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AMS Sectional Meeting Registration/Housing/Etc. Information



Program |  Deadlines |  Inquiries: meet@ams.org

2012 Spring Central Section Meeting
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
March 30 - April 1, 2012 (Friday - Sunday)
Meeting #1081

Associate secretaries:

Georgia Benkart, AMS benkart@math.wisc.edu


Accommodations

Participants should make their own arrangements directly with a hotel of their choice as early as possible. Special rates have been negotiated with the hotels listed below. Rates quoted do not include taxes (8.85%). The AMS is not responsible for rate changes or for the quality of the accommodations. When making a reservation with a conference hotel, participants should state that they are with the KU Math Department. Cancellation and early checkout policies vary; be sure to check when you make your reservation. When making reservations please call the hotel directly and ask for "in house" reservations.

Hotel Shuttle: A free shuttle service will be provided by the University of Kansas from the conference hotels to the university. Please visit the mathematics department website at www.math.ku.edu/conferences/2012/AMS/index.html to view the schedule.

Baymont Inn & Suites, 740 Iowa Street, Lawrence, KS; 1.5 miles from Snow Hall. Call 785-838-4242 or visit their website at www.baymontinnlawrence.com. Double Queen/King Room: US\$80 per night on Thursday/ US\$116 per night on Friday and Saturday. Rate includes free WiFi, complimentary breakfast and indoor pool. Close to restaurants. The deadline for reservations is February 29, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department. Rooms may be cancelled 24 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

Best Western Lawrence, 2309 Iowa Street, Lawrence, KS; two miles from Snow Hall. Call 785-843-9100 or visit www.bestwesternkansas.com/hotels/best-western-lawrence/. Double Queen/Single Queen: US\$55 per night plus tax. Rate includes free WiFi and breakfast. The deadline for reservations is February 28, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department. Rooms may be cancelled 72 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

Eldridge Hotel, 701 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS; located downtown. Call 785-49-5011 or 800-527-0909 or visit www.eldridgehotel.com. Deluxe King rooms are US\$125 per night on Thursday, US\$159 per night on Friday-Saturday. Valet: US\$10 per vehicle per night. Rate includes free WiFi. The deadline for reservations is February 28, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department or booking code number 733451. Rooms may be cancelled 48 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

Hampton Inn, 2300 West 6th Street, Lawrence, KS; 1.5 miles from Snow Hall. Call 785-841-4994. King/Queen standard rooms are US\$110 per night. Rate includes complimentary breakfast, fitness room, and indoor pool. The deadline for reservations is March 8, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department. Rooms may be cancelled 48 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

Lawrence Holiday Inn Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, KS; two miles from Snow Hall. Call 785-841-7077 or visit www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/ lawrence/lwrks/hoteldetail. King, single/double rooms are US\$89 per night. Rate includes continental breakfast and free WiFi. Two restaurants located on the property, indoor pool, exercise facility, and miniature golf. The deadline for reservations is February 28, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department. Rooms may be cancelled 48 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS. The Oread Hotel is about a 15-minute walk from campus. For reservations call 785-843-1200 or 877-263-6347 or visit www.theoread.com. A classic King room is US\$115 per night on Thursday, US\$149 per night on Friday-Saturday. Valet: US\$12 per vehicle per night. Rate includes free WiFi. The deadline for reservations is February 28, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department or confirmation number 733451. Rooms may be cancelled 48 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

Quality Inn is located at 801 Iowa Street, Lawrence, KS; 1.5 miles from Snow Hall. For reservations call 785-842-5100 or visit http://www.qualityinn.com/hotel-lawrence-kansas-KS082. Queen rooms are US\$68 per night. Rate includes free WiFi, lobby computer workstation with printer, and breakfast bar. The deadline for reservations is February 29, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department. Rooms may be cancelled 72 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

SpringHill Suites, One Riverfront Plaza, Lawrence, KS; located downtown. For reservations call: 785-841-2700 or visit http://www.marriott.com/lwcks (group code KUMKUMC for a Queen suite or KUMKUMD for a King suite). Double Queen/King Room: US\$92 per night plus tax. Rate includes a complimentary hot breakfast buffet and free WiFi. The deadline for reservations is February 29, 2012, or when sold out. Reservations made after this date will be on a space-available and rate-available basis. Please state you are with the KU Math Department. Rooms may be cancelled 24 hours prior to arrival without penalty.

Food Service

There are a number of restaurants adjacent to the campus. Downtown Lawrence has a large number of restaurants, with many price ranges and a wide variety of cuisines. Located in the lower level of Wescoe, The Underground Food Court and the Pulse Coffee Bar operated by KU Dining Services, will be open Friday (until 5:00 p.m.) and Saturday (11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.). A list of restaurants will be available at the registration desk.

Local Information

Please visit the website maintained by the Department of Mathematics at www.math.ku.edu/conferences/2012/AMS/index.html, the University of Kansas website www.ku.edu., or Lawrence Chamber of Commerce site at www.lawrencechamber.com.

Other Activities

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

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

Parking is open and free on weekends (except in the obvious do not park zones and special reserved spots). Participants can park in any of the posted lots free of charge. (See map at http://www.parking.ku.edu/visit.shtml).

Registration and Meeting Information

Registration and AMS Book Exhibit will be held in the Wescoe Hall Building on the fourth floor. Invited Addresses, the book sale, and all other sessions will be held in this building. Please refer to the campus map at www.maps.ku.edu for specific locations. The registration desk will be open on Friday, March 30, from 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 31, from 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Fees are US\$52 for AMS members, US\$72 for nonmembers; and US\$5 for students, unemployed mathematicians, and emeritus members. Fees are payable on-site via cash, check or credit card.

Poster Session

The Mathematics Department at the University of Kansas welcomes everyone (undergraduate, graduate students, post docs, and faculty) to participate in a Poster Session to be held Saturday, March 31, 2012, 5:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., on campus at the Summerfield Room, KU Alumni Center. A reception for all AMS Meeting participants will be held simultaneously at the Alumni Center. The deadline for applying to participate in the poster session is March 1, 2012.  More details can be found at http://www.math.ku.edu/conferences/2012/AMS/poster-sessions.html.

Travel

By Air: The Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is served by most major airlines and is located approximately one hour from the University of Kansas. Please see the following options for airport transfers.

Ground Transportation Inc. has some scheduled arrival and departure times but they may arrange trips for non-scheduled times. It takes approximately one hour form MCI to Lawrence. The cost is US\$74 round trip (subject to change). Call for reservations and more information, 785-842-TAXI (842-8294) or 888-467-3721.

The Kansas City Roadrunner also has some some scheduled arrival and departure times. This shuttle serves other cities and it may take longer to reach the airport. Call for reservations and more information, 800-747-2524.

Super Shuttle, shared-ride door-to-door shuttle service for up to ten passengers. For additional information visit their webpage or call 800-BLUEVAN or 800-258-3826.

Better Alternative Transportation Services (BATS) offers personalized service for up to five people with door-to-door delivery to any location in Lawrence. Reservations must be made at least two days in advance by email (mariokcishuttle@hotmail.com) or at least 24 hours in advance by telephone 913-634-5484.

KCI Express Shuttle provides door-to-door, non-stop shuttle services for groups and individuals. Make your reservations online or call 816-645-1815. After 8:00 p.m. CST, call 816-372-1556.

Car Rental: Hertz is the official car rental company for the meeting. To make a reservation accessing our special meeting rates online at www.hertz.com, click on the box "I have a discount", and type in our convention number (CV): 04N30002. You can also call Hertz directly at 800-654-2240 (U.S. and Canada) or 405-749-4434 (other countries). At the time of reservation, the meeting rates will be automatically compared to other Hertz rates and you will be quoted the best comparable rate available.

Driving: If you are driving, Lawrence, Kansas is just off I-70, about 30 miles east of Topeka and about 50 miles west of Kansas City, MO.

Weather

Temperatures typically vary from 40 degrees F to 55 degrees F in late March. For up-to-date forecasts visit www.weather.com using 66045 as the reference zip code.

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://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/biso/visas/ and http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html. If you need a preliminary conference invitation in order to secure a visa, please send your request to pfs@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 websites above for the most up-to-date information.


Inquiries: meet@ams.org