Session Chair Information
   
 

General Information

The conference committee would like to thank the people that have agreed to act as session chairs at the 2017 ASEE Zone 2 Conference. Session chairs play an important role in ensuring the conference runs smoothly and that the technical presentations are a valuable experience for both speakers and attendees.

Technical sessions are 90 and/or 105 minutes long. Interactive workshop sessions are allocated the entire time, with the format determined by the nature of the session. All of the sessions within the same time slot will maintain the same starting time for papers as shown in the table below. This is to enable "session hopping" where papers of interest are in different sessions, but are not presented at the same time.

If there is a "no-show" author in a session, the moderator will conduct an open forum on the theme of the session between the presenters and the audience during this empty time slot. Papers will NOT be moved up in sessions. If the last paper is a "no-show" the session will end early.

Each 90 minute technical paper session will consist of five (5) 15-minute segments. Each 105 minute technical paper session will consist of six (6) 15-minute segments. Each paper will be allotted 15 minutes for the presentation and questions. The moderator will use part of each of the 15-minute segments for introductions and instructions. The final 15 minutes of each session are for a group discussion. The design of the conference is to promote discussion and interaction. Thus, the sessions are not just people presenting material but also a place for people to share their insights on an issue. The discussion should be based on the theme of each session. The presentations should present ideas that the group can then discuss. Come to the session prepared to provide your insight. See Information on the Presentation Schedule.

List of Session Chairs

Session Session Chairs Institution
V1A Joni Lakin Auburn University
V1B Pilar Pazos Old Dominion University
V1C Monika Bubacz The Citadel
V1D Harry Powell University of Virginia
V2A Maria M. García Sandoval Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
V2B Autar Kaw University of South Florida
V2C Beth Bateman Newborg University of Pittsburgh
V2D Nancy Moore North Carolina State University
V3A Lori C. Bland George Mason University
V3B Chuck Margraves University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
V3C Otsebele E. Nare Hampton University
V3D M. A. Karim Kennesaw State University
S1A Sindia Rivera-Jimenez University of Florida
S1B Claire L. McCullough University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
S1C Karinna Vernaza Gannon University
S1D Anna Howard North Carolina State University
S2A Cristina D. Pomales Garcia University of Puerto Rico
S2B Aidsa I. Santiago Román University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
S2C Keith Landry Georgia Southern University
S2D Carmen Cioc The University of Toledo
D1A Chadia Aji Tuskegee University
D1B Beth Todd University of Alabama
D1C Donna Reese Mississippi State University
D1D Gnaneswar Gude Mississippi State University
D2A Carmen Cioc The University of Toledo
D2B Morgan Bocci Tennessee Technological University
D2C Lulu Sun Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
D2D Valmiki Sooklal Kennesaw State University

The primary responsibilities of session chairs are to:

  • Help develop a title for the session that describes the focus of each paper
  • Read the papers in advance of the session
  • Contact the authors in the session to make sure you know which author will be presenting and how to pronounce their names
  • Introduce the session and make any conference announcements that are needed.
  • Manage time during the session - hold each presentation to its time limit,
  • Briefly introduce each speaker and paper.
  • Manage audience questions, and ensure that presentations occur within their predefined time slots.
  • Manage any open discussion period

In order to help you prepare for your responsibilities as a session chair, here are some additional details and suggestions:

  1. Please be at your session room 15 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time. This will allow time to meet the speakers, collect their bios for introductions, discuss session procedures, and preload all of the electronic presentations onto the computer in the session room. On the table at the front of your session room should be a packet of information, including a detailed schedule and list of papers, session instructions, a list of announcements, and a session evaluation form.
  2. Each session room will have an LCD projector connected to a computer. Authors using PowerPoint presentations have been asked to bring their file on a CD and/or memory stick so that it can be loaded onto the session room computer. There will be a assistant to help with technical problems.
  3. In each session, each presenter is allotted 15 minutes for the talk, plus for questions. This will allow you time for introductions at the beginning of each paper in the session. If the speaker talks for less than the allotted time, the extra time can be used for audience questions. To help speakers stay on schedule, we suggest that you provide a prearranged cue for presenters when they have 5 minutes left and when they have 2 minutes left. If a speaker runs beyond the total scheduled time slot, it may be necessary for you to stand up and cut off the presentation.
  4. Be prepared to help speakers manage the question period following each presentation. Keep track of the available time and limit questions, if necessary. You may need to reminder speakers to repeat the question, so everyone can hear it, or even to ask the first question or two if the audience is not very responsive.
  5. In a few cases, no paper is scheduled for the final slot in a session. Additionally, there will probably be a few "no-shows" during the conference. In such cases, you must still follow the announced presentation schedule and not increase the time for each presentation or move presentations forward.
  6. Please find your session listing and verify the time and room. Author contact information is listed in the footnotes at the bottom of the first page in each paper, so you may wish to email the authors, introduce yourself as session chair, and ask the presenting authors to prepare a short bio that you can use for introductions. You also may wish to remind them of the time limits and encourage them to rehearse their talks.

Again, thanks for your assistance with Zone 2 Conference. If you have any questions, please contact any member of the program committee.