SPONSORS

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lunar and Planetary Institute
NASA Johnson Space Center

CHAIRS

Carl B. Agee
NASA Johnson Space Center

David C. Black
Lunar and Planetary Institute


  Where and When   Registration
  Something New   Hotel Reservations
  Meeting Format   Conference Shuttle Service
  Special Sessions   Parking
  GSA Student Awards   Message Center
  Special Events   Additional Information
  Combined Publishers' Exhibit   Schedule


WHERE AND WHEN

The 32nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference will be held in Houston, Texas, on March 12–16, 2001. Technical sessions will be held at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and at the University of Houston–Clear Lake. This announcement contains plans for all scheduled technical and special sessions, invited lectures, and special events.

SOMETHING NEW

If you will be driving a rental or private car onto NASA Johnson Space Center to attend the conference sessions, there is a new security requirement that you have a "Temporary Car Pass" on the dashboard of your vehicle when you drive through the security gates. Only those who register on Sunday night and receive a conference badge will be waived through the security gate without the Temporary Car Pass, so if there is any chance you will be arriving to register Monday through Friday, you must use this car pass to gain entrance to the Center. A copy of the required Temporary Car Pass was included in the second announcement, and it can be downloaded here. Without this form you will be directed to the Security Clearance Building to get a temporary vehicle pass. The process at the Security Building can be very slow, especially on Monday mornings.

MEETING FORMAT

Technical Sessions

Technical sessions will be held at the JSC Gilruth Center and at the University of Houston–Clear Lake. Parallel sessions for oral presentations will be held in Room A (Room 104 downstairs), Room B (the old gym), Room C (the new gym), and Room D (Room 206 upstairs). The poster sessions will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings on the main floor of the University of Houston–Clear Lake Bayou Building. A guide to technical sessions and activities and the preliminary program and abstracts are now available on this Web site.

Presentations

Oral presentations will be scheduled during the conference to allow 10 minutes for speaking and 5 minutes for discussion and speaker transition. Standard support for dual-screen projection of slides and overheads will be provided in all oral technical sessions. A slide preview area will be available at the Gilruth Center. VCR images can be projected in Conference Rooms A, B, and C. In Conference Room D, a large-screen video monitor will be available. VCR tapes must be 1/2" VHS or 3/4" U/matic. An electronic version of the AV cue sheet is provided for the convenience of speakers.

Poster presentations will be scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the University of Houston–Clear Lake Bayou Building. Authors of papers selected and scheduled for poster presentations must be available to display and discuss their results in the poster area during the assigned time period. Shuttle transportation between the Gilruth Center and the University of Houston–Clear Lake will be available. Each poster will have a space 44" × 44" for display. Requests for tables, computers, video equipment, etc., cannot be honored due to the limited space available for poster displays.

SPECIAL SESSIONS

Masursky Lectures

Dr. Sean Solomon, Director of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, will give the special guest lecture entitled "An Earth in Moon's Clothing?, or Mercury as an Object Lesson on Approaches to Planetary Exploration." The Masursky Lecture will be presented in a special plenary session to be held Monday afternoon from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Europa Surface–Subsurface Material Interchange, Burial, and Resurfacing Processes

This session will address observations and models of the processes that shape the surface and subsurface of Europa, and their implications for the natural interchange of material and energy into and out of a possible subsurface ocean. The session will feature both invited and contributed papers, and will provide an opportunity for discussion among those presenting competing views of these processes in an invited roundtable. The session will be held on Thursday afternoon.

Societal Connections of Planetary Exploration and the Search for Life Elsewhere

A special panel discussion will be held following the afternoon sessions on Thursday afternoon from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on the Societal Connections of Planetary Exploration and the Search for Life Elsewhere. Panel members will give brief presentations that will be followed by time for discussion. The panel session will be chaired by Bruce Jakosky ([email protected]). The panel members and the discussion questions they will address are:

GSA STEPHEN E. DWORNIK STUDENT AWARDS

The Stephen E. Dwornik Planetary Geoscience Student Paper Awards are given for the best U.S. student research presentations at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. The purpose of these awards is to provide encouragement, motivation, and recognition to our most outstanding future planetary scientists. The awards are administered through the Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America. Two awards are given annually:  one for an oral presentation and one for a poster presentation. The awards are open to U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled as students at any degree level in the field of planetary geosciences. Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible. The winners of the 2000 awards will be announced at the beginning of the Monday afternoon plenary session, and will be honored at a reception on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in Conference Room A.

SPECIAL EVENTS

"Education and Public Outreach:  No Need to Reinvent the Wheel" Workshop for Scientists

On Sunday, March 11, LPI will offer a preconference workshop for scientists interested in becoming more involved in education and public outreach. The program will explore the diverse variety of programs and partnering opportunities to which scientists can contribute to bring current and accurate lunar and planetary science to a wider audience of students, educators, and the public. Additional details and contact information, along with an electronic preregistration form, are now available.

Chili Cookoff and Barbecue Dinner

The chili cookoff and barbecue dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 14, from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. The form provided for chili cookoff team entry is due at LPI by February 16, 2001. We anticipate fierce competition for the coveted trophies. The goal of this event is to have fun, so join in by entering your team. To encourage both out-of-town and local teams to enter, the winning categories will include:

Because the conference staff cannot provide cooking equipment, the "preparation on site" rule common to most cookoffs will be waived to encourage more team participation. It is important to note that teams may serve only chili or other food items at their station. Chili teams may NOT serve alcoholic beverages to the conference participants and guests.

Guest tickets will be available at the registration desk for $15 per person.

COMBINED PUBLISHERS' EXHIBIT

A Combined Publishers' Exhibit will be held in conjunction with the 32nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. This week-long event provides an opportunity for LPSC participants to review new publications in the fields of lunar and planetary sciences, astronomy, astrophysics, geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, mathematics, computer science applications, remote sensing, and image processing applications. Publishers and authors are invited to submit materials related to these fields for display at this exhibit. Previous exhibits have featured books, journals, maps, globes, posters, images, slide sets, and CD-ROMs, along with advertising materials, catalogs, and order forms. A comprehensive exhibit catalog listing all participating publishers, all items on display, and contact information will be made available to conference participants at the exhibit.

There is no charge to display items at the exhibit; however, materials sent for the exhibit will not be returned. All materials submitted for display should be sent by February 12, 2001. For more information about the exhibit, contact Linda Chappell, Combined Publishers' Exhibit Coordinator, at 281-486-2103 or chappell@lpi.usra.edu.

Please note that this is NOT a book sale. Due to Johnson Space Center policy, NO SALES may be made at the exhibit at the Johnson Space Center. All submitted exhibit items are for DISPLAY ONLY and become the property of the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

REGISTRATION

Preregistration

A fee of $50 ($30 for students) will be assessed each participant to cover conference services. You must preregister and prepay by February 16, 2001, to avoid the $20 late fee. Foreign participants who state on the registration form that they have a currency exchange problem may pay in cash at the meeting and avoid the $20 late fee if they return the form by February 16, 2001. A downloadable preregistration form is provided. (Participants registering with a credit card may use the electronic preregistration form.) Requests for cancellation with a fee refund will only be accepted through March 2, 2001.

NOTE:  Those who fail to attend and do not notify the LPI Publications and Programs Services Department prior to the March 2 deadline will forfeit their full fee.

Sunday Night Registration and Reception

The Sunday night registration and reception will take place at LPI from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The location of the LPI is shown on the area map. Shuttle buses will operate from selected hotels to LPI on Sunday night. Parking is limited at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and a "park-and-ride" service will be provided from a University of Houston–Clear Lake parking lot and the LPI building. A map to the park-and-ride lot is provided.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

We have provided a list of local hotels. Although making reservations is the responsibility of each participant, we have negotiated reduced rates at some locations. When you call a hotel, you must tell them you are attending the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference and ask for the conference rate. There are several new hotels in the area, so long-time conference participants will find that there are now more options available. A map of the local area showing the locations of JSC, LPI, the University of Houston–Clear Lake, and local hotels is provided.

CONFERENCE SHUTTLE SERVICE

Conference shuttle buses will provide service between most hotels on the list (see hotel list for exceptions), the JSC Gilruth Center, LPI, and the University of Houston–Clear Lake. There will be rotational runs in the morning, during lunch, at the close of sessions, and during special events. Shuttle buses will make hourly stops at LPI throughout conference week. Your conference badge will serve as your bus ticket. A detailed shuttle schedule will be provided to all registered participants at the meeting, and an electronic version of the shuttle schedule is available on this Web site.

PARKING

Parking spaces at the Lunar and Planetary Institute and at the Gilruth Center on NASA Johnson Space Center are severely limited. You are encouraged to carpool with colleagues staying at the same hotel or to use the shuttle service provided. Safety concerns at NASA Johnson Space Center will cause illegally parked vehicles to be towed away. Access to the Gilruth Center by emergency vehicles must not be limited.

MESSAGE CENTER

A message center will be open at the Gilruth Center from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Friday. You may be reached during these hours by telephone at 281-483-0321 and by fax at 281-483-8722. All messages will be posted on the message board near the conference registration staff desk. Sessions will not be interrupted to deliver messages, except in the event of an emergency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For further information, call the LPI Publications and Program Services Department (logistics and program:  281-486-2158; registration:  281-486-2142).


SCHEDULE

February 16, 2001 — Deadline for preregistration at reduced rate. Deadline for chili cookoff team entries.

March 12–16, 2001 — 32nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference


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