Professor Bernard Russo, Associate Secretary responsible for the AMS Program at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC, January 5–8, 2009, solicits proposals for Special Sessions for this meeting.

Each proposal must include the full names, e-mail addresses, and Institutions of all members of the organizing committee, and identify the one organizer who will serve as contact for all communications about the session; the title and a brief (two or three paragraphs) description of the proposed session; and a sample list of speakers whom the proposed organizers plan to invite (please note that it is not at all necessary to have confirmed commitments from these speakers).

It is expected that each Special Session will be allotted 10 hours over two days of the meeting in which to schedule speakers. In order to allow the maximum movement between sessions for all participants, Special Session speakers will be scheduled for either a 20-minute talk, 5-minute discussion, and 5-minute break; or a 40-minute talk, 10-minute discussion, and 10-minute break. All talks must begin on the hour or half-hour. Any combination of 20-minute and 40-minute talks is allowed, provided the schedule conforms to beginning on the hour and half-hour (except on the first afternoon, for technical reasons).

Proposals of AMS Special Sessions must be submitted by email to the AMS Associate Secretary, Bernard L. Russo (brusso@math.uci.edu), and received by the deadline of April 1, 2008. Late proposals will not be considered.

There is limited space available for Special Sessions on the AMS program, so it is likely than not all proposals will be accepted.

Please be sure to submit as detailed a proposal as possible for Review by the Program Committee. All proposed organizers will be notified of acceptance or rejection no later than May 1, 2008.