CSE’s 54th annual meeting will take place from 29 April through 3 May, 2011, in Baltimore, Maryland. Members who live on the East Coast might take Baltimore for granted as a stop between Philadelphia and Washington, DC. However, just steps from our meeting’s location at the Hilton, you’ll be sure to find history, great food, and fun attractions. Even if you are close enough to commute to the venue, consider staying at the event hotel to network with colleagues and to take advantage of what Baltimore has to offer.

Spring is a beautiful time in Baltimore, and the Hilton is just steps away from the Inner Harbor. On a recent trip (May 2010), I enjoyed some excellent sushi at Edo Sushi while also enjoying crowd watching from the restaurant’s balcony. My family and I explored the USS Constellation, a historic warship, and we also took a 90-minute harbor cruise, during which we were able to admire the city’s architecture and efforts to repurpose warehouse space into condominiums. That is just one sample itinerary. Other attractions at or accessible from the Inner Harbor include

• National Aquarium (http://www.aqua.org): This popular destination is home to more than 16,000 creatures and is featuring a special exhibition, “Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance”.
• Maryland Science Center (http://www.mdsci.org): The center has three floors of exhibitions on earth science, life science, physical science, and space science; an IMAX theatre; and a planetarium.
• Historic ships (http://www.historicships.org): Visitors can explore the US Sloop-of-War Constellation, the US Submarine Torsk, the US Coast Guard Cutter Taney, the Lightship Chesapeake, and the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse.
• Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards and the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum (http://www.baberuthmuseum.com): Sports fans and historians will delight in these two museums, which pay homage to Maryland sports, as well the legendary Babe Ruth.
• American Visionary Art Museum (http://www.avam.org): This museum of art created by self-taught people can be reached by foot or by water taxi and will be featuring a special exhibition in celebration of its 15th anniversary— “What Makes Us Smile?”
• Fort McHenry (http://www.nps.gov/fomc): The birthplace of the National Anthem is just a water-taxi ride away, and its new visitor center should be operational by the time of our meeting

An interesting fact about our hotel: the Hilton Baltimore has two green roofs totaling 31,000 ft2 . According to The Baltimore Sun, they are among 20 green roofs in Baltimore, including 4,000 ft2 at the National Aquarium and 1,050 ft2 at the Sinai Hospital.¹

Clearly, Baltimore embraces CSE’s theme of “Making Science Matter”. An excellent program is in development under the direction of cochairs Mary Beth Schaeffer and Glenn Landis. The committee is planning to offer more sessions, some of 60 minutes and others of the traditional 90 minutes. Speakers are being gathered from the varied disciplines of the CSE membership, and the cochairs assure us that there will be a wide variety of sessions of interest to all. So please mark your calendars and plan to join us in Baltimore this coming spring.An interesting fact about our hotel: the Hilton Baltimore has two green roofs totaling 31,000 ft2 . According to The Baltimore Sun, they are among 20 green roofs in Baltimore, including 4,000 ft2 at the National Aquarium and 1,050 ft2 at the Sinai Hospital.¹

Reference

1. Cohn M. Look, up in the sky: green roofs.The Baltimore Sun. Available at:http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/sns-green-eco-friendlyroofs,0,7902811.story.Retrieved 6 September 2010.