The Seneca Lake Water Quality Symposium is the annual gathering for community members, scientists, and advocates committed to understanding and protecting the health of Seneca Lake. Hosted at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, this event brings together experts from across the region to share the latest research, answer community questions, and foster collaborative dialogue around the most pressing water quality issues facing our watershed.

Event Details

Date & Time: Thursday, May 28 | 5:00–7:30 PM
Location: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Vandervort Room

• Free and open to the public
• Refreshments provided
• Registration details coming soon
• Limited to 150 attendees
• Zoom option available for those unable to attend in person

Be part of the solution. Learn from the experts. Protect the lake we love.

Ian Smith

Seneca Lake Watershed Steward

Seneca Watershed IO, Cayuga Watershed IO, Seneca County Soil & Water, and the Town of Fayette, with funding provided by the New York State Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund, have been assessing the road drainage network throughout Seneca County draining into either Seneca or Cayuga Lake. With that work now completed for the Seneca Lake portion, Seneca Watershed Steward, Ian Smith, will be sharing findings and discussing what future work can be expected from this effort.

Lydia Martin

Terrestrial Invasive Species Program Manager for FL-PRISM

Lydia is the Terrestrial Invasive Species Program Manager for the Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (FL-PRISM) and has several years of experience in invasive species control across the Finger Lakes region. She previously coordinated the Hemlock Conservation Program for NYS Parks and has worked on habitat restoration projects for both the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Her work emphasizes regional land stewardship and the protection of local ecosystems. She holds B.S. degrees in Biology from SUNY Geneseo and Wildlife Science from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in GIS from Penn State.

Dr. Roxanne Razavi

Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Biology at SUNY-ESF

Dr. Roxanne Razavi is an environmental toxicologist and Assistant Professor at SUNY-ESF. Her research examines how contaminants and environmental stressors impact aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and biogeochemical processes. She specializes in mercury bioaccumulation and trophic transfer, as well as emerging contaminants like PFAS in fish and amphibians.

By applying field studies and laboratory analyses, Dr. Razavi’s work informs conservation and management strategies. Her research clarifies how human-driven environmental changes influence contaminant fate, organism health, and overall ecosystem functioning.