With this bulletin, we want to send you some last minute information and helpful tips about the SSTD conference in Minneapolis this Wednesday through Friday (24 - 26 August 2011). 

Venue and logistics

The conference is located in the Digital Technology Center (DTC), located on the fourth floor of Walter library. Signs showing you the way will be posted at the main entrances to Walter library and at the elevator that you will take to get to the fourth floor. All events, including a light breakfast, breaks and lunches except for the conference dinner, will be held there. You will have access to wifi through a campus network for the entire time of the conference. 

A host institution representative will be present in the lobby of the Radisson Hotel at 7:30am on 24th, 8:00 am 25th and 26th August to walk to the conference venue (DTC).

A map of the East Bank campus is available at here. A Google map showing the larger area is also available. 

You also can get conference updates at www.twitter.com/sstd2011. 

We advice against renting a car because of large-scale construction projects in the University area. Taxis or shuttles offer easy service from the airport and in the area. Public transportation offers convenient scheduling. Use the Trip Planner at http://www.metrotransit.org or Google Maps for point-to-point transit scheduling.

Note about University construction

The main road through the East Bank campus and by the Radisson and Day's Inn hotels is under construction. The road is completely closed. There are also various other construction projects. If you need to drive to a garage near the DTC or would like updated information about construction activities, please see http://campusmaps.umn.edu/tc/.

Meals and breaks

We have ordered a wide range of vegetarian options. If you have specific dietary concerns, please email Alison Admundson (alison@mail.dtc.umn.edu).

Link to online schedule

The updated schedule is here.

Demonstrations

For all demonstrations we will have a table, power strip, chairs, and wifi. We will also have poster boards available to pin posters too. If you have specific needs, please email Francis Harvey (fharvey@umn.edu).

Information about the conference awards dinner

The conference dinner will be held on the Minneapolis Queen, a sternwheeler river boat. During dinner we will cruise along the MIssissippi river and be able to view the Minneapolis skyline and a number of attractions from this very unique perspective. To get to the boat we will depart from the DTC immediately after the last session. We are scheduled to dock around 9:15 PM and a bus will bring us back to the DTC, stopping at en route at hotels on the way. 

Tuesday night informal dinner

If you are arriving Tuesday and would like to join us for an informal dinner, we will have dinner at the Caspian Restaurant (map). We will meet in the Radisson Hotel lobby at 6:30. Please send Francis Harvey (fharvey@umn.edu) a note if you plan to meet us for a relaxing dinner. 

Other matters and questions:

If you have a question about the DTC location, please contact Alison Admundson (alison@mail.dtc.umn.edu). For other local organization questions email Francis Harvey (fharvey@umn.edu).

See you soon in Minneapolis,

Shashi Shekhar, Mohamed Mokbel, Francis Harvey

At SSTD 2011, industry representatives will be on hand to discuss current research and potential job opportunities with those interested. Currently, Oracle, ESRI, ORNL and ObjectFX plan to set up booths to talk to students during the Demonstration Track of the conference.

A few companies have open positions and asked to post information at SSTD:

ObjectFX is looking for (paid) interns for the 2011/2012 academic year. They will be on-hand during the conference for anyone interested. See the full job posting here.

ESRI also has an opening: Put your programming skills to the test and design and develop the next generation of Esri(r) software. Programming opportunities include database, desktop, and Web development; mobile applications; 2D/3D visualization; imagery; and core server, just to name a few. Qualifications include a strong Windows(r), Linux(r), and/or UNIX(r) background and expertise in Java(tm), JavaScript(r), C#, C/C++, .NET, or Silverlight(r).

The BI Labs group within BI Incorporated is actively recruiting for a Technology Research & Development Analyst to research new and emerging technologies and assess their feasibility and application to current and future business needs. This is a senior systems architect position and in this position, you will also provide support and direction for the Development and Systems and the Hardware Engineering strategies. Typical duties will include system architecture, technology surveys, prototyping, technology evaluations, and managing projects with vendors and academic partners. Additional duties will include publishing technical reports and white papers, maintenance of the R&D content library, and participation in product focus group discussions. See the full posting here.

Persons traveling from countries outside the U.S. who are not part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, are required to obtain a visa in order to travel to the United States. You are encouraged to begin the application process early. The U.S. State Department website indicates that if the purpose for your planned travel is to travel for a scientific, educational, or professional conference on specific dates, then a business visitor visa (B-1) would be the appropriate type of visa for your travel. Link to the State Department website for details and instructions here.

You may request an official letter of invitation to attend the 12th SSTD by contacting Wei-Shinn Ku.