Science On Tap Saratoga, where curiosity meets community in a lively setting! It’s not just a talk; it’s an an exciting journey into the world of science! Questions are welcome, and conversations flow as freely as the drinks.
Hosted at Common Roots Brewing Company’s Bierhall in South Glens Falls, Science On Tap Saratoga is a collaboration between Skidmore’s Environmental Studies and Sciences Program and Sustainable Saratoga. So, come sip, savor, and soak up some science—you never know what fascinating facts you might take home.
Come early and enjoy a meal at Common Roots Brewing Company, and then stroll over to the Bierhall. Doors open at 6pm. Talks start at 7pm.
2024 and 2025 Talks
June 25, 2025– Michael Cahill
High Science: Growing, Knowing, and Appreciating Cannabis
Cannabis is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood plants on the planet. From its unique biology and ancient history to its modern-day cultivation and uses, this talk will dive into what makes cannabis so special. We’ll explore its botanical quirks, the science behind its effects, and the basics of how to grow it successfully. Whether you’re a seasoned grower, a curious consumer, or just love cool plant science, come grab a drink and learn why cannabis deserves its place among nature’s most incredible creations.
Michael Cahill is a professor of botany, sustainable agriculture, and cannabis cultivation at SUNY Adirondack. His work explores the intersection of plant science, agroecology, and education, with a focus on how cannabis fits into broader conversations about sustainability and social change. Passionate about making science accessible and engaging, he brings a mix of research, hands-on experience, and storytelling to educational spaces.
May 28, 2025– Chris Vecsey
Don’t Sleep on the Fly! What Studies of Fruit Flies Can Teach Us about Sleep
We spend almost 1/3 of our life sleeping, and yet we know very little about this mysterious behavioral state. An answer to even the seemingly simplest question continues to elude us: Why do we get sleepy? In the last 20 years, many advances in our understanding of this topic have come from studies of an unlikely subject – the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. In this talk, I will discuss some of the broad benefits of studying sleep in fruit flies and will share some of the projects from my lab in which we examine how sleep is regulated by internal and environmental factors.
Chris Vecsey, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Program at Skidmore College. He has been at Skidmore for 10 years, but before that was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Swarthmore College, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Brandeis University, a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania, and an undergraduate at Amherst College. His research examines the neurobiological mechanisms of sleep regulation in fruit flies, and he teaches courses on Neurophysiology, Mechanisms of Memory, and the Neurobiology of Sleep.
April 30, 2025– Holly Ahern
Tiny Bug, Big Problem – Ticks and the Diseases They Carry
Ticks are blood sucking arachnids that can transmit harmful microbes while they bite. In New York, Lyme disease is the most common bacterial infection transmitted by black-legged (deer) ticks, but other serious diseases like babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis can also occur. This talk will look at the potential consequences of tick/human interactions, with a focus on Lyme disease – the most common tick-borne illness and one that is associated with long term chronic illness if not correctly diagnosed and treated.
Holly Ahern is an award-winning professor at SUNY Adirondack where she teaches courses in biology and microbiology. As a result of her family’s personal experience with Lyme disease, she co-founded and is Vice-President of Lyme Action Network, a national 501-c-3 with a mission of patient education and advocacy. Holly is also the Scientific Advisor for the Focus on Lyme Foundation based in Phoenix, Arizona, which funds strategic research projects aimed at improving the quality of diagnostic testing for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. As a scientist and advocate, she was appointed to serve on state and federal advisory groups, including the HHS Tick Borne Disease Working Group and the NYS Tick Borne Disease Working Group. She remains actively involved in NYS and federal legislative initiatives to improve access to care for “long-hauler” Lyme disease patients and people with other chronic illnesses. In 2023, Holly co-founded and serves as Chief Scientific Officer of ACES Diagnostics, a company created to make clinically accurate diagnostic tests and therapeutics broadly available to Lyme disease patients.
UP NEXT
March 26, 2025– Melissa DeSiervo
Salting the streams: How NY’s road salt usage is disrupting our freshwater ecosystems
Road salt usage varies extensively within the USA. In 2023 New York led the nation, applying more than 600,000 tons of dry sodium chloride road salt. Road salt enters our watersheds, negatively affecting drinking water quality and stream health. Nonetheless, there has been little investigation into how road salt in New York is affecting the health of benthic invertebrates, key players in stream food webs. Many benthic macroinvertebrates, aquatic insects who feed on the bottom of stream, break down plant matter, a key component of aquatic nutrient cycles. They are also a primary food source for fish, amphibians, and birds. Exposure to high amounts of chloride can cause invertebrates physiological stress or death, and thus road salt usage directly impacts the abundance of diversity of benthic invertebrates in our streams. Understanding the extent in which New York’s abnormally high use of road salt is affecting our steam ecosystems is key for watershed conversation, including setting data-informed recommendations for limits on pollution concentrations.
Melissa DeSiervo, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Biology Department at Union College (Schenectady, NY). She is a population and community ecologist interested in species interactions and movement in a rapidly changing world. She primarily works on plants and insects in a variety of local and non-local ecosystems including forests, grasslands, ponds, and freshwater streams.
February 26, 2025– Kurt Smemo 
Alternate Roots: navigating the complex relationship between fungi and forest trees
From ending the world to saving the world, why is everyone suddenly so interested in mushrooms and fungi? We will explore this question with respect to fungi in forest ecosystems, particularly belowground, and how recent research has uncovered the role they play in the structure, function, and health of forest ecosystems.
Kurt Smemo is a Professor and Chair of the Environmental Studies and Sciences Department at Skidmore College. He is an ecosystem scientist with more than 30 years of experience in forest and soil science. He holds degrees from the University of Montana, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Cornell University.
January 29, 2025– Casey Schofield 
To Disclose or Withhold: Capturing and Understanding Mental Health Stigma
As prevalence rates for mental illness rise – especially among young adults – so too do the pressures associated with navigating the decision of whether (and when) to disclose the experience of a mental illness. Dr. Schofield’s research program explores the nature and impact of stigma outcomes associated with such disclosure, as well as the role that social pressures play in constraining people’s willingness to authentically report stigmatizing attitudes. This research talk will present data from a series of studies concerned with exploring impacts of disclosure for young adults in particular, across the contexts of college admissions and college housing decisions.
Casey Schofield, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College and a licensed clinical psychologist. She completed her doctoral training at Binghamton University, and both her postdoctoral residency and fellowship at Brown University. Her research program documents the presence and nature of mental health stigma for patients with mood and anxiety disorders – from young adults to perinatal women. In addition, this work confronts the measurement challenges that present when assessing socially sensitive topics. She teaches coursework across the psychology curriculum, including Introduction to Psychological Science, Research Methods and Statistics, Psychological Disorders, and Psychological Testing. She maintains a small private practice offering evidence-based psychotherapy for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
November 20, 2024– Charlie Bettigole
Pastures, Pyramids, and Pests: Spatial Data Science Across Landscapes Old and New
Explore the transformative ability of geospatial analysis to reveal hidden insights of the world around us. Charlie will guide attendees through the basics of GIS and remote sensing technology with a diverse set of cases: from satellite analysis of spongy moth infestations in our backyard; to exploring the importance of grazing systems to climate resilience in the American West; to unraveling mysteries of Maya land use in Guatemala.
Charlie Bettigole is the Director of the GIS Center for Interdisciplinary Research at Skidmore College. Charlie teaches GIS and remote sensing courses, and collaborates with faculty, students, and community partners on a diverse array of research projects. Outside of his work, you can still find Charlie using maps to traverse the trails, lakes, and snowy slopes of the Adirondacks with his family.
Past Speakers and Topics
See our Events Calendar for more opportunities to engage and learn