For the first time ever, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will host the National Organic Chemistry Symposium (NOS) June 22-26, 2025 at the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center. NOS is the premier event sponsored by the American Chemical Society’s Division of Organic Chemistry.

NOS is a prestigious event, with Nobel laureates among past speakers. Each NOS “highlights recent advances in organic chemistry with a schedule that provides for open discussion of the science of organic chemistry.” It brings together world-renowned organic chemists in industry and academia from all over the world. More than 500 attendees are expected.

“The National Organic Chemistry Symposium will allow the Hudson Valley’s emerging biotech corridor to shine in front of an international audience and bring an economic boost to area businesses,” said RPI President Martin A. Schmidt ’81, Ph.D. “It is a boon for RPI and our region. Not only will it present outstanding opportunities to RPI students and faculty, but it will do the same for other universities and industry partners in our region.”

2025 will mark the 100th anniversary of NOS. The first-ever NOS was held in Rochester and there was a desire to return to upstate New York to mark this milestone.

“I look forward to welcoming the global chemistry community to RPI,” said Curt Breneman, Ph.D., dean of the School of Science and an organic chemist by training. “I’m proud to showcase our beautiful campus, state-of-the-art facilities, and cutting-edge research to the world, as well as point out the many reasons why the Capital Region is such a desirable location for the biotech industry.”

“This will be a wonderful opportunity to share RPI’s contributions to research in chemistry,” said Wilfredo Colon, Ph.D., head of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. “In addition to celebrating RPI’s bicentennial in 2024, we will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Department of Chemistry. Hosting NOS will be another notable milestone for our community.”

A highlight of NOS is when the Roger Adams Award is presented to a highly accomplished organic chemist. This year’s Roger Adams Awardee was Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, whose so-called bioorthogonal reactions are “now used to explore cells, track biological processes, and improve the targeting of cancer pharmaceuticals.” The event was held at the University of Notre Dame.