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AMS Sectional Meeting Registration/Housing/ Etc.



Program |  Deadlines | Inquiries:  meet@ams.org

2009 Fall Central Meeting
Baylor University
Waco, TX, October 16-18, 2009 (Friday - Sunday)
Meeting #1051

Associate secretary:
Susan J Friedlander, AMS susan@math.northwestern.edu


Accommodations

Participants should make their own arrangements directly with the hotel of their choice and state that they are with the "Baylor AMS Group". The AMS is not responsible for rate changes or for the quality of the accommodations.

Clarion Hotel Waco, 801 South 4th Street, Waco, TX 76706; Tel: 254-757-2000, Fax: 254-757-1110. Rates start at US\$89 per night with breakfast. Free airport shuttle.

Court Yard by Marriott Waco, 101 Washington Avenue, Waco, Texas 76701; Tel: 254-752-8686, Fax: 254-752-1011. Rates start at US\$104 per night. The hotel offers free shuttle service to Baylor as well as the airport.

Hilton Waco, 113 South University Parks Drive, Waco, Texas, 76701-2241; Tel: 254-754-8484 Fax: 254-752-2214. Rates start at US\$119 per night. This hotel is located approximately one mile from the campus. The hotel offers free shuttle service to Baylor as well as the airport.

Judge Baylor House Bed and Breakfast, 908 Speight Street, Waco, Texas 76706; Tel: 254-756-0273, Toll Free 1-888-JBAYLOR, Fax 254-756-0711; Rates start at US\$82 per night with breakfast. The hotel offers free shuttle service to Baylor as well as the airport.

Residence Inn by Marriott, 501 University Parks Drive, Waco, Texas 76706; Tel: 254-714-1386 Fax: 254-714-1386. Rates start at US\$99.99 per night with breakfast. The hotel offers free shuttle service to Baylor as well as the airport.

Food Service

For a list of restaurants that are of varying distances to Baylor University, please see the restaurant guide at http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/ document.php/84074.pdf.

Local Information

All the talks will take place in the Baylor Science Building (BSB). A campus map is available at http://www.baylor.edu/map. The BSB appears as the "three-fingered" building near the corner of University Parks and Bagby Avenues.

Computer Access

Participants will have access to computers located in the atrium of the Baylor Science Building.

Mayborn Museum Complex/Strecker Museum

During the meeting, free admission to the Strecker Museum will be granted to participants when they show their registration badge. http://www.maybornmuseum.com.

Please visit the website maintained by the Baylor Department of Mathematics for more local information at: http://www.baylor.edu/math/ and http://www.baylor.edu/math/index.php?id=63149. Additional information about Waco attractions can be found at the website maintained by the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau at http://www.wacocvb.com.

Other Activities

Book Sales: Stop by the on-site AMS Bookstore and review the newest titles from the AMS, enjoy up to 25% off all AMS publications, or take home an AMS t-shirt! Complimentary coffee will be served courtesy of AMS Membership Services. The AMS Book Exhibit will be located in the atrium of the BSB.

AMS Editorial Activity: An acquisitions editor from the AMS book program will be present to speak with prospective authors. If you have a book project that you would like to discuss with the AMS, please stop by the book exhibit.

Parking

Baylor will be on Fall Break during the meeting so there will be ample free parking near the Baylor Science Building. Please refer to the campus map at http://www.baylor.edu/map.

Registration and Meeting Information

The registration desk will be located in the atrium of the Baylor Science Building (BSB) and will be open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday; it will not be open Sunday, October 18. All talks will take place in the BSB.

Registration fees: (payable on-site only) US\$40 for AMS or CMS members; US\$60 for nonmembers; US\$5 for students, unemployed mathematicians, and emeritus members. Fees are payable by cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.

Social Event

All participants are invited to a reception hosted by the department of mathematics at the Hilton (one of the recommended conference hotels), located at 113 South University Parks Drive, on Saturday evening October 17, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will be light snacks and beverages provided; there will also be a cash bar at the reception.

Travel

By Air: Waco is served by the Waco Regional Airport. Flights are offered by American Eagle (800-433-7300) and the Continental Connection (800-523-3273). Also, see http://www.waco-texas.com/airport/airport.htm. Airport car rentals should be reserved well in advance; the link to renting a car from the Waco airport is http://www.waco-texas.com/airport/carrentals.htm. Taxi service is available through Yellow Cab (254-756-1861).

Participants from outside Central Texas will likely first fly into Dallas or Houston before connecting to Waco. Instead of getting a connecting flight from these cities, you may want to rent a car in Dallas (100 mile drive to Waco) or Houston (about 180 miles to Waco). It is also possible to fly into Austin, rent a car there and drive 100 miles to Waco; however, at the present time, there are no connecting flights from Austin to Waco. Similarly, one can fly into Killeen (about 45 miles away), rent a car and drive to Waco; there are no connecting flights from Killeen to Waco.

Car Rental: Avis is the official car rental company for the sectional meeting in Waco. All rates include unlimited free mileage. Weekend daily rates are available from noon Thursday to Monday at 11:59 p.m. Rates do not include any state or local surcharges, tax, optional coverages, or gas refueling charges. Renters must meet Avis's age, driver, and credit requirements. For the best available rate and to make a reservation please call Avis at 800-331-1600 or go online at http://www.avis.com. Please use the AMS meeting Avis Discount Number J098887.

Driving: The Baylor campus is easily accessed from I-35. To get to the Baylor Science Building, exit I-35 North or South at Exit 335B onto University Parks Drive and go east (away from downtown and towards the Ferrell Center). Turn right on Bagby and right on Speight. Your first right turn will be into a parking lot for the BSB.

From Dallas/Fort Worth: Take I-35 South to Exit 335B and turn left onto University Parks Drive.

From Austin: Take I-35 North to Exit 335B and turn right onto University Parks Drive.

From Houston: Take US-290 West and merge right onto TX-6 North; merge onto TX-434 SPUR North; merge left onto US-77 Business South ramp then turn right onto University Parks Drive.

Please visit http://www.baylor.edu/map/index.php?id=10724 to view a map with driving directions.

Weather

The weather in Waco in October is usually warm-hot during the day and cool-warm in the evenings. The average low for October 16-18 is 56 degrees while the average high is about 79 degrees. Participants should consult weather information on the Web prior to the meeting at http://www.weather.com/weather/local/USTX1413?.

Information for International Participants

Visa regulations are continually changing for travel to the United States. Visa applications may take from three to four months to process and require a personal interview, as well as specific personal information. International participants should view the important information about traveling to the U.S. found at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Traveling_to_US.html and http://travel.state.gov/visa/index.html. If you need a preliminary conference invitation in order to secure a visa, please send your request to dls@ams.org.

If you discover you do need a visa, the National Academies website (see above) provides these tips for successful visa applications:

* Visa applicants are expected to provide evidence that they are intending to return to their country of residence. Therefore, applicants should provide proof of "binding" or sufficient ties to their home country or permanent residence abroad. This may include documentation of the following:

  • family ties in home country or country of legal permanent residence
  • property ownership
  • bank accounts
  • employment contract or statement from employer stating that the position will continue when the employee returns;

* Visa applications are more likely to be successful if done in a visitor's home country than in a third country;

* Applicants should present their entire trip itinerary, including travel to any countries other than the United States, at the time of their visa application;

* Include a letter of invitation from the meeting organizer or the U.S. host, specifying the subject, location and dates of the activity, and how travel and local expenses will be covered;

* If travel plans will depend on early approval of the visa application, specify this at the time of the application;

* Provide proof of professional scientific and/or educational status (students should provide a university transcript).

This list is not to be considered complete. Please visit the web sites above for the most up-to-date information.

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