2018 WAIS Workshop
| Deadlines | Registration | Lodging | Agenda | Meals | Travel | Students | Weather |
Twenty-Fifth Annual WAIS Workshop
September 16-19, 2018
Stony Point Center
Stony Point, New York, U.S.A.
The 2018 WAIS Workshop will be held in Stony Point, New York at the historic Stony Point Center. This multidisciplinary Earth system science workshop will focus on the distinctive glaciological, geological, oceanographic, and climatic aspects of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The 2018 hosts are Indrani Das of Columbia University and Ted Scambos of the University of Colorado Boulder.
The meeting begins with an "icebreaker" meet and greet and dinner on Sunday evening, September 16. Sessions will be organized by topic, with invited and contributed speakers on aspects of West Antarctic and related polar research. The sessions are followed with a brief panel discussion by the speakers. Poster sessions are held separately. The WAIS meeting officially concludes with lunch on Wednesday, September 19. The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration meeting follows WAIS this year, overlapping with the morning sessions on September 19. The Thwaites meeting continues Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, with discussions and plans for logistics for the upcoming field season, officially ending with lunch on Thursday, September 20. Thursday afternoon will be used for project side meetings. Note that registration for the Thwaites meeting is separate from WAIS registration. Those participating in the ITGC five-year project will receive information about the meeting from the ITGC Science Coordination Office, including the agenda, travel reimbursement, etc.
This is the first year for WAIS to meet at Stony Point. This venue is conveniently located about 1.5-2 hours from New York City's airports. Stony Point Center is located in the scenic Hudson River Valley and is well-known in the area for its comfortable setting and delicious food. Stony Point Center is a community development center, commited to the Earth, with sustainable locally grown food on the grounds, and to promoting peace and inclusivity among all peoples.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are embraced at the WAIS Workshop, and we are committed to creating and maintaining a workshop environment that is safe, inclusive, and welcoming to all genders, races, identities, self-expressions, ethnicities and cultures.
Registration has closed as of 16:30 MDT August 6.
Deadlines
The deadline for Abstract Submission is August 6. Abstract submission is separate from the registration process.
Student support request deadline is August 8. We have limited funds to support air or ground travel to the meeting.
Registration deadline is August 13 -- however it has closed August 6 at 16:30 MDT because the WAIS meeting is nearing capacity.
All lodging is at Stony Point Center or the affiliated hotel.
Please note Stony Point Center is about 1½-2 hours' drive from the New York and Newark airports. Ground transportation options are listed below.
Registration
The registration fee includes Sunday dinner, breakfasts, lunches and dinners on Monday and Tuesday, and breakfast and lunch on Wednesday. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks and coffee are provided. Please indicate any dietary restrictions you may have on the registration form and the caterer will do their best to accommodate.
Lodging at Stony Point Center is in shared quarters near the Hudson River. Staying on site allows interaction and collaboration among the meeting participants in an informal and beautiful setting. For the true WAIS Workshop experience, we recommend staying on-site. We expect a great deal of interest in this year's meeting and most rooms at SPC will be double occupancy. We do offer a limited number of hotel rooms, either singles or doubles, for those who prefer a hotel stay. Lodging will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We are committed to inclusivity and diversity, and will do our best to accommodate those requiring single rooms at an additional fee as space permits at SPC.
Registration fees:
The registration fee for WAIS include 3 nights' lodging and meals for the 2.5 day meeting.
$325 for professionals, including post-docs, staying at Stony Point Center (double occupancy rooms)
$275 for active students (pre-PhD) (double occupancy rooms)
$475 for anyone staying at the affiliated hotel, single occupancy rooms, meals at SPC
$400 for anyone staying at the affiliated hotel, double occupancy, meals at SPC
$150 for locals commuting from home (includes Sunday dinner, breakfasts, lunches and coffee breaks. Dinner Monday and Tuesday is an additional $20 each.)
Registration has closed as of August 6 16:30 MDT because we have reached meeting capacity.
For those participants attending the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration meeting Wednesday and Thursday, and if NERC has approved to cover your costs for the ITGC meeting, the WAIS registration cost will be slightly less because the ITGC project will cover a portion of the overlapping meeting days, instead of the WAIS fee. It is not a "discount", however; those attending WAIS will pay for the costs from Sunday evening through Tuesday midday themselves, and NERC will pay beginning with Tuesday evening since the ITGC meeting begins Wednesday morning. ITGC is paying for Tuesday night through Friday morning and your reduced WAIS registration fee will cover Sunday afternoon through Tuesday midday. If you will attend the ITGC meeting at your own expense (and have been approved to attend; space is limited) and you wish to also attend WAIS, please register for the full 3-day WAIS meeting. Please talk to your PI leads before registering.
The registration for WAIS for approved "WAIS+NERC-funded people" is as follows:
$230 WAIS registration fee for on-site lodging at SPC
$315 WAIS registration fee for hotel lodging single room
$255 WAIS registration feel for hotel lodging double room
$110 WAIS registration fee for locals
Refund policy:
Refunds, less a $35 service fee, will be offered through Wednesday, August 15, 2018. After that date, no refunds are allowed. Please note: If you register for a hotel and cancel your registration after July 31, you may be responsible for 75% of the registration fee.
Lodging Options
This year we have reserved rooms at Stony Point Center as well as hotel rooms nearby. For those staying at the reserved hotel, registration fees include all meals and transportation to Stony Point Center. Please do not book a room directly with a local hotel. We ask that you stay at SPC or the arranged hotel in order to meet our contract with the venue.
Ride sharing board -- We will set up an electronic ride-sharing board for those wishing to carpool to or from the airport. When that is available we will update this web site and send an announcement through our email list.
Agenda
Plan to arrive Sunday, September 16 for dinner and socializing; dinner is included in the registration fee and we ask for a small donation to cover drinks. The WAIS workshop is 2½ days, concluding with lunch on Wednesday, September 19. We will have around 40 talks. Following each set of oral presentations, a panel (the session's speakers) and the moderator will lead an open discussion about the general theme, and examine what the significance of new insights presented in the talks is for the WAIS system. This open, engaged discussion has been a very positive aspect of WAIS.
In addition to talks, WAIS will have space for posters. There will be an opportunity to give a very brief overview of a poster topic to the audience just prior to the poster sessions. Posters receive a great deal of attention at WAIS.
Basic agenda:
Sunday: Afternoon arrival, 4:30pm Steering Committee Meeting, 6:00pm opening icebreaker with dinner and drinks (bring cash for drinks)
Monday: Meeting begins with breakfast followed by two morning sessions of presentations, then lunch, one session of presentations, followed by the first poster session, concluding with dinner.
Tuesday: Similar schedule to Monday, with two morning sessions, lunch, one afternoon session, the second poster session, and dinner.
Wednesday: Wednesday morning will begin with breakfast, two morning sessions, then lunch. Explore the area before your flight departs.
Participants involved in the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration will arrive Tuesday and have dinner with the WAIS participants. Wednesday morning's session will be on the Thwaites and Amundsen Sea Sector with talks by WAIS and ITGC participants on past, current and future research.
Session topics typically are on glaciology, ice-ocean interface, modeling, geology and biology, ice shelves, oceanography, and velocity. We welcome topics relating to the processes of the WAIS as well.
Guidelines for Abstract Submission and Presentations
Abstract format and submission:
- Abstract Template: We ask that you follow the fonts and sizing found in the abstract template so that the abstracts have the same style. Download the Abstract Template for the details. Then upload your abstract using our online tool. Note that the number of talks and posters are limited. You'll indicate whether you prefer poster or talk when you register for the workshop.
- Registration has closed as of 16:30 MDT August 6. We are at capacity for the meeting.
Talk guidelines:
- Talks are 15 minutes, plus a few minutes for one question and to switch presenters. We have a full meeting so please be mindful of your time and courteous to the next presenter. A discussion period concludes each session where further questions can be addressed.
- All presentation files will be loaded on one central laptop to expedite the transition between presenters. We request you provide us with your presentation the day prior to your assigned time. Dinner time is a good time for this.
- Powerpoint or PDF files are preferred. Keynote is available.
- After the conference, presentations will be posted with the agenda on the WAIS Workshop site. If you prefer we don't publish your presentation, e-mail Betsy at: waisworkshop@nsidc.org.
Poster guidelines:
- There are two poster sessions, one on Monday and one on Tuesday in the afternoons. Monday's posters are to be set up Sunday evening or Monday morning, and taken down at dinner Monday. Tuesday's posters should be set up Monday evening or Tuesday morning. You are your poster’s keeper – please remember to remove it yourself at the end of the workshop.
- Preceding each poster session will be a brief opportunity for each day's poster presenters to give a one-minute pitch about their research, the "one minute lightning talks".
- The size of the poster boards is 4 feet x 4 feet.
Meals
Registration fee includes Sunday dinner, breakfasts, lunches and dinners on Monday and Tuesday, and breakfast and lunch on Wednesday. Snacks and coffee are also included. Please indicate any dietary restrictions you may have on the registration form and the caterer will do their best to accommodate. Stony Point Center prides itself on excellent meals and features a working farm on the property. Many ingredients are farm-to-table!
Air Travel and Ground Transportation
We recommend you fly into Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Aiport or JFK Airport, which are located 1-1/2 to 2 hours from the venue. Extensive ground transportation options are listed on the Stony Point Center web site. SPC offers discounted transportation to/from Newark at $50 per person if you reserve early. See the details about their transportation rates here.
We will offer a Ride-sharing Board for carpooling between the airport and the venue and/or hotel. Registered attendees were sent the link to the ride sharing board in late August.
Directions to Stony Point are found here.
Weather and Activities
Highs are in the mid-70s (F) and lows in the mid-50s. September has clear days with a chance of rain. Visit this page to geek out about weather trends.
Stony Point is in Rockland County, NY, an area rich with history and scenic vistas along the Hudson River. Vist the Rockland County Tourism site for information on things to do while here.
Student Support
The WAIS group supports early career scientists, encouraging interaction between early-career and established Antarctic researchers. To this end, our budget includes domestic airfare support (or registration fee support for those within driving distance or who are traveling from outside of the US) for a limited number of students and early-career researchers. We ask that interested people propose a talk on their recent research for consideration for the funding. Please submit a letter (by email to waisworkshop@nsidc.org) requesting travel support and providing a short justification. We estimate that we have travel support for 10-15 students or recent post-doctoral researchers (<5 years since degree, or <5 years in career in total if there was a break due to family obligations). Please highlight the relevance of your abstract to West Antarctica, ice sheet stability, ice-ocean or ice-biology interactions, or polar climate change; and any other relevant information regarding your funding. We will aim to inform students of the decision on their support in late August to allow time to purchase tickets and register; deadline to request funds is August 8.
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Questions? Please contact us at waisworkshop@nsidc.org