The Society for Text and Discourse will hold its 18th Annual Meeting in the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis July 12-15, 2008 (http://www.societyfortextanddiscourse08.org). 

  

--IMPORTANT DATES 

Deadline papers ST&D Conference: February 15, 2008 (http://www.societyfortextanddiscourse08.org/instructions.html) 

ST&D Workshop, July 11-12, 2008 

ST&D Conference: July 12-15, 2008 

  

--18TH ST&D CONFERENCE 

The 18th Annual Meeting of the Society will be held in the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis July 12-15, 2008. 

  

Keynote speakers include Susan Brennan and Nick Chater. Susan Brennan (http://www.psychology.stonybrook.edu/sbrennan-/) is Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Computer Science at S.U.N.Y. at Stony Brook. She is internationally known for her work on interactive spoken dialogue. Nick Chater (http://www.psychol.ucl.ac.uk/people/profiles/chater_nick.htm) is Professor of Cognitive and Decision Sciences, Department of Psychology, University College London. He is the well-known for his work on language acquisition and language evolution. 

  

The ST&D Conference will be preceded by the Society for Text and Discourse workshop (July 11-12). 

  

The ST&D Workshop and Conference are preceded by the IGEL Conference July 8-11, 2008, and the IGEL Summer Institute, July 5-7 (http://igelweb.org/igelweb/IGEL2008). 

  

--CALL FOR PAPERS 

Presentations at the 18th Annual Meeting can be in the form of posters or spoken papers. The deadline for submitting proposals for both presentation formats is February 15, 2008. A Review Committee will review the proposals, and authors will be notified regarding acceptance by the end of March 2008. 

  

Please submit proposals in English using our electronic submission system (http://aeon.psyc.memphis.edu/std08) or see http://www.societyfortextanddiscourse08.org for further details. 

  

Papers will be scheduled for 20 minutes, with an additional 5 minutes for questions and discussion. Posters are scheduled for a poster session on the second night of the conference. 

  

Proposals for symposia (sessions with multiple papers) should be discussed with the conference organizers prior to submission and follow the same procedure as proposals for papers. 

  

-- FORMAT 

Submissions should include a 2-3 page summary of the presentation  (max. 1000 words, including bibliographic references) according to the specifications made available on http://www.societyfortextanddiscourse08.org/instructions.html. 

  

--THE OUTSTANDING STUDENT PAPER AWARD 

The Outstanding Student Paper Award (OPSA) recognizes quality in work that is predominantly that of a graduate student. Accordingly, the student must be first author on the paper. 

  

--THE JASON ALBRECHT OUTSTANDING YOUNG SCIENTIST AWARD 

The Jason Albrecht Outstanding Young Scientist Award (JAOYSA) honors the memory of Jason Albrecht, a promising young text and discourse researcher who passed away in 1996. The award recognizes an outstanding paper based on a doctoral dissertation. The doctoral candidate must be first author on the paper. 

  

Recipients of each award receive a commemorative certificate and a 0 award check. 

  

Proposals that are eligible for awards undergo two reviews - one by the regular program committee and a second one by the Awards Review Committee. Only proposals that are accepted for presentation as spoken papers will be considered for the awards. 

  

--CONFERENCE VENUE 

The FedEx Institute of Technology (FIT) at the University of Memphis is a versatile, high-tech facility. The Institute is home to cutting-edge research teams working in areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, geospatial analysis, multimedia arts and nanotechnology. It also serves as a gateway for businesses to collaborate with University of Memphis researchers. In all, the Institute is home to over 150 faculty members, researchers and staff. 

  

The FIT is a state-of-the-art facility with a 190 seat tiered amphitheater boasting the second largest implementation of digital congress units outside the United Nations, and 17 meeting rooms. Large projection screens, web cams, touch panel screens, laptop computers, totally wireless network, SIM cards, poly-vision and video teleconferencing, and interactive white boards are just some of the cutting-edge features of the facility. 

  

--ACCOMMODATION 

A block of hotel rooms has been reserved in The Holiday Inn Hotel at the University of Memphis and the DoubleTree Hotel Memphis. Announcements for reservations will follow. 

  

The Holiday Inn Hotel at the University of Memphis is an all-suite hotel centrally located in the heart of Memphis and easily accessible to downtown, the airport, and shopping. The hotel is adjacent to the University of Memphis. Prices for the reserved block of rooms are 9 per night. 

  

The Doubletree Memphis provides lodging in Memphis near the University of Memphis and Memphis International Airport. It is surrounded by a variety of entertainment, recreation, theater and restaurants. The hotel has a complementary shuttle service to and from the airport. Prices for the reserved block of rooms are 4 per night. 

  

In addition, dormitory rooms (2 persons sharing rooms) have been made available for discount rates in the Richardson Tower dormitory rooms accommodations at the University of Memphis campus. Prices are  per night. 

  

--QUESTIONS 

For questions or suggestions, please contact conference@societyfortextanddiscourse08.org. The Society's conference website will be updated regularly with the latest information on the conference (http://www.societyfortextanddiscourse08.org).