SUNY Adirondack hosts conference for chemistry faculty

QUEENSBURY, New York (July 22, 2025) — SUNY Adirondack recently hosted the Adirondack Conference, a multi-day professional development event that brought together chemistry faculty from community colleges across the northeastern United States.

The conference focused on supporting faculty in implementing evidence-based teaching and learning practices to enhance student success in STEM courses.

The program featured hands-on workshops and collaborative sessions tailored to the community college environment. Participants explored proven teaching strategies that promote active learning, improve student retention, and increase engagement in chemistry. Topics focused on research-supported approaches to improving educational outcomes for community college student populations.

By the end of the conference, faculty left equipped with practical tools to implement in their own classrooms and strategies to support student persistence in chemistry — an important foundation for STEM careers.

The Adirondack Conference was made possible with generous support from the National Science Foundation under award numbers 2413083, 2413084 and 2413085. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of NSF. The conference was funded as part of NSF's Innovation in Two-Year College in STEM Education (ITYC) program, which aims to support potentially transformative projects that will advance innovative, evidence-based practices at two-year colleges nationwide in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

About National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science; advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; and secure the national defense. The organization fulfills its mission by making grants. Its investments account for about 25 percent of federal support to America's colleges and universities for research driven by curiosity and discovery. NSF funding has been integral to development of artificial intelligence, doppler, DNA amplification, Duolingo, LASIK surgery, MRI, smartphones and other key technological advances.

About SUNY Adirondack

SUNY Adirondack is a community college with a growing campus that is part of the nation’s largest university, the State University of New York. With locations in Queensbury, Glens Falls and Wilton, SUNY Adirondack offers courses in person and online; on-campus housing at the Queensbury campus; and serves students via credit and continuing education programs. Learn more at sunyacc.edu.