2012-2013 FAQ for Project NExT Fellows

Please note that many of these questions are answered in the registration instructions that appear on the Project NExT Resources for Accepted Applicants page. In order to access that page, accepted applicants will need the password that was provided in the acceptance e-mail sent to new Fellows from Aparna Higgins, Director of Project NExT (if you are an accepted applicant and do not have the password, please contact <aparna(dot)higgins(at)udayton(dot)edu>, or Gavin LaRose, <glarose(at)umich(dot)edu>). The registration instructions constitute the definitive document for those issues it addresses. This FAQ is intended for 2012-2013 Fellows.

When should I arrive in Madison?
Answer:
The Project NExT Workshop begins at 1:30 pm on Monday, July 30. You should plan to arrive on the morning of Monday, July 30. and remain through the afternoon of Saturday, August 4. However, if you are traveling a long distance, you may want to arrive on Sunday, July 29 instead. Note that the workshop schedule is quite full, and you don't want to be exhausted from travel when it starts.
When should I leave?
Answer:
You are expected to stay through Mathfest, whose scientific sessions go until around 6pm on Saturday, August 4. (See Mathfest program.) There are many reasons why we want Project NExT Fellows to stay through Mathfest.
- There is a four-hour Project NExT course that is only open to Project NExT Fellows, which is held for two hours on each of the first two days of Mathfest. (You have already ranked your preferences for this course in the acceptance form information you sent to us.)
- Many sessions during Mathfest will explore in greater depth some of the issues that were addressed during the Project NExT workshop. You can attend these sessions with your fellow Fellows and continue your discussions with one another.
- You will be able to meet many mathematicians during Mathfest and be able to network with them.
- You will be able to continue conversations started with other Project NExT Fellows and continue your networking with them.
- Many Fellows from previous years have told us how much they enjoy one more dinner/evening with their new-found Project NExT friends.
How can I find out about the Mathfest program?
Answer:
The Mathfest webpage (at MAA online) has all the Mathfest information. You can also find it in the April/May issue of FOCUS (the Newsmagazine of the MAA).
Who pays for my meals, lodging, registration, and transportation for my trip to Madison?
Answer:
As you've probably noticed, your trip to Madison has two parts: The Project NExT workshop (Monday through Wednesday) and Mathfest (Thursday through Saturday). Your institution pays for transportation to and from Madison, registration for Mathfest, lodging throughout the workshop and Mathfest, and for your expenses during Mathfest. Project NExT pays for some of your meals during the workshop (and, of course, provides the workshop in the first place).

Here are some details:

Lodging: Your institution is responsible for your lodging starting on Monday night (7/30) (or, if you need to arrive the night before that, on Sunday (7/29)) through the end of Mathfest, which ends at around 6pm on Saturday, August 4.

Meals: Project NExT provides THE FOLLOWING meals: dinner on Monday (7/30), lunch and dinner on Tuesday (7/31), and lunch on Wednesday (8/1). Project NExT will also pay for your ticket to the Mathfest Opening Banquet on Wednesday night. (Just sign up for the ticket when you register, and Project NExT will be billed for it.) If you are staying in the dorms, breakfast is included in the cost of the previous night's lodging. Starting with breakfast on Thursday (8/2), your institution is responsible for your meals (and for any meals before dinner on Monday (7/30)).

Your institution is also responsible for your transportation costs and for your Mathfest registration fee [See question #9]. The letter of support that accompanied your application pledged your institution's financial support for your participation in Project NExT activities. You may want to check with your department regarding procedures, forms, or other items that you will need for reimbursement or advances.
What do the dorm rooms come equipped with? Do I need to bring linens and towels?
Answer:
Please refer to the information provided by Mathfest for dorm rooms. This web page can also be accessed by going to the MAA's meetings page, going to the Mathfest webpage and then clicking on the link "General Information" and then clicking on "Mathfest Housing."
I don't want to stay in the dorm. Can I stay in a hotel?
Answer:
You can stay in a hotel if you want to do so, but you will have to get from the hotel to campus for the workshop, which begins as early as 8:30 a.m. every day. Also note that the dorm room includes breakfast each morning. If you want to stay in a hotel, you should be sure to check with your institution that they will cover this (more expensive) housing option for you. In addition, because most of the Project NExT Fellows will be staying in the dorms, you may find that to be the best way to better get to know the other Project NExT Fellows and build connections with them.
What is the dress code for the Mathfest opening banquet?
Answer:
Mathfest is a summer meeting, and is more casual than the winter meetings. The banquet is certainly not a black-tie event. However, it is a dinner at a professional meeting, and people are dressed accordingly. Most of the men wear long pants and collared shirts, although some wear a jacket and tie. Most of the women wear skirts, dresses, or slacks. Very few people wear shorts and tee-shirts. We advise that you keep in mind that you will meet many mathematicians (other than Project NExT Fellows) at the banquet, and that you are representing your institution.
Must I register for Mathfest?
Answer:
Yes. You MUST register for Mathfest. Being a Project NExT Fellow requires you to attend Mathfest, and you must register for it. [See also questions #9 and #10.]
Should I just register for Mathfest using the standard Mathfest registration form?
Answer:
Yes. However, there are a few things to note when you register:
- Select 2011-2012 or 2012-2013 Project NExT Fellow for your registration category.
- Do not sign up for an MAA minicourse. Because the minicourses overlap with the times of the Project NExT courses that are part of your Project NExT experience you need to find out which Project NExT course you are assigned to. If you want also to sign up for a minicourse you can add that to your Mathfest registration after you have been assigned a Project NExT course.
- Sign up for a banquet ticket for the opening banquet, which should show a $0 price.
- Do not sign up for the Wednesday tour, which conflicts with the Project NExT program.
I am interested in one of the MAA minicourses at Mathfest. Why do the registration instructions for 2012-2013 Fellows say that I shouldn't sign up for it?
Answer:
You will be assigned to a Project NExT course, which meets both Thursday and Friday (8/2 and 8/3). (You give us a preference ranking for this when you submit your acceptance form.) Some of the Project NExT courses are scheduled for 1-3pm and the others for 3:15-5:15pm. There is a time conflict between some of the MAA minicourses and some of the Project NExT courses. Later this summer, we will post the Project NExT course assignments on the web, and you will be able to see whether any MAA minicourses fit your schedule. If you wish, you can try to add the MAA minicourses to your registration at that time.
I find it difficult to walk long distances. How much walking is involved in the Project NExT workshop and the Mathfest?
Answer:
The Project NExT workshop sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the Pyle Center, on the University of Wisconsin campus, which is about half a mile from the dorm in which you will be staying if you select that housing option. Breakfast will be in Newell's Dining Room, less than a quarter mile from the dorm and between the dorm and the Pyle Center. The Project NExT courses on Thursday and Friday will be in the Monona Terrace conference center, which is the meeting site for Mathfest. There will be shuttle buses that run between dorm and the Monona Terrace conference center during Mathfest.

If you think that you will be unable to walk this much, please let us know as soon as you can, so that we can help you to arrange transportation. We also want to know if you have some other disability that requires accommodation.
Is there childcare available?
Answer:
Project NExT does not provide childcare.

Here is some information that may be helpful to you in deciding whether you would want to bring your children to Madison and try to arrange care for them there, or whether you would want to arrange care for your children back home.
- The Project NExT workshop runs a very tight schedule time-wise, and our sessions start by 8:30 a.m. and go through a working dinner and at least one session past dinner.
- At Project NExT workshops in the past, we have had Fellows who brought young children -- sometimes infants, and sometimes toddlers. Sometimes a mother brings her baby to the sessions in a stroller and moves to a quiet room or hallway to care for the baby or nurse her/him when needed. Many times, such a mother is assisted by a husband or other family member who will take a baby away between feedings, so that the mother can concentrate on the sessions. If someone can come along with you and help you out in this way, that would be one option.
- Hotels can often put you in touch with babysitters in the area.

Other questions? Please write to Aparna Higgins <Aparna(dot)Higgins(at)udayton(dot)edu>, Director of Project NExT, or Gavin LaRose <glarose(at)umich(dot)edu>, one of Project NExT's Associate Directors.