SUNY Chancellor King Visits Great New York State Fair

At the 2026 Great New York State Fair, science is taking center stage alongside the rides, food and agricultural displays. SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. visited the fair on Student Youth Day to highlight how universities across the State University of New York system are turning a traditional public gathering into a showcase for emerging technologies, healthcare services, environmental research and career pathways. The visit also drew attention to a new initiative that gives current SUNY students with valid identification, as well as incoming students carrying an admission letter, free admission on Student Youth Day. The policy is designed to bring more young people into direct contact with the state’s agricultural heritage, scientific institutions and educational opportunities.

The Great New York State Fair, established in 1841, has long connected New York communities with farming, engineering, food production and public education. SUNY’s participation extends that tradition into fields shaping the future, including energy storage, biomedical care, environmental restoration and technical training. Rather than presenting science as something confined to laboratories or lecture halls, participating campuses are bringing equipment, demonstrations and experts into a setting visited by families, students and agricultural professionals. That approach can make complex subjects more accessible: a battery research project becomes a conversation about how electricity is stored, a mammography van becomes an opportunity to discuss early cancer detection, and a hands-on ecology activity can show why invasive species threaten entire ecosystems.

One of the most technologically focused exhibits comes from Binghamton University, which is showcasing work connected to the National Science Foundation Energy Storage Engine. Energy storage is a critical research area because modern power systems increasingly depend on electricity generated intermittently by sources such as solar and wind. Batteries and other storage technologies help balance supply and demand by absorbing electrical energy when production is high and releasing it when power is needed. The research highlighted at the fair is part of a broader effort to advance battery technologies, a challenge that involves improving energy density, charging speed, durability, safety, cost and the availability of raw materials. By displaying this work publicly, Binghamton is linking fundamental research to practical questions about transportation, resilient power grids and the transition to cleaner energy systems.

The battery exhibit also illustrates why energy storage is an interdisciplinary problem. Designing a better battery requires knowledge of chemistry, materials science, electrical engineering, manufacturing and systems analysis. At the microscopic level, researchers must control how ions move between electrodes through an electrolyte, while at the larger scale engineers must manage heat, electrical current and long-term degradation. A battery that performs well in a laboratory may still face obstacles when it is manufactured at scale or used repeatedly under changing temperatures. Public demonstrations can help students understand that technological breakthroughs rarely come from a single discovery; they emerge from coordinated work that connects laboratory experiments with engineering design and real-world testing.

Agricultural technology receives equal attention through SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech, which is hosting an Agriculture Career Day and activities intended to introduce visitors to technical education. The campus is featuring electrical circuit building, tractors and equipment associated with its John Deere technology program, while also maintaining a daily display in the Future Farmers of America Tent. Circuit-building exercises offer a simple but powerful introduction to electrical engineering: participants can observe how a complete pathway allows current to flow and how switches, loads and conductors work together. In modern agriculture, those basic principles support increasingly sophisticated machinery, including automated systems, sensors, precision planting tools and equipment designed to improve efficiency while reducing waste.

The Cobleskill presence reflects the changing technical demands of agriculture, a sector that now relies on data systems, electronics, hydraulics, robotics and mechanical diagnostics as well as traditional farming knowledge. Tractors and other machines are no longer merely engines with interchangeable tools; many incorporate satellite positioning, computer-controlled functions and sensors that monitor field conditions. Training technicians to maintain these systems is essential as farms adopt more connected equipment. Presenting the machinery and the educational pathway together allows fairgoers to see how classroom instruction can lead directly to careers supporting food production, equipment maintenance and agricultural innovation.

Environmental science is represented by the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, which is offering hands-on STEM activities from August 26 through September 4. The demonstrations address engineering, chemistry, invasive species and the restoration of the American chestnut tree. Each topic reveals a different way scientists study and manage natural systems. Invasive species can alter habitats by competing with native organisms, changing nutrient cycles or introducing new pressures on food webs. Understanding their spread often requires field observation, ecological modeling and analysis of how environmental conditions influence reproduction and survival. Activities that allow visitors to investigate these ideas can transform an abstract ecological threat into something observable and understandable.

The American chestnut restoration project offers another example of science operating at the intersection of genetics, ecology and conservation. The American chestnut was once a major forest tree, but its populations were devastated by chestnut blight, a fungal disease introduced to North America in the early twentieth century. Restoration efforts seek to recover the species’ ecological role while addressing the biological vulnerabilities that caused its decline. Such work may involve breeding, disease resistance, propagation and long-term monitoring of trees in forest environments. The project is scientifically significant because restoring a species is not simply a matter of planting more individuals; researchers must also consider genetic diversity, interactions with soil and wildlife, and whether restored populations can persist across changing conditions.

Healthcare science will be especially visible on September 2, when the SUNY College of Optometry and SUNY Upstate Medical University conduct vision screenings at the fair. The event is intended to highlight a new SUNY Optometry extension campus at Upstate, scheduled to open in 2027. Vision screening can identify people who may need a more comprehensive examination by detecting signs of reduced visual acuity or other possible concerns. Although a screening is not a complete diagnosis, it can serve as an important first step toward care. Bringing this service to a major public event also demonstrates how universities can combine education, clinical training and community outreach while helping visitors understand the importance of routine eye health.

SUNY Upstate’s Mobile Mammography Van will provide breast cancer screenings at the fair on September 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mammography uses low-dose X-ray imaging to produce detailed pictures of breast tissue, allowing clinicians to investigate changes that may not be detectable through touch or visible symptoms. Screening programs are designed to support earlier evaluation, when treatment options can be more effective, although recommendations vary according to age, personal risk and medical guidance. Upstate’s She Matters breast cancer screening support program will be present during the same hours, offering an additional point of connection for people seeking information and assistance. The campus will also staff the fair’s infirmary.

Beyond screening, Upstate will promote its Pathway program, or Promoting Access to Training in Healthcare, which introduces visitors to routes into medical careers. Programs of this kind can help students and community members understand that healthcare depends on a broad workforce, including clinicians, laboratory specialists, imaging professionals, technicians, administrators and support staff. The fair therefore becomes more than a display of university branding. It becomes a place where people can encounter research, see clinical technology in operation and learn how education can lead to participation in New York’s healthcare system. For students considering their futures, that direct exposure can make scientific and medical careers seem more tangible.

King said SUNY was proud to partner with the Great New York State Fair and emphasized the event’s ability to combine enjoyment with learning about New York’s agricultural leadership and history. The SUNY Board of Trustees similarly described the fair as an opportunity for people from across the state to gather, celebrate and learn. With 64 colleges and universities, four academic health centers, five hospitals, medical and dental schools, a law school, a college of optometry and a national laboratory, SUNY represents a wide scientific and educational network. Its institutions serve approximately 1.7 million students through credit and non-credit programs, continuing education and community outreach. At the fair, that vast system is condensed into tangible encounters: a battery component, a circuit, a tree restoration experiment, a vision test or a mobile mammography unit. The result is a public demonstration of how research and education can move beyond campuses and become part of everyday community life.