Participating Students
The 2009 International Workshop on Statistical Genetics and the Methodology of Twin and Family Studies: The Advanced Course
Greetings from Boulder!
The purpose of this letter is to update you on the arrangements for the workshop, and to provide you with some advance information about what to expect in Boulder.
You should be making your own travel plans; please see our website for further information on hotel, air and ground transportation (http://ibgwww.colorado.edu/workshop2009/). When making hotel reservations at the Millennium Hotel in Boulder, please identify yourself with the CU Twin Workshop to get the conference rate. Reservations must be made by January 30, 2009. For those flying in to Denver International Airport (DIA), ground travel to Boulder can be affected by rental car, taxi, or the Super Shuttle Boulder ($27.00 One Way, $50.00 RT), which will drop you off right at the Millennium Hotel. We recommend the Super Shuttle; you do not need to make prior reservations on Super Shuttle from DIA to Boulder. Just go to the Super Shuttle desk on the same level as baggage claim, to buy a ticket. The Super Shuttle leaves DIA ten minutes past every hour beginning at 6:10 a.m. and ending at 12:10 p.m. Return trips from the Millennium Hotel are fifteen minutes before every hour beginning at 3:45 a.m. and ending at 9:45 p.m.
The provisional schedule has been posted at http://ibgwww.colorado.edu/workshop2009/. The application programming includes the package, Mx, for the flexible analysis of nuclear family data. See http://griffin.vcu.edu/mx/ and http://www.psy.vu.nl/mxbib/ for background program information. Additionally, the use of several other software packages will be introduced during the week. Pairs of students will share networked laptop computers provided by the workshop. During teaching breaks students will be able to browse the web and check their e-mail. Any students with their own laptops are welcome to bring them, though they may find it easier to use the supplied computers for class work. Students wishing to attach their personal laptops to the Workshop network should bring either a 10/100 Ethernet card, or an 802.11b WiFi card.
Turning to non-academic matters, there will be an informal welcome reception on Sunday evening, March 1st from 4:00-7:00 p.m. There will be two other receptions on Monday evening, March 2nd and Tuesday evening, March 3rd from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the hotel. You are invited to join us for drinks and hors d'oeuvres before you go off for dinner. These are excellent opportunities for colleagues to informally discuss ideas. In addition, there will be a farewell party at the home of John and Christina Hewitt on Friday evening, March 8th, so plan accordingly if you want to attend. (Please note: all receptions will include both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.)
The workshop begins at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March 2nd, in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel, and ends at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6th. Included in your registration fee are breakfast, lunch and mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee breaks. Breakfast will be held at 8:00 a.m. in the Sunshine Room; this is also where the mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks will be held. This year we will also provide buffet lunches every day for your convenience; these will most likely be held in half of the ballroom. You will be on your own for dinner, which can be obtained in the hotel or nearby shops and restaurants.
For those of you staying over before or after the workshop, we are making no special social or other arrangements for you. However, as you will very quickly discover, if you do not already know, Boulder is a town that offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities both in the town and further in the plains, foothills, and Rocky Mountains. Most people associate the area with outdoor activities, but Boulder is also well served by its restaurants, bookshops, coffee shops, breweries, and pubs. At this time of year, skiing is a favorite activity. The nearest ski area, Eldora, is only 30 minutes away by car or bus, and the world-class resorts of Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and others are about 2 hours by car. Rocky Mountain National Park is just an hour from Boulder.
The workshop registration fee is $350; after the due date of January 16th the fee will go up to $400 (as long as the check is post-marked by this date it will be accepted as on time). At this time we can’t accept credit cards, but we can accept checks or money transfers. If you need this information, please email Kendra Locher at locherk@colorado.edu.
We are all looking forward to a great week. If you have any questions about these arrangements, please contact Kendra Locher by phone at 303-735-5440, or e-mail at locherk@colorado.edu.
With best wishes,
John K. Hewitt
Kendra Locher