What Were the Key Highlights This Year at Pittcon 2026?

Pittcon 2026 may have concluded, but planning for Pittcon 2027 is well underway. As part of our coverage of Pittcon 2026, we sat down with Brian R. Strohmeier, who is serving as Pittcon’s President for 2027, to ask him a few questions about next year’s conference, which will return to Pittsburgh for the first time in decades, and what attendees can expect.

In our conversation with Strohmeier, he highlighted the triumphs that emerged from Pittcon 2026, including the short courses offered and the Keynote Lecture that took place on Sunday March 8^th at the conference.

Where was Pittcon 2026 held this year?

Pittcon 2026 was held in San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which was located right by the San Antonio Riverwalk, which is one of the more popular tourist sites in the city. This was the first time that Pittcon was held in Texas, which reflects Pittcon’s current trend of testing out new venues for hosting the conference.

Why does it matter that Pittcon is returning to Pittsburgh in 2027?

Pittcon returning to Pittsburgh matters for several important reasons.

• It is a homecoming. Pittcon was founded in Pittsburgh back in 1950, and after the conference moved to Cleveland in 1967, Pittcon has not been back to Pittsburgh.¹ 2027 will mark the first time the conference returns to Pittsburgh in 60 years.
• There’s a real opportunity for Pittcon to collaborate with universities, material science companies, and other industries to promote scientific education.²
• As an organization, Pittcon will be able to connect with its philanthropic base and its volunteers that have supported the conference for decades. Because the organization is headquartered in Pittsburgh, having the conference on location will facilitate this better.¹

Our first part of our conversation with Strohmeier focuses on the top highlights from Pittcon 2026, which include the 2026 Wallace H. Coulter Keynote Lecture given by Frances Arnold, who was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry back in 2018.

Will Spectroscopy Magazine provide more coverage of the Pittcon 2026 Conference?

Spectroscopy will be continuing to provide coverage of the Pittcon 2026 conference on an ongoing basis as we report back from San Antonio. You can expect our coverage of Pittcon 2026 to continue through the month of April. Staying up to date with our latest coverage of the Pittcon 2026 conference will provide you an inside look at the latest trends and developments in analytical spectroscopy.

References

1. Buntz, B. PittCon 2027: Why the World’s Largest Lab Science Conference is Returning to its Pittsburgh Roots After 60 Years. R&D World. Available at: https://www.rdworldonline.com/pittcon-2027-why-the-worlds-largest-lab-science-conference-is-returning-to-its-pittsburgh-roots-after-60-years/ (accessed 2026-03-19).
2. Linn, V. Pittcon Returns to Pittsburgh in 2027 to Promote Science. Pittsburgh Magazine. Available at: https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/pittcon-returns-to-pittsburgh-in-2027-to-promote-science/ (accessed 2026-03-19).
3. Pittcon, Keynote Lecture. Pittcon.org. Available at: https://pittcon.org/conference/coulter-lecture/ (accessed 2026-03-23).