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Pain Lab Grads

RA WORK

Pain Lab RA Meetings, Spring 2016: Tuesdays, 3-4p.m.+


CONFERENCES

Here's our list of upcoming conferences w/sites, dates, who's in charge of each plus a back-up person(s).


SPIE VR SF, Feb.17-19, Servet

CeBIT Hanover, March, Gromala/Shaw

MMVR/NextMED LA(downtown), April 7-9,WEINA Ash

CHI 2016 STUDENT GAME COMPETITION San Jose, May 7-12 XIN Weina+Servet

CPS (Canadian Pain Society) Vancouver, May 23-24 WEINA Xin

HCII Toronto, July 17-22 7-12 ASH Xin

SIGGRAPH Anaheim(LA) end of July 24-28: TBD


By "in charge," I mean: the person whose main responsibility is to:

• keep in touch with the organizers & DGr,

• to make sure everyone who is planning to attend is kept updated with on-going information,

• to contact DGr by whatever means necessary when a time-sensitive or time-crucial task is due, and so on.

Obviously, you are part of a team, but essentially are the team leader who ensures that everything can go as smoothly as possible.

EVERYONE: Make sure you PLAN AHEAD.

Before you depart

• Plan, create slides and practice your talks or demos.

• PRACTICE. Yes, that means actually practice the demo so it is least likely to fail on site. You can never account for al of the things that do go wrong, but you can reduce these inevitabilities by planning & practicing.

• BRING BACK-UPs. Include back-up data on another device, back-up projectors or whatever you need, a back-up video if the demo fails or fails temporarily,

• BRING: one-pager descriptions you can hand people when you are crushed by a crowd of people who each have questions, SFU & Pain Lab swag, and so on.

ON SITE:

1. DOCUMENT the heck out of your presentation (Be sure to ask someone to take a picture of you talking). Take pictures & video. Don't rely on others -- make sure it's done.

2. GET INFO from media people -- names, business cards, what they plan to use the info for, when they plan to publish/air the story, etc.

3. BE SURE YOU ASK FOR & ANNOTATE BUSINESS CARDS of people who suggest they have an opportunity (write on the back of the business card).


CHI 2016 STUDENT GAME COMPETITION

Weina, Servet, Xin

• ESTIMATE BUDGET

• List on-site equipment needs + diagram for onsite demo + study + docum. include back-up everything(extra cable...)

• Revise, refine project

• Study @ CHI coping behaviors, impairments, guarding behaviors

• CHI Comp. Budget 

 - flight est.
 - hotel
 - ground transport
 - registration
 - demo (poster, support/equip)
 - luggege $25/person
 - food per day(look online)
 - printing
 - (insurance) shipping
 - swag/take away
 - U.S. callphone plan

• blog post

• replace video on youtube

• one page on SCH w/quotes

• SFU banner 50 Anniv.

• PUBLIC INFO

Dr. Gromala

• write up "ask"justification & proposal

• find grant/funding sources

• bring "ask" doc. to Thecla, Dean, etc.

<DynamicPageList> mode = unordered category = Meetings </DynamicPageList>

==RA LIST OF TASKS: THE DEAD SIMPLE LIST for DGr==


MARK NAZEMI

KEEPER OF SOUND/MUSIC MF sound files, background music

MF sound files: Background sound for MF needed.


XIN TONG

[updated Apr 18 2016 by Xin]

[RA]

(1) KEEPER OF CONFERENCE EMAILS: TECHNOLOGY/DESIGN
(2) KEEPER OF CFI ORDER + CHECK IN
(3) KEEPER OF CHI Game Comp
(4) KEEPER OF Cancer Kids project @Children Hospital w/Henry & Janice


[RA] 

   study with chemo kids
   MITACS grant proposal w/Archiact
   podcast
   VMW Polish for demo purpose on UNITY5


1. stuff we need to finish 

- Gamification book chapter - Journal of HCI?[pub] DUE:
- Meta-review of VR for chronic pain [pub] start w/tech.comm.

2. stuff we need to do 

- P O D C A S T
- Children hospital follow up(remind DGr)

3. stuff you WANT to do 

- Lost spirit, the flying game: finish it for course work.
- Brainstorming for PhD dissertation.
- Annotated Bib.
- Get the 2 books DGr recommends: Dissertation:A Journey & Doing a Literature Review, Hart


TO-DO List

1. Conferences Follow-up consumer VR conference Henry Game AFK conference

2. Publications SIGGRAPH Poster Pervasive Health Journal

3. CHI Prep

Print postcards print & design pain lab postcards 

  11-16811 to doc Solution

DIMPLE GUPTA

TA - 309 - FALL 2015 - 20 hours per week

PainBC Ed.Comm. retreat - Oct 9th full day

PainBC Fundraiser (un)Wine(d) Tasting

UVic Chronic Disease & CP & Diabetes Training - 4 days remaining - fall 2015

Social Media - daily/ weekly updates on FB and blog. login/password needed. Photos/computer/summary. IN PROCESS DAILY/WEEKLY

Handout explaining data differences for patients - First Draft SENT TO DGr WAITING FOR DGr's FEEDBACK

Podcast http://creativedisturbance.org/blog/

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Kindle - DGr

ISEA Attendance - Dates 14-17th August, ATTENDED. Blog Up. COMPLETED.

Presentation skills - body voice workshop - Dates 25+26th August, ATTENDED. Blog Up. COMPLETED.

UVic Self Management Program - 48 hour Trainer Course attended 2 days/ 4 days remaining (Sep - 24th/25th/Oct 1st+2nd). IN PROCESS

Pain BC Liasion - upcoming RETREAT for PAIN BC EDUCATION COMMITTEE - IN PROCESS Updates - New online interactive patient tool launching in December, no annual conference this year, award for radio and TV public awareness ad campaign, mental health trainer. Comprehensive lit review by Thompson on chronic pain

WIP

Squire Data Coding - To be discussed, given to Weina // Workbook - photocopied

100 words daily - Therapy Tools / Seniors - Life Review? send to DGr

Diane SIAT Office - to be completed with Mahsoo by Sept 1st

Two papers - Sent. DGr feedback required (Ron class papers on interaction design (narrative), Jim media studies (insomnia).

Scheduling GA Meeting


MAHSOO SALIMI

[updated Oct 09 by Mahsoo]

KEEPER OF BIOSUPPLIES info on how to order biosupplies, Done: Ward's Science,


[Leonardo Creative Disturbance], in progress

a) MetaLife Bioart - BioDesign - ALife, Done

b) “paining” Pain lab's members especial area of interest each: Dialogue with Roger or other

how does each one distrurb
1-CHRONIC PAIN INTRO: DGr follow up ISEA
2-PAIN: STELARC & DGr
3-CHRONIC PAIN: doctors
4-CHRONIC PAIN:
5-MARYAM
6-MARK
7-XIN
8-MAHSOO
9-DIMPLE
10-WEINA
11-ASHFAQ
12-SERVET
13-TYLER
14-BIOART
15-VR
16-WEARABLES
17-SOUNDWALK
18-AR

liaison with Yvan/Creative Disturbance


[INTERFACE 2015] - The Future of Health, DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 29


[Paper submission], in progress

a) Leonardo, paining

1-Art & Bio

2-Smart textiles (bio printing?)

3-pub about prior art: color changing material (i.e thermochromic), Iridescence (i.e minimal surface), etc

b) Robotics and Biomimetics, journal

c) Swarm Intelligence, journal

d) Bio-inspired Materials, Abstract: 5 November


[BioInstallation], in progress brainstorming 3-5 ideas for an installation, Due: end of Sep

a) Ars Electronica 2016, in progress

1-“Hybrid Art” category: Autonomic Installations and Artworks, OR Mechatronics / Kinetics / Robotics

2- “Interactive Art” category: installations, performances, OR innovative interfaces, robotics brainstorming 3-5 ideas for an installation, Due: end of Sep

b) "wearable protective gear", in progress idea end of Sept., modify calendar Oct, deliver prototype by Dec.

(get Weina to help you for an hour to look up in PubMed the word for “protective/phobia” 

   “don’t touch me because it hurts”), Done (Thanks Weina)

1- hypersensitivity
 2- tactile hypersensitivity
 3- hyperalgesia

[new ideas for creatures inside caves in MF], in progress 3D MODELS (i.e minimal surfaces)


[smart textiles], (Leonardo) articles for DGr, in progress

ASHFAQ AMIN

KEEPER OF CARDBOARD VR & ACCESSIBLE HMDs

Make list of cardboard HMDs we have (or have had)

Debrief MMVR



Thesis

1. 1 page description of Thesis study. Along with Diane take it to Research Consultants in Statistics Dept. for assessment


CONFERENCES

1. Mindcare 2015 done

Video presentation sent. Invoices submitted.

2. SPIE2016 Write paper.
topic- Study from Ron's class OR study from 811
short paper sent to Diane. NOT submitted yet.

3. MMVR deadline: Oct 5. done
topic: Cardboard VR for Pain Distraction

4. HCII deadline: Oct 22
Ongoing study on Measuring Immersion for Cardboard vs. HMD


RESEARCH PROJECTS

1. VR LAP: w/ Weina


-- Senson Technologies for healthcare (McGarth)

BACK-UP

1. Gromala’s out-of-date- website: http://gromala.iat.sfu.ca/publications.html (etc.)

2. Cheryl's google docs -- all (make sure you find her sketches): onto ZOtero, onto DGr's removeable HD, dvd backup done


WEINA JIN

[updated Apr 11 by DGr]

KEEPER OF

  1. HEALTH CFP emails & CP/IASP news
    • SFU Health Research Day 2016: Networking for Innovation
    Deadline to submit your poster presentation is Friday, April 8th, 2016 at 12:00PM. Deadline for general registration is Friday, April 22nd, 2016 at 12:00PM. DATE: Wednesday, May 4th, 2016 TIME: 8:30AM to 2:45PM VENUE: SFU Surrey Campus https://www.sfu.ca/healthnetwork/health-research-day.html
  2. lab video production
  3. MMVR in April
  4. CPS in May

LIST

1. stuff we need to finish

  1. article review
  2. CPS revision abstract + learning outcome
  3. date re: meeting up w/Ryan Darcy’s crew third week of May
  4. CP patients focus group plan
  5. SIAT health: 1. Prof. Bizzocchi's user study; 2. a quick visualization of areas of interest


2. stuff we need to do

- debrief MMVR

- chemo, Archiact proposal


3. stuff you WANT to do (i.e., you goal for the new semester)

- 881: depression game with narrative, user study, 2- rounds ideally

- 812: collaboration in medical settings, genome data vis


[RA]

  1. • video& images to DGr re: depression game
  2. study with chemo kids
  3. MITACS grant proposal
  4. swag project card printing - LikeMind depression game(image for PAIN cover)
    5. We have 6 cards we can fit on one sheet of paper. So far, it’s 5: 2 general pain lab 2 VR: F, VMW As If
  5. Remind DGr to give a talk at the Interface Health annual conf. Sept 28-29, 2016
  6. lab leaflet: flexagon; demo design done; test for different paper
  7. lab video
  8. podcast

[PUBLICATIONS]

  1. chronic pain & VR, review / meta-analysis in journal.
  2. identify one article we can “translate” into a health research journal article.

[RESEARCH DESIGN STUDIES]

  1. lap video annotation: done 2nd version
  2. help design the longitudinal study for the Virtual Meditative Walk*
  3. co-design a study comparing the difference between GSR + HRV and EEG w/ Xin & Servet
  4. neck pain HMD study w/ Ashfaq
  5. book related to design for health research

[COURSE PROJECTS]

  1. 812: Collaborative Visual Analytics Tool for Antibiotic Choices in Infectious Diseases
    2. - outcome: web vis app development
  2. 881: ASIF for empathy communication of CP
    3. - outcome: game dev and user study

CHERYL YU

ASHFAQ: FIND her googlgle docs file; download all contents; move to zotero AND copy onto DGr's removeable HD

KEEPER OF MF SKETCHES

SERVET ULAS

KEEPER OF LAB INVENTORY

AS IF: ISEA & CHI Updates / unity
AS IF: SIGGRAPH Art Paper
SPIE Submission
Picard Map
Bioaffective Computing - Map ( Table 1.2.1 Marsella p.22) Leap motion study with own hand textures

Leap motion flipping gesture
SPIE Presentation Slides

[MAKING]
Chronic Pain Map
chronicpainmap gman.com //painmap777 for email access
[editable public map]https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zrt_k6qKD3Jk.ko4TSh5PNgfI&usp=sharing

DSH - VR awareness phase DSH - VR therapeutic phase

[COMM]
XSENS Motion Capture VIRTUIX Omni Threadmill German Serious Games Conf.: keep in contact

[PUBLICATIONS]
1. Metaverse Creativity article DUE: April
2. DSH related
3. Body of Knowledge

JULIAN GIORDANO

KEEPER OF VIDEO Identify 5 videos, upload to YouTube site

JEREMY MAMISAO

KEEPER OF PHOTOS

Pain Studies Lab logo: send sizes, b on w, w on b; Pain Studies Lab design template for posters:

GILLIAN RAMSAY

GILLIAN: [updated Sept 18]

KEEPER OF PAIN STUDIES LAB SWAG, ARI LIAISON

Ethics

Make Website

[Swag]

look into coaster with Xin

[Mobius Floe]

Make Map DONE print it out (level 3)

MF pictures for website Download onto DGr's removeable HD

Sound Walk pictures for website

fix weapon direction/intro see cave

Find better river shader

rail timing/turning:

otter looking, interacting with player: Note: will need animation of otter walking (on hind legs?) so that I can get this working the best. Walking on all fours wouldn't hurt too.

Mark- sounds for mf:Need the background sound TOLD HIM KEEP REMINDING HIM

EMRE:

Mobius Floe look for different interface interactions

VMW mobile app of VMW (MF: trees don't have opacity mapping so shadows don't work well

Blog Story write short blog story, find photo, send to SGr for edits, upload to blogsite


DANNY YAN:

Pain Studies Lab website:upload top level

Dr.Gromala

GRADS: FRIDAY: DISSERTATION: RESEARCH QUESTION/how to define area


PAIN & VR website

PAINLAB website update w/Danny

Follow-up w/Walter

Follow-up w/undergrads video

$$$ Follow up Dean Ask

INNOVATION HEALTH


WRITING: COMP.AESTH. ARTICLE

WRITING: JOURNAL ARTICLE


Appt. SFU VP RESEARCH

Appt. SFU ASSOC.VP RESEARCH

Appt. SFU FUNDRAISER

Appt. SFU FCAT DEAN


$$$ Submit Reimbursement to SFU for Germany

$$$ Follow-up Reimbursement from Germany


Add to CV: Germany

Add to CV: MMVR

Add to CV: FOUNDATION GRANT FOR VR


ADD TO BLOGSITE: CeBIT

ADD TO BLOGSITE: MMVR


ANNUAL REPORT 2011-2012 to Xin

EQUIPMENT ORDERED: iPad for PainLab, iPad for Dr.Squire, back up disks for each HMD/VR set-up, contact Apple rep for CFI

EQUIPMENT TO GET: suitcase for computer for studies, Apple order

EQUIPMENT TO GET: make sure photo order w/B&H has been submitted to CFI

EQUIPMENT TO GET: Cancel order of 10: DONE, Order Oculus Rift DK2 (x2)

WEBSITE: REVISIT w/J&J: DONE

WEBSITE: send edits to Danny

BUDGET: NSERC: DONE

BUDGET: assign payment for summer: DONE

BUDGET: GET REIMBURSEMENTS FOR GRAND:

BUDGET: GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR BACK UP DISKS

BUDGET: SUBMIT REIMBURSEMENTS FOR SPIE

BUDGET: SUMBIT REIMBURSEMENTS FOR GOOGLE GLASS1, GOOGLE GLASS 2

PHOTOS: meet w/J&J: SIATVR

VIDEO: reshoot faculty video w/J&J

PHOTOBOOTH: have J&J set up

SPIE: Paper: final edit DONE

SPIE: Upload photos from conference on removeable HD

SPIE: Exhibit 2015: add to CV/annual reports

SPIE: collect good swag examples for Gillian, Emre, Ashfaq (esp. VR) DONE (there weren't any!)

SPIE: MTG.: Ari, Howard, Jul, Mary, Lyn, Shridhar, Jana DONE (individual mtgs.)

MEDUSA: Paper: final edit DONE

ALGAE PAPER: final edit

Letters of recommendation

Interview grad candidates via Skype DONE

Procedures

<DynamicPageList> mode = unordered category = Procedures </DynamicPageList>

Papers

Here are three journals we should aim for related to interactive art:

Leonardo, MIT Press, www.leonardo.info/leoinfo.html

NOTE: this one also has 2 page short papers for CHI-like grad students. Carefully read what kinds of papers they accept.

Technoetic Arts (interactive art + consciousness, senses), Intellect (UK) www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-issue,id=2819/?utm_source=Visual+Arts+newsletter+March&utm_campaign=VANewsMarch&utm_medium=email

Example articles:

Digital hustling: ICT practices of hip hop artists in Grahamstown

This is not an app, this is not an artwork: Exploring mobile selfie-posting software

Disrupters, This is Disrupter X: Mashing up the archive

‘The Stone Sky’: Dwelling and habitation in other worlds

Are we our fictions?: The narrative boundaries of self

Excavating the ghost from the meat-covered skeleton: An aesthetic engagement with technologically-mediated medical imagery

Digital Creativity, Routledge (UK) www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/digc;jsessionid=7avbakkcb1oos.alice

Example articles (this was special issue re: museums)

Between control and creativity: challenging co-creation and social media use in a museum context

Fictional institutions and institutional frictions: creative approaches to open GLAMs

Designing infrastructures for creative engagement

Towards children's creative museum engagement and collaborative sense-making

Participatory heritage innovation: designing dialogic sites of engagement

Empathic negotiations through material culture: co-designing and making digital exhibits

International Journal of Arts and Technology, Inderscience http://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=IJART Example articles:

Supporting intense physical interaction in technology-enhanced therapeutic play

Re-sensitising the body: interactive art and the Feldenkrais method.

Dance interaction with physical model visuals based on movement qualities.

Balancing justice: comparing whole body and controller-based interaction for an abstract domain

Here are other journals; the ones I am familiar with are in italics.

interactive art

Convergence (1) more art than design, art & the humanities/theory

Digital Creativity (2)

International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media (1)

International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing (1)

Design (mostly art school and DIS-related, or art-related design & Humanities)

Design Creativity and Innovation

Design Issues

Design Journal

Design Methods

Design Research Quarterly (2)

Design Studies (2)

Design and Culture (1)

Journal of Design Research

International Journal of Design (2)

International Journal of Design Sciences & Technology (1)

HCI

Computer Supported Cooperative Work

Human–Computer Interaction

Human Centered Design (not in BFI)

Evaluating User Experience in Games

Human computer interaction

Qualitative Research

International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies

Journal of Mobile Multimedia

Journal of Usabiity Studies (JUS)

The Senses and Society (not in BFI)

Games and Culture (2)

Hard core cultural studies + interactive art

New Media & Society (2)

Communication for Development and Social Change (1)

Transformations (1)

?

CONFERENCES

ACII Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction

ACM Conference on Creativity

Ambience

Audio Mostly

ACM Multimedia

ARS Electronica

BodyNets Conference on Body Area Networks

CHI Human Factors in Computing Systems

Create Interaction Design Conference

DIS Designing Interctive Systems (often held w/or before CHI)

EVOMUSART (music)

HAID Haptic and Audio Interaction Design

Interact

International Conference on Enactive Interfaces

ICMC International Computer Music Conference

ICMI International Conference on Multimodal Interfaces

ICMPC International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition

IDC Interaction Design and Children

INTERCHI

ISEA International Symposium for Electronic Arts

ISWC International Symposium on Wearable Computers

IUI International conference on intelligent user interfaces

IxDA (more industry-related)

MobileCHI

NIME New Interfaces for Musical Expression

nordes nordic design and research conference

NordiCHI Nordic conference on human-computer interaction

Pervasive

ICSCMS International Conference on Social Computing, Modeling and Simulation

UbiComp International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing

UMAP User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalization

SIGGRAPH

TEI Tangible Embedded and Embodied Interaction

UIST Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (more CS, but they always have at least 1 crazy artwork)

VAST (visual analytics)


MMVR Medicine Meets VR

CyberPsychology

Annotated Bibliographies

<DynamicPageList> category = Annotated Bibliography mode = unordered </DynamicPageList>


TRAVEL INFORMATION: READ & REREAD THIS ! ! !

<DynamicPageList> category = Travel Information mode = unordered </DynamicPageList>


BEFORE THE CONFERENCE:


AS SOON AS YOUR PAPER/EXHIBIT/DEMO IS ACCEPTED, SEE DGr to spprove of travel. THEN, APPLY FOR TRAVEL FUNDING ASAP.

NOTE: Your safety comes first, so when in doubt, choose the safer route, the closer hotel, share taxis w/ppl you know, beware Air bnb's, etc.


1. Please READ SIAT’s travel info doc.


2. Before you do anything else, develop a budget. See SFU’s travel claim site for prices.

Use this for an estimate if you are unsure:

Airfare $350. N.America

Hotel $100./night if poss.

Ground transport: $50.

Registration: $400. (student rate)


(Try to keep it as near to $1,000. as possible for U.S./CAN)

The more “matching funds” you can find, the more likely you are to get more $. Examples of “matching”: amt. DGr contributes, registration fee waiver, sharing hotel rooms, sharing taxis, etc.


BE SURE YOU LIST CAN$ or U.S.$ (www.oanda.com, look near bottom of page for calculator)

BE SURE YOU ATTACH the conf. paper acceptance letter + reviews

See me if you have a hard time getting the reviews. SPIE, for example, doesn’t provide reviews.


3. Apply for travel from as many places as you can find: (also, if you have more than one paper, you can get more $; includes a paper + workshop, panel, poster, demo, exhibit, or screening (or rarely: work at a SIAT booth)

a) SIAT: $1000. or $500.

If you are 1st or 2cd author (or if you have 2 or more presentations*), you can get up to $1,000.

If you are not 1st or 2cd author, you can get up to $500.

b) FCAT $350.?

c) SFU Grad Student Org. (whatever it's called) $200.

NOTE: Even tho their website has deadlines listed, word on the street is that they will even entertain reimbursements after the fact because they have more funding than applicants?

I NEED TO MATCH whatever SIAT gives you.

I NEED TO SIGN EACH APPLICATION FORM &

I NEED TO WRITE A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE SIAT APPLICATION.

Never ask for me (or anyone) to sign an application that is not filled in — it’s illegal for me (or others) to do so.

Typically, all of this combined doesn’t cover all of your expenses.

When I have funding, I try to cover as much as I can, depending. For example, when there is a clear match between the conference paper and my NSERC, it’s easy.

Because of the exchange rate, and because my NSERC $ doesn’t arrive until April 1,

please take advantage of all early bird registration opportunities.


WAYS TO SAVE $

SAVE ALL OF YOUR RECEIPTS -- SFU WON'T REIMBURSE W/OUT THEM. Includes everything: airplane ticket stubs, parking, etc.


1. Share hotel rooms.

2. Share taxi cabs.

3. Share meals (Except in California, and often even there, portions are HUGE). • It is common for students or people who are in dates to order an entree w/2 plates — that is, they split an entree. A few restaurants may want to charge a little for that, but all you have to do is to say you are a poor student, and they won’t.)

• Most hotel rooms have mini-refrigerators — it’s too expensive to buy food or drinks from those, but everyone uses them for leftovers. Some hotels provide “continental breakfast” -- pastries, fruit, juices, coffee/tea. I actually bring my own breakfast, nuts, rice crackers — stuff you can bring on the plane (anything that is sealed) because it saves a lot in food costs. Alternatively, if you split a breakfast in a hotel with someone, you get so much food that you may not need lunch.

4. Ask if there are any discounts at every step.

• STUDENT DISCOUNTS are everywhere — you just have to remember to ask & show them your card.

Hotels, museums, movies, tourist things, tours, things people sell, buses, etc.

• MEMBERS OF BCAA can get 10-20% off car rentals, and some hotels.

• CAR RENTALS:

- If you are male and under 25, it will be pricey. To save $, figure out who the least expensive main driver will be & add a 2nd driver.

- Insurance. Car rental companies make a killing on extras like insurance. It’s a gamble tho because if you don’t have insurance and something happens, it can be very expensive. Best bet: see if your credit card covers rental car insurance (many do) or join BCAA before you go.

- Prices can differ dramatically if you rent a car when you make plane reservations, or if you rent it from and return it to the airport (vs. renting it downtown).

5. Fly into smaller airports Airfare AND car rentals can often be cheaper at smaller airports.

• Check out where your conference is located, then

• where you are staying, then the airports.

If you are staying near one of the smaller airports, it’s worth it to check out prices for airfare & car rentals.

Bay Area: SFO (San Francisco’s), San Jose

LA: LAX: is SW of downtown (30 mins., w/out traffic).

Orange County: is South (if SIGGRAPH is in Anaheim; 60mins. or more to downtown w/out traffic).

John Wayne: is near Silver Lake, where many young “creatives” live. If you are staying w/someone in Silver Lake or Pasadena, it’s a good option.


Sometimes it is worth flying out of Bellingham (just over the border) — just be sure to check the exchange rate.

Sometimes it is worth flying out of Seattle, esp. for flights to Chicago, certain parts of Asia or S.America.


6. Take flights that have 1 stop. They are always cheaper.

7. Always keep looking for cheap flights, but don’t depend on just one online app.

WestJet is almost always the cheapest for flights in the “Cascadia Corridor” (Vancouver to SF or LA), but they don’t always appear on other online sites.

When you see an extraordinarily cheap air fare, GRAB IT IMMEDIATELY.

If it seems too good to be true, you can bet people will snap it up in 24 hours or less.


8. Ask to have the conference registration fee waived, esp. for games conferences.

Because my first academic lifetime was in the Arts — an area that never has funding — I learned early how to travel inexpensively and how to get discounts.

For example, conference organizers will often waive registration fees if you ask; you have a 50% chance of getting your registration fee waived OR reduced. Chances are better if you give them good reasons, such as:

• you are really excited about the conference because ______

• you’re a grad student and can get SOME funding, but not enough

• it’s important for your future (esp. if you aren't from N.America)

• medical or games conference registration fees are much higher than your (SIAT) program allows

• we (SIAT or Pain Lab) have multiple papers accepted, but there’s only funding for one person to go

• you’d be happy to do something in return (a demo is easiest)

ACM conferences like CHI & SIGGRAPH won’t waive fees unless you or I know the conference or venue chairs & have a reason.

They are FAR MORE LIKELY TO SAY YES TO YOU than to me, if I asked on your behalf. Most people remember how hard it was to be a grad student.


9. FIND Special Funding w/DGr: there are often special pots of funding for travel abroad, travel to receive nifty prizes, competitions or other honorary kind of travel.


NOTES ON REGIONS

The Bay Area

San Francisco is one of the few American cities where you don’t need a car. However, tho it is nearby, the Silicon Valley is not San Francisco — it is a car-based area. In the Bay Area (San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley): stay as near to the conference venue as possible. The commute from SF to SJ isn’t feasible for a conference in most cases.

If you have family, colleagues or friends who will let you stay with them, be sure to calculate the hotel savings vs. the cost of transport. If their place is near mass transit (BART), no problem; otherwise, you’ll need a car.

It is often cheaper to rent a car + pay for gas + convention centre parking than to pay for hotel.

Los Angeles

If you stay downtown, you won’t need a car. Often, someone else you know who is at the conference (esp. SIGGRAPH) WILL have a car, and are much more likely to take you to see the sights than you think. There are also busses that will take you to the ocean or Hollywood — just ask the hotel concierge because they often can get you a discount. (They probably also get a little payback if they talk you into some other transport option, but all you have to do is to say no to those.)

Must see as part of your grad education: the Museum of Jurassic Technology, in Santa Monica (closed on Mondays).

Vancouver

If you attend a conference in Vancouver, I will help you get registration fees reimbursed.

You are expected to use your student travel pass for transportation UNLESS you need to drive & park downtown for demo purposes.



AFTER THE CONFERENCE

1. File your reimbursement claim as soon as possible.

2. Make a photocopy of your claim form AND ESP. your receipts.

3. Turn it in as soon as possible.



      • ppl you vaguely knew when they were at SIAT are way friendlier once they are in industry — instant network
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