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Welcome!

The Department of Geography at the University of Oklahoma is pleased to welcome you to the annual meeting of the Southwestern Division of the Association of American Geographers (SWAAG) in Norman, October 26-28.

The conference will take place at the Oklahoma Center for Continuing Education (OCCE) on the University of Oklahoma campus. The program will also include activities sponsored by the National Council for Geographic Education, the Geography Faculty Development Alliance, and other organizations. We are also looking forward to hosting the Council of the Association of American Geographers, which will meet in Norman in conjunction with the SWAAG meeting.

Norman, the third largest city in Oklahoma, is located along Interstate Highway 35 about 25 miles south of the state capital of Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport, about 20 minutes from Norman, is served by Southwest, American, United, Northwest, Delta, Continental, Frontier, and America West airlines. Shuttle service from the airport to Norman is available, and the Department will provide complementary airport pickup and delivery upon request. Attractions at the University include the new National Weather Center building, the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Sooner House Hotel, which is adjacent to the OCCE complex. Standard hotel rooms with two beds rent for $51/night plus tax. The Sooner House also maintains several adjacent cottages, each of which has two bedrooms and a sitting room and sleeps six persons. These rent for $84/night plus tax.

The program for the meeting will include workshops, paper sessions, and presentations on Thursday and Friday, October 26 and 27. We welcome contributed papers and posters, special sessions, and panel discussions. All registrants are invited to a lunch featuring a keynote address by AAG President Kavita Pandit on Friday, October 27 and to a barbecue on the evening of October 27. A welcoming reception, an informal student dinner, and a University of Oklahoma geography reunion dinner are planned for Thursday evening, October 26. Several field trips are planned for Saturday, October 28. These include a tour of Oklahoma’s historic black towns, a winery tour, and a trip to the Arbuckle Mountains and nearby natural areas.

We at OU hope that you will join us for this year’s SWAAG meeting!! We look forward to seeing you in October.

--Fred M. Shelley, Chair, Department of Geography, University of Oklahoma