Montclair State University welcomes you to our campus in Montclair, NJ for the MSAAG Annual Meeting this Fall. The meeting beings Friday afternoon with paper and poster sessions, dinner, and Geography Bowl competition. If you arrive early, consider joining one of our Friday field trips to explore some of NJ’s LEED buildings, or discover the many community and urban gardens. On Saturday, the morning paper and poster sessions will be followed by a luncheon meeting, distribution of student awards, and keynote address. In the afternoon, we will be offering field trips to the beautiful Paterson Great Falls, and a guided tour of some hidden gems that have shaped the northern NJ food culture. Plans for the meeting include:

Registration will by online this year at https://msaag2018.eventbrite.com. There is a 20-minute period for registration, so make sure that your credit card information is on hand, and your 250-word abstract is prepared in advance if you are presenting. The deadline for abstract submission is October 5th. Participants who register for the full conference by October 1^st will receive a discount:

*Fees include program costs and ticket and payment processing fees charged by Eventbrite. Note that there will be no refunds after October 19, 2018.

We suggest that you make arrangements for lodging early, as this is the peak season for fall foliage tourism! We have arranged for a blocks of rooms at the Holiday Inn for Thursday 10/25, Friday 10/26, and Saturday nights 10/27 at the rate of $109 plus taxes, and a block of rooms at the Fairfield Executive Inn for 10/25 and 10/26 for $115 plus taxes. There is a more affordable option at the La Quinta Inn & Suites for 10/25, 10/26, and 10/27 for $85 plus taxes. All hotels are within ten miles of campus, where the program will be held. Mention “Middle States Division of the AAG or MSU” when making your reservations. Please make reservations early, as the number of rooms is limited, and room rates will expire a month before the event (three weeks at Fairfield Executive Inn). *

*If those three are booked up Hampton Inn and Suites is another local option.

Paper Sessions are 60-80 minutes long and consist of four presentations of 20 minutes. Papers on all topics of geographic nature are welcome. Concurrent paper sessions will be held on Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21. Each room is equipped with a computer, digital projector and screen. We urge participants to use PowerPoint software for their presentations and to have your presentations saved on a flash drive.

Poster Sessions will be held on both Friday and Saturday. Poster dimensions must be as least 36 inches in height and 48 inches in width (36”h x 48” w) but cannot exceed 48”h x 60” w. Poster mounting boards and easels will be available. Posters will be displayed on the first-floor atrium of the CELS building.

Panel-Roundtable Sessions are welcome. Panel discussion sessions typically consist of three to four panelists and are organized around a theme. Roundtable discussion sessions are ‘open format’ where the chair of the round table facilitates a discussion among all attendees focusing on a theme or issue. Students are welcome to organize both panel and roundtable sessions. A limited number of panels can be accommodated. If you are interested in organizing either a panel or a roundtable session please contact Pankaj Lal at msaag2018@montclair.edu before September 24, 2018. Current sessions include:

5-Minute Lightning Talks (for students only) are intended to give undergraduates and graduates an opportunity to speak about emerging research activities. Presenters should have one to three PowerPoint images to illustrate their work, and carefully prepare a five-minute overview of their project.

All abstract submissions for paper sessions, poster sessions, and 5-minute lightning talks are due October 5, 2018.

For more information on directions, parking, child card, field trips and the 2018 program view the Summer 2018 Newsletter. If you have any questions or wish to be added to the email list to receive newsletters, contact MSAAG President Pankaj Lal at msaag2018@montclair.edu