Adult Education Conference to Be Held at Buffalo State

The Adult Education Research Conference (AERC) gets under way at Buffalo State tomorrow, June 6, bringing 100 adult education scholars and graduate students from across the country and Canada to campus.

The conference, now in its 60th year, will run until Sunday, June 9. It’s the first time it’s being held in Buffalo.

“The AERC is the premiere North American research conference focused specifically on scholarship in the adult education field,” said Andrea B. Nikischer, associate professor of adult education and the conference's co-coordinator. “Scholars from across the U.S. and Canada will share their important work in paper sessions and roundtable presentations at the Buffalo State campus.”

A variety of topics will be covered during the conference, including two preconferences. One will be on bullying, incivility, and violence in adult, higher, continuing, and professional education, while the other will be on the African diaspora.

Those attending the conference will be spending four days on campus, Nikischer said, exploring Buffalo State and the city of Buffalo.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Buffalo State to shine a spotlight on our distinctive academic programs, diverse faculty and student body, and vibrant urban location,” she said.

Among the events planned for conference-goers is a reception at Hotel Henry, a tour of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and shopping at the Elmwood Village Farmers Market.

“As an urban-engaged campus, Buffalo State extends far beyond its classroom walls into the surrounding neighborhoods in the Elmwood Village, West Side, and into the larger Western New York community,” Nikischer said.

The conference will have an active Twitter feed, @2019AERC, for those in attendance and for those interested in following along. It promises to be an important event.  

“Much like Buffalo State, the adult education field is focused on transforming lives and communities through education,” Nikischer said. “Conference presentations will focus on building socially just communities in the U.S., Canada, and around the world.”