Banner for the 61st Annual Meeting of the GSA Northeastern Section. The left side features the Geological Society of America logo and event details: 'Hartford, Connecticut, 21–24 March 2026' on a teal background. The right side shows an aerial evening view of downtown Hartford, Connecticut, with illuminated buildings and streets.

About the Meeting

Opening reception: 21 March 2026

Technical sessions: 22–24 March 2026

New England and Beyond: Investigating the Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, and Anthroposphere

Location

Connecticut Convention Center
100 Columbus Blvd.
Hartford, Connecticut 06103

 

The 2026 Meeting of the Northeastern Section of GSA will be held in Hartford, Connecticut, on 22-24 March. Hartford is located in the Mesozoic Hartford rift basin within the geologically diverse Paleozoic accreted terranes of New England. The Hartford basin contains a rich geologic history with three regionally extensive basalt lava flows and a world-class pillow basalt locality. The sedimentary section hosts dinosaur footprints that are featured at the nearby Dinosaur State Park. Pleistocene glaciation left its mark with numerous glacial features including drumlins, eskers, and glacial deltas. This complex geology presents numerous challenges in terms of anthropogenic environmental impacts. From Hartford there is easy access to the Connecticut River, the Connecticut shoreline and Long Island Sound, and the Berkshire Mountains. The Hartford Convention Center is the meeting site and is just a short walk to numerous restaurants and the Connecticut Science Center.

Hartford is conveniently located along I-91 and I-84 halfway between Boston and New York City. It is 15 miles from Bradley International Airport (BDL) which is served by all major airlines, and there is Amtrak and Hartford Line train service into downtown Hartford from throughout the northeast. The local DASH shuttle bus will run throughout downtown during the meeting, with stops at local hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and the train station.

Proposal Submissions

Submit a proposal for a topical session, symposium, field trip, or short course. Share your expertise, highlight key issues, and help craft a compelling, relevant program.

Proposal submission opens: 27 May 2025

Proposal deadline: 15 July 2025, 11:59 p.m. PDT

Accommodations

Hartford Marriott Downtown
200 Columbus Blvd.
Hartford, Connecticut 06103

Local Committee

Organizing Co-Chairs
Mark Evans, Central Connecticut State University, evansmaa@ccsu.edu
Phil Resor, Wesleyan University, presor@wesleyan.edu
Technical Committee
Christoph Geiss, Trinity College, Christoph.Geiss@trincoll.edu
Mike Wizevich, Central Connecticut State University, wizevichmic@ccsu.edu
Exhibits Co-Chairs
Ben Chilson-Parks, University of Connecticut, benjamin.chilson-parks@uconn.edu
Suzanne O'Connell, Wesleyan University, soconnell@wesleyan.edu
Sponsorship Chair
Jean Crespi, University of Connecticut, jean.crespi@uconn.edu
Industry Relations Chair
Meghan Seremet, Connecticut Geological Survey Program, Meghan.Seremet@ct.gov
Field Trip Co-Chairs
Peter Drzwiecki, Eastern Connecticut State University, drzewieckip@easternct.edu
Bob Wintsch, Indiana University Bloomington, wintsch@iu.edu
Short Course and Workshop Co-Chairs
Lisa Park-Boush, University of Connecticut, lisa.park_boush@uconn.edu
Julie Fosdick, University of Connecticut, julie.fosdick@uconn.edu
Student Volunteer Co-Chairs
Jen Piatek, Central Connecticut State University, piatekjel@ccsu.edu
Tammo Reichgelt, University of Connecticut, tammo.reichgelt@uconn.edu
K-12 Teacher Programs Co-Chairs
Jeff Thomas, Central Connecticut State University, thomasjed@ccsu.edu
Kris Larsen, Central Connecticut State University, lfscrvnr@memphis.edu