ (local citizen)
The annual River Symposium is an educational community outreach event sponsored by the Bucknell Center for Sustainability & the Environment, the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies, and the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center at Penn State University.
For more information, please contact Ben Hayes (brh010@bucknell.edu) or Sean Reese (spr016@bucknell.edu).