Reviewer Selection
The quality of the Proceedings depends on the quality of the reviews. Follow instructions in the e-mail that you received pertaining to your Journal assignment.

Session Chair Breakfast
A complimentary light breakfast will be served each morning for that day's session chairs. Attendance is important, since last minute announcements, changes, the operation of equipment, and final instructions for running the sessions will be presented. E-mail reminders and instructions will be sent to you in October 2008. You are to attend ONLY on the morning of the day that you are a Session Chair.

Running an Oral Session
Session chairs should arrive well in advance (at least 15 minutes) of the starting time to ensure that a functioning timer, operating overhead projector, LCD projector, and pointer or light stick are available. Authors have been instructed to introduce themselves to the chair and to make it known whether someone other than the first author will present the paper. Each oral session chair MUST bring his/her laptop as a backup for any failed laptop by a speaker.

The Abstracts Book lists the starting times of all papers in your session. It is important to begin the session promptly and to begin each paper at its scheduled time. Failure to do so will defeat the purpose of listing starting times. If there is a “no show,” declare a recess and resume at the starting time of the following paper. At the start of the session please announce that those authors willing to send out preprints may place preprint sign-up forms on the designated table.

The chair should clearly announce the number, title, authors, and affiliations for each paper and identify the speaker. Timing should commence promptly at the start of each presentation. The timer should sound an audible warning after 10 minutes for contributed talks (30 for invited) and a second signal at 12 minutes (36 for invited). After the second signal, the chair may rise, approach the podium, or otherwise make it clear to the speaker that his time is up. Questions and answers should be permitted until the starting time of the following talk. Chairs are urged to formulate at least one question for each talk in order to stimulate discussion.

When the last talk has been completed, the chair should thank the speakers and the audience, and call the session to a close. Make a note on the no-show form provided, of scheduled papers that were not presented (or which were presented by someone who was not a registered Conference participant, or someone who was not an author on the abstract, or a person not knowledgeable). This form must be turned over to Janis Bennett in the Publications Room immediately following your session.

Running a Poster Session
While the poster session chair is not so visible, he/she must deal with a number of important matters. The chair should arrive well ahead of the scheduled start time to ensure that necessary materials are on hand for mounting posters. Posters from previous sessions should be removed and set aside. The chair should offer assistance to authors having difficulty with their poster set ups. It is important to determine that an author is actually present at each poster for some portion of the session. The chair should remain in the poster area during the session, and encourage discussion and participation as he/she would in an oral session. If this is not possible 3 or four passes through the area at varying times during the session. While posters that are not erected are clearly “no shows,” those that are posted and not staffed appropriately during the session, as well as those that are presented by persons that are not registered or not knowledgeable should be listed on the no-show form provided. This form must be turned over to Janis Bennett in the Publications Room immediately following your session.

Poster Award
Again this year, there is a competition for the best poster in each poster session at the 53rd MMM Conference in Austin. This award is given to recognize excellence in research and presentation. There will be one award for each morning session and each afternoon session. Each session chair is to nominate a single poster (if any) from his/her session within the first hour of presentation. The nomination is to be brought to a designated place (to be determined) within the first hour of the session so that the award committee can evaluate all of the nominated posters. The award is announced prior to the end of the session, so timeliness is essential!