Program with Abstracts
A PDF copy of the 2023 River Symposium Program with Abstracts is now available for download. Complete with schedule of events and abstracts for all oral presentations and poster presentations, it also has embedded Zoom links, enabling you to go directly from the PDF viewer to the Zoom session associated with a particular talk or breakout discussion.
The Program with Abstracts is 94 pages in length.
Keynote Speaker
Denice Heller Wardrop
Denice is one of our nation’s leading experts at bringing together diverse groups of people to find management alternatives that will improve the health of large, complex ecosystems such as the Everglades and the Chesapeake Bay. A renowned scientist and engineer specializing in wetlands ecology and hydrology, she current serves as Research Professor of Geography at the Pennsylvania State University and is the Executive Director of the Chesapeake Research Consortium, an association of seven research and education institutions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Dr. Wardrop will deliver the symposium’s plenary address entitled “Navigating the Complex Waters and the Future of the Chesapeake Bay” on Friday, Nov. 3, from 7:30 -8:00 p.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Plenary Speakers
Oren Lyons
Chief and Faithkeeper
Onondaga and Seneca Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy
Faithkeeper Lyons will open the symposium on Friday evening with remarks entitled “An Faithkeeper’s Perspective on the word “Sustainability” ” He will also deliver a plenary address entitled “What the Ancient Stories Teach Us” on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 9:00 -9:30 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen
Science Integrator
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Dr. Vargas-Nguyen will deliver a plenary address entitled “Charting the Course to a Healthy Chesapeake Bay: What Does Our Map Tell Us?” on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 9:30 -10:00 a.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
John Clune
Research Hydrologist
U.S. Geological Survey
Dr. Clune will deliver a plenary address entitled “Science to Inform Management Priorities” on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 1:00 -1:30 p.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Harry Campbell
Director of Science, Policy, and Advocacy
Pennsylvania Office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Mr. Campbell will deliver a plenary address entitled “Guardians of the Watershed: Helping Improve the Susquehanna and Chesapeake Bay Ecosystems” on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 1:30 -2:00 p.m. in Room 272 (The Forum).
Schedule of events
A two-page schedule of events for this year’s symposium is available for download and printing. Details are subject to change, but it gives you an idea of the timing and flow of the symposium. This year’s event features keynote and plenary talks, poster and oral presentations, exhibits, documentary film clips, evening social, and much more. We look forward to having you join us!
Symposium Highlights
Oral Presentations
Saturday, Nov. 4
11:00 a.m. – 12:00p.m.
3:00 p.m. – 4:00p.m.
Fifteen oral presentations are scheduled in five sessions on Saturday. Abstracts for these presentations are available.
Poster Presentations
Friday, Nov. 3
8:00 p.m. – 10:00p.m.
On display Saturday
Over 65 faculty and students will present their research in 47 research posters on Friday evening. Abstracts for these presentations are available.
Breakout Discussions
Saturday, Nov. 4
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m.
Following the plenary addresses on Saturday morning and afternoon, symposium attendees will have the opportunity to discuss key emerging issues related to the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay. Outcomes from these discussions will be synthesized and published afterwards.
Exhibits
Friday, Nov. 3
8:00 p.m. – 10:00p.m.
On display Saturday
Learn more about the fantastic work underway by agencies and watershed groups throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and interact with representatives. Exhibits will be in the Terrace Room with the student posters on Friday evening between 8 and 10 pm. Exhibitors will be at their tables from 8:00 to 9:30 pm. Exhibits will remain on display in the Terrace Room on Saturday.
Schedule
7:00-7:05 pm – Welcome
7:05-7:15 pm – Opening remarks
7:15-7:30 pm – Indigenous perpective
7:30-8:00 pm – Keynote address
8:00-10:00 pm – Poster session and exhibits
9:00-10:00 pm – Evening Social
9:45-10:00pm – Student poster awards
9:00-10:00 am – Plenary Addresses
10:00 am – 11:30 pm – Breakout Discussions
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Oral Presentation Sessions
12:00-1:00 pm – Lunch
1:00-2:00 pm – Plenary addresses with audience participation
2:00 – 3:00 pm – Breakout discussions
3:00-4:00 pm – Oral presentations
4:00-4:15 pm – Reflection and looking ahead
4:15-4:30 pm – Announce student oral presentation awards
Participating Universities
University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
Binghamton University – State University of New York
Bloomsburg-Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Bucknell University
Drexel University
Elizabethtown College
Gannon University
Juniata College
Kings College
Lock Haven – Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Lycoming College
Mansfield University
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Pennsylvania State University
Binghamton University – State University of New York
Saint Francis University
Syracuse University
Susquehanna University
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 will highlight and promote collaborative partnerships that focus on improving the health and resilience of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.
Keynote speakers Jeff Janvrin, Sid Hill, and Betty Lyons with portion of the students and faculty who presented posters at last year’s River Symposium.
Commitment to Care
Bucknell is preparing to host 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 monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and following the guidance of our partners at Geisinger Medical Center, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Center for Disease Control.
Find up-to-date information on COVID and events on our campus on the Bucknell COVID-19 Information website. Should conditions change, we are prepared to offer the symposium entirely online (virtual) like we have previously.
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 Dr. Benjamin Hayes, Director of the Watershed Sciences and Engineering Program at the Bucknell Center for Sustainability & the Environment at brh010@bucknell.edu.