DMSE, CMSE, and MPC events and communications staff share the responsibilities for arranging the seminar series. The series is budgeted at $25,000/year. Time constraints have led us to commissioning a poster template by Ilavenil Subbiah (617-576-0593, subbiah@comcast.net). Prof. Thomas has requested a postcard or display card listing dates and titles for the upcoming semester.
- Beginning of previous semester, identify dates. Avoid Hosting Weekends, major conferences, Thanksgiving, Spring Break, and Head of the Charles. Try to keep constant time (every other week or 1st and 3rd weeks of the month).
Middle of previous semester, reserve a lecture room for the entire semester [66-110 for fall 2010]. 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 [entry to 66-110 for fall 2010].
- Contact speakers with an invitation to give a talk, email from Ned Thomas or Michael Rubner, reply to staff, offer specific dates. 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 titles, abstracts, 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)
- Keep wiki updated so other seminar personnel have itineraries, confirmation numbers, and other info.
- Notify MIT researchers who have been requested for meetings during the visit.
- Post events on MIT calendar. Update as titles and abstracts come in.
- Beginning of the semester, order reception food for the semester. In Fall '08, we ordered 23 pizzas, soda, and bottled water from Sicilia's. In Spring '09, we served Pepperidge Farm cookies, coffee, and soda (placed a Peapod order at the beginning of the semester). In 2010, started serving two-three platters of organic cookies (purchased from Amazon), three carafes of coffee from the Chipman Room, and one flat of Poland Springs water from DMSE HQ.
- Two weeks before talk, start poster design (template is attached) 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
RT with faculty and students (group of 6-8, plus speaker and host). Generally lunch. Dinner is also an option
Lunch with 1-2 faculty, if Round Table isn't scheduled
Dinner with 2-3 faculty members on Wed. or Thursday night, depending on speaker's travel
Suggested Thursday schedule: 9:30 meeting, 10:15 meeting, 11:00 meeting, 12:00 lunch meeting, 1:30 meeting, 2:15 meeting, 3:00 meeting, 3:45-4:00 set up for talk and give seminar, 5:30 RT or 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.
Also, distribute posters via campus mail to affiliated DLCs. - Five 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 and CMSE heads 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 (bcc).
- The host or a member of the seminar staff will pick the speaker up at the hotel.
- Post additional posters near the room.
- Send backup of receipts, Requests for Reimbursements, and Travel Vouchers to Christine Rodriguez in 8-328.