Letter from the Program Chair – Eric Castner

The Renaissance Hotel in Baton Rouge, LA will be the site of the 2023 Southern Weed Science Society Annual Conference on January 23–26. The SWSS Board of Directors and Local Arrangements Committee are planning an outstanding program and encourage your attendance and participation.

You are invited to submit titles for papers and posters to be presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Southern Weed Science Society. Submission of title and author information will open on August 29, 2022. Titles, abstracts, and presentations must be submitted through the following website: https://weedscimeetingabstracts.com/ Title submissions will close on October 7, 2022. No title additions, changes, edits, etc. will be possible after October 7, 2022. If you have any issues submitting titles and/or presentations, please email me at eric.castner@fmc.com and I will assist you in the process. Papers and posters may be submitted to one of the following sections:

Paper sessions will consist of 15-minute presentations which includes time for questions. Workshop/Symposia presentations are by invitation and may be longer than 15 minutes allotted for volunteer papers. Periods for discussion will be interspersed in the sessions. The Program will be printed exactly as submitted, other than format and font changes for uniformity; therefore, proofread your submission very carefully. Primary contact authors will receive an email indicating their title was received and a later email confirming the section/day/time when and where the paper will be presented.

Each author is assured of one senior-author presentation, but multiple senior-author submissions will be accepted only as space and time are available. If you have several papers or posters you wish to present, please indicate which is highest priority by adding a note in the comments section on the title submission form, or by emailing Eric Castner at eric.castner@fmc.com.

Participation in Symposia/Workshops will be by invitation and titles will be submitted separately from the other sections.

As in the past, there will be a Graduate Student contest for oral presentations and posters. If you are planning to enter the contest, students cannot enter the paper and poster contest concurrently in 2023. Detailed rules for the Student Contest can be found in the Manual of Operating Procedures (MOP) on the SWSS website.

Paper Presentations: To ensure quality presentations and a smooth transition from presentation to presentation all presenters will be required to follow directions provided on the website. Projectors and Windows PC laptop computers will be supplied and/or coordinated by section chairs and moderators. Presenters will NOT be allowed to use their own computers in the sessions. If possible, computers will be located on the podium in each session. If this is not possible, an infrared remote control will be provided to advance presentations.

Screens, microphones, carts, and extension cords will continue to be supplied by AV services and paid for by the Society. In order to make this process go as smoothly as possible, please follow the guidelines below. All presentations MUST be in PowerPoint for MS Windows (PC compatible). Macintosh (MAC) /Apple formats will NOT be supported. Your presentation must be saved as a PowerPoint show file (.PPSX). The section chairs have requested that ALL presentations be prepared and uploaded on the abstract submission site so that preloading prior to the meeting can be accomplished (see Submission of Presentations). Please coordinate with your section chair if you want to preview your presentation at the meeting to ensure that the formats/fonts are all as you intended them to be.

Due to the limited time and equipment, last-minute editing will not be allowed. Submission of files at the time of the presentation or at any other time during the session will not be allowed. No audio clips or sounds will be allowed. Video clips are discouraged unless absolutely necessary. Please contact the section chair or co-chair at least one week PRIOR to sending your presentation if you need to use a video clip.

Limit fonts used in the presentation to basic fonts, as not all machines may have the same choice of fonts. Examples of standard fonts are Times, Arial, Courier, Tahoma, or similar equivalents. Section chairs and computer operators are not responsible for changes in fonts, bullets, and other formatting at the time of presentation.

Please use up-to-date virus protection software to avoid infecting the computers provided by the section chairs. Further instructions will be provided in the December newsletter.

Poster Presentations: All contest posters are to be displayed before the first full day of the meetings to provide the judges appropriate time to assess all posters in a timely manner. Content of posters including text, graphs, and tables must be easily read from a distance of 6 feet. Titles and headings should be larger and readable from a greater distance.

Poster contestants will not be required to accompany their poster during the judging period (usually during the first full day of meeting) but if a designated time period has been allocated for student poster presentations, he or she may accompany their poster. Note that posters will only be judged on the content of the poster.

Because of cost and logistics, it will not be possible to provide electrical connections, video equipment, or other special equipment for any posters.

In past submissions, some students failed to complete the submission form correctly, which caused them to not be entered into the desired contest. This resulted in numerous program changes after printing and some confusion before and during the conference. Once the title submission site is activated, please be certain to fill out the submission form completely and accurately.

Students are eligible to participate in both the Student Paper Contest and Poster Contest multiple times during a M.S. program and a Ph.D. program; however, a student cannot participate in both contests concurrently during the 2023 meeting. A student can only win 1st place in the paper and poster contest once per degree program.

Specific questions pertaining to the Student Contest should be directed to Chair of the Student Contest: Matthew Wiggins (matthew.wiggins@fmc.com). If you have any questions about submitting a title for the 2023 meeting, please contact: Eric Castner (eric.castner@fmc.com) 2023 Program Chair; FMC Corporation, 20484 N. County Road 3210, Pauls Valley, OK 73075.