2012 SWAAG Meeting

Click here for a *.pdf of the General Meeting Info.

Host

Department of Geography, New Mexico State University

Location & Dates

Las Cruces, NM, 25-27 October 2012

Hotel & Conference Center

Ramada Palms Hotel and Conference Center
201 East University Avenue, Las Cruces, NM 88005
(575) 526-4411
Discounted room rates are available for SWAAG meeting participants until 15 October 2012. The rates are $79 per night for 1 King Bed Rooms and $85 per night for 2 Queen Beds Rooms. To reserve a room at one of these rates, use the term SWAAG CONFERENCE when you register.

Directions to the Hotel & Conference Center

The Ramada Palms can be reached by car via I-25 from the north (e.g, Albuquerque), via I-10 from the west (e.g., Tucson) and south (e.g, El Paso), and via Highway 70 from the east (e.g., Alamogordo). The closest airport is El Paso International Airport, which is located about 50 miles south of Las Cruces and directly connected with the Ramada Palms via shuttle service.

Registration

Participants may register online between now and 11 October 2012. The registration fee is $50 for students and $100 for professionals. The registration fee covers conference materials; access to all sessions; a reception on Thursday, October 25; refreshments, lunch buffet, dinner buffet, and awards banquet on Friday, October 26; and transportation between conference venues in Las Cruces and Mesilla.

Meeting Program and Compilation of Abstracts

Note: the linked documents are optimized for double-sided printing.

Agenda in a Nutshell

• Thursday, October 25: paper and panel sessions; informal reception at the Ramada Palms
• Friday, October 26: paper, poster, and panel sessions; lunch buffet at the Ramada Palms, awards banquet and dinner buffet at the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park
• Saturday, October 27: field trips

Presentations & Organized Sessions

Anyone interested in the advancement of geography is invited to submit abstracts and organized sessions for presentation at the meeting. To be eligible to present or organize a session at the meeting, you must be registered for the meeting. Abstract submissions for paper and poster presentations are due by 11 October 2012. Organized session submissions are due by 4 October 2012. If interested in presenting, please read the additional information in the call for presentations and submit your abstract and/or organized session online. To access the current list of proposed organized sessions, click here.

Sessions

Paper and poster sessions will be scheduled for Thursday and Friday, October 25 and 26. Presenters from southern New Mexico may be scheduled on Thursday, and priority for Friday's sessions may go to participants traveling from outside of, and more distant locales within New Mexico. Requests for scheduling will be considered, and honored if possible.

Student Paper and Poster Competitions

The SWAAG will host paper and poster competitions for undergraduate and graduate students. Students wishing to participate in a competition must submit both a regular and an extended abstract by 11 October 2012. Competition winners will receive a cash award and an award certificate. Awards for the student competitions will be announced and presented at the SWAAG banquet on Friday, October 26. For more information, see the student PAPER competition guidelines and student POSTER competition guidelines.

Meals & Social Events

An informal reception will be hosted at the Ramada Palms on the evening of Thursday, October 25. On Friday, October 26, the Ramada Palms will cater coffee, tea, water, and snacks between sessions and a lunch buffet (Texas BBQ) around noon. On the evening of that same day, there will be an awards banquet at the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, with a dinner buffet (Authentic New Mexican) prepared by Andele Restaurante. Transportation to the State Park will be provided.

Field Trips

Two field trips will be held on Saturday, October 27. One will allow participants to explore Historic Mesilla and Downtown Las Cruces ($15), the other to experience White Sands National Monument ($25). Both field trips include transportation and lunch and are limited to 20 people, first come, first served. Participants may register for field trips online. The registration deadline for the field trips is 11 October 2012. For more information about the field trips, please click here.

Special Note

This will be a near-paperless meeting. No announcements will be mailed out. No registration forms will be accepted by mail. No paper checks or money orders will be accepted. No paper (or metal) money will be accepted. No print-out of abstracts will be provided at the meeting.

Restaurants, Bars, and Cafés in Las Cruces and Mesilla

There are lots of restaurants, bars, cafés in Las Cruces and Mesilla, 50 of which are mapped in this static map and this interactive map. If you'd like to view the data in Google Earth, download this KML file and open it up in Google Earth.

Attractions in Southern New Mexico

Southern New Mexico is an exciting region with many attractions, 33 of which are mapped in this static map and this interactive map. If you'd like to view the data in Google Earth, download this KML file and open it up in Google Earth.