The Importance of Water and Rivers – What Does The Future Hold?
Program with Abstracts
A copy of the symposium proceedings is now available for download. Complete with schedule of events, list of exhibitors, and abstracts for 61 oral and poster presentations that feature the work of 115 authors. The Program also has embedded Zoom links for Friday’s Keynote and Saturday morning’s Plenary presentations. All other events are in-person.
The Program with Abstracts is 92 pages in length and 6.5 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.
Registration
Registering for this year’s River Symposium allows us to run things much more smoothly upon your arrival. It is free and only takes a minute.
This is an in-person event. The only parts of the symposium that can be viewed remotely via Zoom are the Keynote Address on Friday, Nov. 7, between 6 and 7 pm and the Plenary Presentations on Saturday, Nov. 8, between 9 am and 12 pm. Zoom links for the keynote or plenary addresses are accessible via the red-colored buttons on the Friday or Saturday schedule pages. No other parts of the symposium will be streamed online.
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
6:15 – 6:55 pm – Keynote address
“The relationship changes over time with water, why it matters.”
Dr. Freida Jacques
Humanities Scholar, Writer, and Turtle Clan Mother of the Onondaga Nation, Haudenosaunee Confederacy
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 -9:10 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Ghislaine McDayter, Associate Provost, Bucknell University
9:10 – 9:15 am
Introduction
Benjamin Hayes, Symposium Chair
9:15 am – 9:45 am — Plenary talk #1
“Onondaga Creek and the Salt City”
Freida Jacques, Humanities Scholar and Turtle Clan Mother of the Onondaga Nation, Haudenosaunee Confederacy
9:45 am – 10:15 am – Plenary talk #2
“Indigenous Heritage Initiative: Reconnecting Land and Culture”
Laurel Etter Longenecker, Executive Director, RiverStewards Collaborative and Alyssa Hannigan, Ecological Designer, LandStudies
10:15 – 10:30 am – Intermission
10:30 – 11:00 am – Plenary talk #3
“Resilient by the River: Strengthening Flood Preparedness and Preservation in Selinsgrove Borough”
Megan Schmidt, Senior Water Resources Engineer, AKRF and Betsy Kramer, Program Manager for Community Revitalization & Resiliency at SEDA-Council of Governments.
11:00 – 11:30 am – Plenary talk #4
“Adaptive Approaches to Process-Based Stream Restoration”
David Goerman, Water Program Specialist, Wetlands and Waterways Division of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Water Program Specialist, Wetlands and Waterways Division of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
11:30 am – 12:00 pm – Plenary Speaker Panel Discussion
Moderated by Shannon Seneca, Ph.D., Haudenosaunee Environmental Engineer and Assistant Professor at University of Buffalo
AFTERNOON EVENTS
12:00 – 1:00 pm
Lunch
Walls Lounge (Room 231)
1:00 – 2:00 pm – Special session
The Hidden Costs of Data Centers
Moderated by Dr. Kathy Boomer, Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, with presentations by Christine Abrams, Tonawanda Seneca Nation, Dr. Shannon Seneca, University at Buffalo, Sharon Waltman and Dr. William Waltman, Danville, PA. John Zaktansky, Middle Susquehanna River Keeper, will also be present to answer questions about the facility being proposed near Montour Preserve.
1:00 – 3:00 pm – Oral Presentations
3:00 – 3:10 pm – Wrap-up and Closing
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Frieda Jacques (Whatwehni:neh)
A highly-respected humanities scholar, teacher, and writer, Dr. Jacques has served as the Turtle Clan Mother of the Onondaga Nation for over 50 years. She advocates for Native American culture, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the rights and well-being of a native peoples and of our planet. For over 21 years she was the Home/School Liaison for the Onondaga Nation Schools, serving as a bridge between her culture and the many educational institutions in central New York. She is a sought-after speaker, respected for her wisdom and teachings, especially the importance that all of humanity must recognize their dependance upon the natural world and also understand that peace was established with out war in Haudenosaunee Country, finalized on the shores of Onondaga Lake.
Dr. Jacques will deliver the symposium’s plenary address entitled “The Relationship changes over time with water, why it matters” on Friday, Nov. 7, from 6:15 -7:00 p.m. in Room 272 (The Forum). She will also deliver a plenary address entitled “Onondaga Creek and the Salt City” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Plenary Speakers
Laurel Etter-Longenecker
Executive Director
RiverStewards Collaborative
Laurel will co-deliver a plenary address entitled “Indigeneous Heritage Initiative: Reconnecting Land and Culture” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9:45 -10:15 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Allysa Hannigan
Environmental Designer
LandStudies
Allysa will co-deliver a plenary address entitled “Indigeneous Heritage Initiative: Reconnecting Land and Culture” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9:45 -10:15 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Meghan Schmidt
Sr. Water Resources Engineer
AKRF Environmental Services
Meghan will co-deliver a plenary address entitled “Resilient by the River: Strengthening Flood Preparedness and Preservation in Selinsgrove Borough” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Bettsy Kramer
Program Manager for Community Revitalization & Resiliency
SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG)
Betsy will co-deliver a plenary address entitled “Resilient by the River: Strengthening Flood Preparedness and Preservation in Selinsgrove Borough” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
David Goerman
Water Program Specialist
Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
David will deliver a plenary address entitled “Adaptive Approaches to Process-Based Stream Restoration” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 11:00 -11:30 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Shannon Seneca
Assistant Professor of Indigeneous Studies and Haudensaunee Environmental Engineer
University at Buffalo
State University of New York (SUNY)
Shannon will moderate the plenary speaker panel discussion on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum) and help lead the special session “The Hidden Cost of Data Centers” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. in Room 256 (The Center Room).
Kathleen Boomer
Scientific Program Director
Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research
Kathy will help lead the special session “The Hidden Cost of Data Centers” on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. in Room 256 (The Center Room)
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).