For Students

Undergraduate Student Research Conference

The annual New York Six Undergraduate Research conference provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to present their work at a professional meeting without the barriers of high travel and registration fees. It also allows faculty mentors to meet one another, foster collaborations, and share their research.

Spectrum Conference

The New York Six Spectrum Conference is a free biennial event for students, faculty, and staff to engage in discussions and workshops exploring sexuality, gender identity and expression, intersectionality, and lived experiences.

Three Spectrum events have been held (the 2020 conference, sadly, was cancelled due to COVID). Here are some highlights:

Spectrum 2014 – Hamilton College

The inaugural Spectrum Conference was held at Hamilton College in February 2014, and featured a talk by actress and activist Laverne Cox. The weekend event also included group discussions, breakout sessions, games, dance, drag bingo and a talk on “Creating Change on Our Campuses.”

Spectrum 2016 – Skidmore College

NY6 students, faculty, and staff convened at Skidmore College for the Second Biennial NY6 Spectrum Conference, where the keynote address was given by Alica Garza, activist, writer, and co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter. The event also featured workshops on queer rights, campus climate, and gender expression, along with social events (dancing!) to enable participants to make connections.

Spectrum 2018 – Colgate University

Colgate University hosted the Third Biennial NY6 Spectrum Conference in March 2018, with a keynote presentation by Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a trans woman activist and community leader for transgender rights. Other programs included an Identify Caucus, workshops on topics such as the lived experiences of alumni and student-athletes, and a collaborative session on building queer spaces and celebrate marginalized identities. And the event included dinners and social events, including the now-traditional dance party.

Spectrum 2022? Stay tuned!

We are hopeful that conditions will allow us to hold the Fourth NY6 Spectrum Conference in Spring 2022. More on that soon!