By Josephine Scalia

Welcome back to campus! Even though the start of the semester was slightly interrupted by a bit of snow, the Spring term is a busy time on campus and it’s important to take advantage of all the special learning opportunities and experiences coming our way. Here is a description of what’s to come on campus in Spring 2026.

Women’s Leadership Conference – March 28, 2026

Starting off in March is Adelphi’s ninth annual Women’s Leadership Conference on March 28th, 2026. The conference is described by Adelphi as a “powerful day of learning and networking, where exceptional alumni and community members across industries share experiences and advice on how to thrive in today’s ever-changing world.” 

Participants have the opportunity to hear from professionals in their respective industries. It’s meant to motivate attendees to reach their full potential in sessions such as “The Power of Patience: Leading with Grace,” and “Financial Literacy: Women and Wealth,” just to name a couple. 

Recently, the two keynote speakers for the conference were announced. The first is Nataly Kogan, a bestselling author, creator of the REINVENT•ABILITY™ Framework and expert in transformation, emotional fitness and leadership. The second keynote speaker is Monique Coleman who is an award-winning actress, producer, host, humanitarian and a familiar face from her portrayal as Taylor McKessie in Disney’s “High School Musical” franchise. 

Registration for this event is free for Adelphi students, encouraging participants to take advantage of professional resources such as free professional headshots, a consultation with career professionals to review resumes, access to the Adelphi University Career Closet to allow students to try on a professional wardrobe and access to the TypeFocus Assessment to help you understand your unique behavior profile. Attending the Women’s Leadership Conference is a great experience in promoting professional development by meeting with diverse groups of individuals and speakers who serve to motivate and inspire. Registration for the 2026 Women’s Leadership Conference is now open on the Adelphi website.

Writers & Readers Festival – April 16-17, 2026

The third annual Writers & Readers Festival is coming to Adelphi on April 16-17, 2026. This two-day event is designed to celebrate the joy and art of storytelling and was founded by Adelphi alumna and novelist Alice Hoffman ‘73, ‘02 (Hon.). Hoffman is well known for her 1995 novel “Practical Magic” which was adapted to a film of the same name and will soon be getting a sequel.

Headlining the 2026 Writers & Readers Festival are novelist Jodi Picoult and journalist Molly Jong-Fast. Picoult is a New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine novels including most recently her number one bestseller “By Any Other Name.” It is estimated that there are 63.7 million Jodi Picoult books in print. Picoult is also a prominent and staunch critic of the rising trend of school book bans in the U.S., with her novel “Nineteen Minutes” being recently deemed as one of the most banned books in America in a report conducted by PEN America. 

Molly Jong-Fast is the author of “How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter’s Memoir” which details Jong-Fast’s relationship with her famous mother, Erica Jong.

Participants of the event can expect panels and keynotes with bestselling authors, conversations with writers, publishing insiders, and professional development workshops with literary agents, editors and Adelphi professors. Check this website for more information or to register.

Adelphi New York Undergraduate Humanities Conference – April 24, 2026

Adelphi University will be hosting its first Undergraduate Humanities Conference, sponsored by the SPARK Center. It will be held in the brand-new Adelphi Manhattan Center on April 24, 2026. This conference is intended to bring together undergraduate students to present their research related to the conference theme, The Humanities in an Age of Intelligent Machines.

The keynote speaker for the conference is Jack Halberstam, PhD, director of the Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality, and David Feinson Professor of Humanities at Columbia University.

According to the event’s submissions details, “This conference invites undergraduate scholars from all humanities disciplines to explore how the humanities affirm themselves within a technological age.” 

Conference organizers feel that in a time when machines are being forcefully integrated into our lives and appear to think for us, the humanities are more important now than ever before. If you feel this conference interests you, feel free to visit the website for more information on attending and submitting a proposal.

Scholarship and Creative Works Conference – April 28, 2026

The 23rd Annual Scholarship and Creative Works Conference is scheduled to take place on April 28, 2026 and serves as a platform where hundreds of Adelphi students will “showcase their groundbreaking research, scholarly findings, inventive ideas and creative projects.” 

These can be on any subject or topic and can be presented in a multitude of ways, ranging from digital posters to oral presentations with slides. Presentations can even be in the form of creative work such as music, dance, theater performances, artwork, computer programs or poetry.

The keynote speaker for this conference is William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, who is an American Nobel Laureate physician-scientist and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Classes will not be held on the day of the conference, encouraging all students to attend and “explore the remarkable accomplishments of Adelphi’s students.” Check here for more information.

Organizers of all of these events encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities which serve as a reminder of what Adelphi has to offer its students.