52nd Annual Fall Scientific Paper Session 2026
Call for Abstracts, REGISTRATION, & PAYMENT
TO: Members of the Academy and Science Community
The 52nd Annual Fall Scientific Paper Session of the Rochester Academy of Science will be hosted by St. John Fisher University on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The address for St. John Fisher University is 3690 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14618. NOTE CHANGE: The event will begin at Kearney Hall with registration, refreshments and the keynote lecture. It will then move to their Integrated Science and Health Sciences Building (ISHS) for oral presentations, posters, and late registration.
This session provides a forum for Academy members, the collegiate community, and others engaged in scientific research to present the results of their investigations in an atmosphere that promotes discussion and interaction.
The Academy covers the full scope of basic and applied sciences, including anthropology, botany, chemistry, computer science, ecology, environmental science, geography, geology, neuroscience, physics, physiology, psychology, science education, and zoology. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members are encouraged to attend and to present posters or oral reports. You do not have to be a member of the Rochester Academy of Science to participate. We request that all co-authors, advisors, and other attendees register.
Drinks and pastry will be available during on-site registration starting at 8:00 AM. A schedule and map will be handed out at registration. A lunch break is schedule during the presentations. Cafeteria lunch is to be purchased in advance, if desired. The Larry King Memorial Lecture is featured.
REGISTRATION ENTRY IS BELOW.
There is no charge to attend.
For presenters, there is only one $10 fee per abstract submission, either individual or group. RAS members will have $5 rebate.
Presentations may be oral presentations or posters. RAS Members may set up table displays. Oral reports are limited to 15 minutes in length: Use 12 minutes for the presentation itself and allow 3 minutes for questions from the audience at the end of your presentation. Lightning Talks are limited to 7 minutes in length: Use 5 minutes for the presentation itself and allow 2 minutes for questions. Posters provide an excellent opportunity for author-audience interaction and students should consider this mode of presentation, particularly if this will be their first scientific meeting.
You must register by Friday, October 30, 2026. If presenting a talk or poster, an abstract of your presentation must be received by Friday, October 23, 2026.
We cannot guarantee that late submissions will be included.
Parking: Free, on site.
DR. LAWRENCE J. KING MEMORIAL LECTURE . . . . . . . . . . NEW SPEAKER: DR. GREGORY CUNNINGHAM
Gregory Cunningham is now our keynote speaker. He is a noted wildlife biologist who has worked with birds in the sub-Antarctic, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Hawaii, South Africa, and elsewhere.
Please join us to hear him speak on Life as a Field Biologist: Remote Places and Questions Worth Chasing.
Aurora Kuczek who was to be our Larry King Memorial lecturer at the Paper session was finishing up on the Falkland islands. Instead of coming back to Rochester, she has been redeployed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to Antarctica for the next six months. It is early spring there now, not that that means much in the Antarctic. So, she is not available as she will be living with the penguins.
Photo: Dr. Cunningham with a group of King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on Crozet island (Ile de Possession). The King is the second-largest species of penguin and breeds on subantarctic islands surrounding the northern reaches of Antarctica, including South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, Macquarie Island, and other temperate regions of the Southern Ocean. Photo provided by Gregory Cunningham.
Public Lecture
▫ Saturday, November 7, 2026 ▫
St. John Fisher University
Integrated Science and Health Sciences Building,
3690 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14618
9:00 a.m. ▫ Free
MORE ON Gregory Cunningham TALK
Although long thought to have no sense of smell (anosmic), birds actually use their sense of smell in a variety of ways: to forage across vast oceans, navigate back to specific nest burrows, identify mates, and avoid predators. In this talk, Dr. Gregory Cunningham will share insights and highlights from over two decades of research on avian olfaction. He will also trace the broader journey of his career, sharing the early wildlife and field experiences—spanning pinnipeds in California, crows in Hawai’i, and songbirds in Panama—that first drew him into field research. Packed with field stories, photographs, videos, and scientific discoveries, this presentation offers a lighthearted yet deep look into the hidden sensory world of birds and the life of a field biologist.
Make PLans to Attend RAS Annual Fall Paper Session
directions to paper session at St. John Fisher University entrance
From Points East
Take I-390 North toward Rochester. Merge onto I-590 North via the exit on the left. Take Exit 2 for NY-31 / Monroe Avenue toward Pittsford. Turn left onto NY-31 West / Monroe Avenue, then turn right onto Allens Creek Road. Turn right onto NY-96 South / East Avenue and continue for about one mile.The main entrance to the university will be on your right-hand side; turn in and follow internal signs to parking.
From Points West
Take I-490 East toward Pittsford/Fairport. Take Exit 25 for NY-31F / Fairport Road.Turn left/straight to head west on NY-31F toward the main entrance. Turn left at the traffic light onto East Avenue (Route 96) into the main campus entrance and follow internal signs to parking.
From Points South
Take I-390 North toward Rochester. Merge onto I-590 North via the exit on the left. Take Exit 2 for NY-31 / Monroe Avenue toward Pittsford. Turn left onto NY-31 West / Monroe Avenue, then turn right onto Allens Creek Road. Turn right onto NY-96 South / East Avenue and continue for about one mile. The main entrance to the university will be on your right-hand side; turn in and follow internal signs to parking.
Parking is in Parking Lot A. If full, park in Lot C. The entrance to the Integrated Science and Health Sciences Building is immediately east of the parking lots. You'll see signs directing you.
St. John Fisher University is at junction of routes 31F & 96
St. John Fisher University is at junction of routes 31F & 96
St. John Fisher University is at junction of routes 31F & 96
When you arrive, make your way to Parking Lot "A" or "C".
FREE parking.
Proceed to the ISHS for registration, check-in, campus maps, and for info on last-minute schedule changes
Proceed to Integrated Science and Health Sciences Building
St. John Fisher University is at junction of routes 31F & 96
St. John Fisher University is at junction of routes 31F & 96
The ISHS is at 3690 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14618
GPS 43.1183° N, 77.5132° W
ABSTRACT FEE
In order to submit an abstract and present at the meeting, there is one fee per abstract submission, either individual or group. The Presenter or sponsoring Faculty member should pay this through the link above. There is no charge to attend as an observer or if your abstract has been submitted and paid for by a co-author. If you are an RAS Member, half your fee will be refunded. Each attendee must register individually for free admission, but only the abstract submitter should pay the fee.
Note that although payment is through PayPal, you do not need to have a PayPal account. You can pay by credit or debit card.
DEPARTMENTS PAYING FOR STUDENTS SHOULD SEE THE SELECTION BELOW.
Optional Lunch Purchase
Morning refreshments will be provided by the Rochester Academy of Science, so you can get coffee, tea, water, and a snack at no charge.
You may bring your own lunch. Lunch tickets of $14.99 may be purchased here in advance. Lunch will be served at Ward-Haffey dining hall. This is an all-you-can-eat cafeteria style lunch buffet with a very wide selection. Ward-Haffey has a Chinese food station. It has a pasta station. Pizzas and garlic knots. Coffees, desserts and homemade soups, and much more.
Your lunch fee will be refunded if you have to cancel attendance. You must notify us by 11:59PM on Thursday, November 5.
DEPARTMENTS PAYING FOR STUDENTS SHOULD SEE THE SELECTION BELOW.
college department group payment
If your department wishes to pay for one or more students for registration, you may make a single payment here.
Simply enter the amount you are paying. Send an email to our treasurer, Timothy Tatakis <tatakistim@icloud.com>, giving a list of the registrants for whom you are paying and for what you are paying. Copy our coordinator, Michael Grenier <mgrenier@frontiernet.net>. This will show as a "Donation", but we'll apply to Paper Session.
(Photo: )
Ward-Haffrey Dining Hall from Science Center
