This week, Farmingdale State College (FSC) proudly joined the Tesla Science Center to celebrate the 2026 Nikola Tesla Expo at the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (TSCW) in Shoreham, New York. Held on the historic grounds of Tesla’s only remaining laboratory, the family-friendly summer event featured hands-on STEAM exhibits, robotics, immersive tech, local food trucks, and a fabulous lineup of local vendors, music, live entertainment, and community programming that concluded with Nikola's American Dream, a spectacular drone light show honoring the inventor's powerful legacy.  

The evening festivities also marked three significant moments in TSCW’s history: Nikola Tesla’s 170TH birthday; the official dedication of TSCW’s Eugene Sayan Visitor Center, and Suffolk 250, Suffolk County’s official commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. 

A highlight of the expo was Wardenclyffe Science Pub (WSP) LIVE!, an abbreviated version of the part talk show and part trivia competition hosted monthly by Richard Jordan at Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue. For WSP’s "expo edition,” Jordan sat down with two incredible guests: Jane Alcorn, TSCW board member and original founder of the nonprofit organization that saved Wardenclyffe, and FSC Assistant Professor of Physics Kim Riegel, PhD, who both shared about their backgrounds, their work, and their interests and passions. 

During the presentation, Riegel focused on acoustics and the physics of sound, connecting her unique background as an acoustics expert and a violinist to explore how sound functions across everyday audio technology while touching on her specific research into instrument, microphone, and speaker design.  

Riegel also discussed her extensive research in supersonic flight noise, addressing community effects of sonic booms, recent developments in “low boom” aircraft, and secondary sonic booms. As part of NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) project, Riegel is helping advance NASA’s development of the Lockheed Martin X-59 Quesst, an experimental, supersonic aircraft that could change the landscape for commercial overland supersonic flight. 

“Supersonic flight is really fascinating right now,” said Riegel. “With new developments with X-59, people are really interested in it. And, in addition to that, people are seeing the writing on the wall that it might actually become a viable option that could change the face of commercial travel around the world.” 

"Farmingdale State College's partnership reflects exactly the kind of collaboration between education and preservation that will carry Nikola's legacy, and the future of STEAM on Long Island." said Kara Cannon, executive director of Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe and FSC’s President’s Advisory Board co-chair. "From sponsoring this year's Nikola Tesla Expo to Kimberly Riegel, assistant professor of physics at FSC, sharing her research on supersonic aircraft noise at Wardenclyffe Science Pub Live, FSC is helping bring cutting-edge science directly to our community and this is just the beginning of what our two institutions will build together." 

For more information, please visit the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe webpage.  

 

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