DMSE and MRL events and communications staff shared the responsibilities for arranging the seminar series. The series was budgeted at $25,000/year.
- Beginning of previous semester, identify dates. Avoid Hosting Weekends, major conferences, Thanksgiving, Spring Break, Head of the Charles, Marathon Day, Massachusetts School Vacation Week. Do not schedule seminar during Fall MRS week. Try to keep constant time (every other week or 1st and 3rd weeks of the month). As dates are finalized, fill in shared DMSE events calendar (TeamUp).
- Middle of previous semester, reserve a lecture room for the entire semester. The room is needed for at least 15 minutes ahead of time to set up the laptop and projection and about 15 minutes after in case the talk runs long.
- Arrange for a food location.
- (Faculty) Contact speakers with an invitation to give a talk. If invitations are issued to one speaker at a time, the chance of multiple bookings on a date is reduced.
- After speaker confirms the date, staff to email again to explain logistics (timing, agenda, and reimbursements)
introduce the staff
request title, abstract, and a suitable image for publicity (300 dpi minimum, tiff or eps). Follow up as necessary.
explain that MIT can make travel arrangements or reimburse for tickets. Follow up as necessary.
request names of MIT researchers for one-on-one meetings and meals - One month before semester, make hotel reservations for all speakers (if speakers aren't set, just make reservations and adjust as necessary)
- Notify MIT researchers who have been requested for meetings during the visit.
- Post events on MIT calendar. Update as titles and abstracts come in. As timely, post to matseminars.mit.edu, dmse.mit.edu, facebook and twitter feeds.
- Minimum of two weeks before talk, start poster design, create digital promotional image, and continue meeting and meal arrangements. Contact speaker's list first, then solicit input from faculty host. If it's necessary to write to the full list of materials faculty, use matfac@mit.edu.
Faculty meetings at 45 minute intervals
Group meeting with students and post-docs (group of 6-8, plus speaker and host). Generally lunch (1.5 hours). Dinner is also an option
Lunch with 1-2 faculty, if student/postdoc lunch isn't scheduled
Dinner with 2-3 faculty members either following or the evening before the seminar, depending on speaker's travel
Suggested schedule: 9:00 meeting, 9:45 meeting, 10:30 meeting, 11:15 meeting, 12:00 lunch group, 1:30 meeting, 2:15 meeting, 3:00 meeting, 3:45-4:00 set up for talk and give seminar, 6:00 dinner - Minimum of one week before talk, hang posters via Rachel Maillet 781-890-7850. Rachel will pick up posters and hang in well-trafficed areas; she'll also concentrate efforts in buildings occupied by materials science researchers.
Distribute posters via campus mail to affiliated DLCs. Post digital display slide on DMSE screen, share with MIT.nano and MRL. - Four business days before talk, send general email announcement to matseminars@mit.edu (bcc). If the schedule is not full, ask the faculty host, the seminar committee, and the DMSE head for assistance in filling it.
- Two business days before the talk, send the day's schedule to the speaker, to all faculty on the schedule, and to the seminar staff. Remind the faculty on the schedule to escort the speaker to the next appointment.
- Leave a copy of the schedule and an MIT map at the hotel.
- Morning of talk, send another general email announcement to matseminars@mit.edu.
- The host or a member of the seminar staff will pick the speaker up at the hotel, unless a breakfast meeting has been scheduled.
- Post additional posters near the room.
- Half-hour before the talk, set out refreshments, set up chairs, have water and a laser pointer for the speaker.
- Reimburse speaker for travel and hosts for meals or submit receipts as needed.