The Day
What to expect
Keynote addressA distinguished national leader in engineering.Student researchPoster presentations and thesis pitches.Panel & talksA faculty talk and a panel discussion.Prizes & awardsRecognizing exceptional research.
2026 Keynote SpeakerDr. Lola Eniola-AdefesoDean, College of Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago • President, AIMBEA chemical and biomedical engineer with more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Eniola-Adefeso is the 10th dean of the UIC College of Engineering. Recognized internationally for her work on vascular-targeted drug delivery, she has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, secured millions in federal research funding, and holds three patent filings. She earned her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania and is a national leader in advancing diversity across engineering.
Faculty Talk
Opening faculty talk
“Science in the Penumbra: What’s at Risk, What’s Lost, and What We Can Still Save”
In stroke, the penumbra is the tissue surrounding the core injury: damaged and at risk, but still salvageable if we act in time. Dr. Sandra Hewett argues that the American research enterprise now sits in its own penumbra. This talk will look candidly at what has changed in academia, government, funding, and publishing, what may already be lost, and, most importantly, what remains within our power to save.
Dr. Sandra HewettBeverly Petterson Bishop Professor of Neuroscience, Emerita, Syracuse UniversitySandra J. Hewett, PhD, is the Beverly Petterson Bishop Professor of Neuroscience, Emerita, at Syracuse University. Over a 27-year academic career, her research on astrocyte biology, glutamate transport, and IL-1β signaling advanced understanding of the mechanisms of brain injury and potential strategies for neuroprotection in stroke and epilepsy. At Syracuse, she led the faculty effort to create the interdisciplinary Neuroscience Studies program as its founding Executive Director. She received the 2020 NINDS Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship. Long engaged in national scientific service, she served on 45 NIH study sections, chairing 17. She subsequently joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as a Program Director overseeing cerebrovascular disease and blood-brain barrier research portfolios, leaving the agency following the 2025 federal workforce reductions. She is now Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurochemistry and principal of Hewett Research & Career Consulting, advising scientists on grants and careers.
Panel Discussion
Science in a Changing World
An afternoon panel bringing together scientists and educators to discuss the evolving landscape of research, technology, and science in society.
Dr. Yu Jung HanClinical Assistant Professor, Warner School of Education and Human Development, University of RochesterDr. Han is the inaugural holder of the Mary Ellen Burris Professorship and program director for the Advanced Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Educators at Warner. Her work focuses on the intersection of interest-driven activities, emerging technologies such as generative AI, and second language acquisition, developing pedagogical models that guide thoughtful technology integration in teaching and learning.
Dr. Jennet DickinsonAssistant Professor of Physics, Cornell UniversityDr. Dickinson is an experimental particle physicist and a member of the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider on the France-Switzerland border. Her research focuses on studying the Higgs boson and designing and building particle tracking detectors. She received her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and did her graduate studies on the ATLAS experiment at the University of California, Berkeley, and previously worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. In her free time, she enjoys reading and crochet.
Dr. Tracy BrooksChair and Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton UniversityDr. Brooks received her BS in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Rochester and her PhD from the University of Buffalo through her studies at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Her postdoctoral studies and time as a research assistant professor at the University of Arizona spanned immunology, neuroscience, and drug discovery for cancer before her independent career began at the University of Mississippi in 2011. She joined Binghamton University in 2017, becoming vice-chair in 2021 and department chair in 2024. Her collaborative work focuses on drug discovery in oncology, centering on non-canonical DNA structures and targeted protein degradation for synergistic activity across many cancers.
Get Involved
Ways to take part
The symposium is open to all. Students and faculty from institutions across New York are welcome to attend, and students are invited to share their research.
Attend
Join us for the keynote, faculty talk, panel, and the full day. Open to all.
Present a poster
Share your research. Open to undergraduate and graduate students in any STEM field.
Thesis pitch
Give a short, three-minute pitch of your research to attendees and judges.
Recognition
Research prizes
Open to all
WiSE Research Poster Prize
Introduced this year, the WiSE Research Poster Prize celebrates excellence in student research across all STEM fields. It is open to every student presenting a poster at the symposium, undergraduate or graduate, from any institution, with no separate application required. Simply register to present, and your poster is automatically considered. Winners are chosen from among the presenters during the symposium and honored at the closing awards ceremony.
Register here
SU undergraduates only
Norma Slepecky Undergraduate Research Prize
Our endowed prize for Syracuse University undergraduate researchers. A separate application is required.
Learn more and apply
Deadline extended: Registration is now open through Wednesday, October 15, 2026, for both attending and presenting.
Schedule
Agenda for the day
Friday, October 23, 2026 • 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Schedule is subject to change.
TimeSession
8:30 – 9:00 AMRegistration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:15 AMWelcome and IntroductionWiSE and Norma Slepecky
9:15 – 10:00 AMScience in the Penumbra: What’s at Risk, What’s Lost, and What We Can Still SaveTalk and Q&A with Dr. Sandra Hewett
10:00 – 10:15 AMBreak
10:15 – 10:20 AMIntroduction of Keynote Speaker
10:20 – 11:20 AMKeynote AddressDr. Lola Eniola-Adefeso
11:20 – 11:50 AM3-Minute Thesis PitchesGraduate students
11:50 AM – 12:35 PMPoster PresentationsEven-numbered posters
12:35 – 1:25 PMLunch
1:25 – 2:10 PMPoster PresentationsOdd-numbered posters
2:10 – 3:10 PMPanel: Science in a Changing WorldDr. Jennet Dickinson, Dr. Yu Jung Han, and Dr. Tracy Brooks
3:10 – 3:45 PMBreak
3:45 – 4:15 PMPoster Awards and Closing RemarksDr. Shobha Bhatia
In her memoryWho was Norma Slepecky?Professor Norma Slepecky was a distinguished auditory neuroanatomist at Syracuse University and a founding member of WiSE. A passionate researcher and advocate for undergraduate research, she mentored countless students and championed women in STEM. With her enthusiastic approval, her family, friends, and colleagues endowed the lectureship and research prize that carry her name. WiSE is honored to serve as steward of her legacy.
Getting There
Location & parking
Date & time: Friday, October 23, 2026, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Venue: Drumlins Country Club, Syracuse University
Parking: Free onsite parking will be available at Drumlins.
Shuttles: The Centro Sy40 (SU-Drumlins) route runs continuously throughout the day between Syracuse University (College Place) and Drumlins Country Club. We’ve highlighted the College Place and Drumlins stops on the schedule below. View the highlighted shuttle schedule (PDF).
View location on map
More
Explore the Slepecky program
Award winners
Past prize recipients going back to 2004.
View winners →
Past speakers
Distinguished scholars who have delivered the lecture since 2003.
View speakers →
Undergraduate Prize
Eligibility and how to apply, open to Syracuse University undergraduates.
Learn more →
