SAGEEP 2018 Program

Quick Links:

SAGEEP 2018 Schedule at a Glance
Technical Program  
Hotel Reservations
Short Courses
Geophysical Field Trips
Luncheons and Conference Events
Registration Information
Top 25 Nashville Attractions

From the SAGEEP 2018 General Chair:

What to do while you’re at SAGEEP
For most people, it's time to look over the SAGEEP registration form and decide what things they will do in addition to attending technical sessions and exhibits. The Technical Program that Andy Parsekian and Oliver Kuras (Technical Committee co-chairs) and their team have been assembled this year is outstanding, and Micki Allen has developed an excellent exhibition. But, you will want to get the most out of attending the conference, and should consider attending some of the additional events this year - there are some phenomenal opportunities to learn and to interact with colleagues, many of which are offered at amazingly low prices. Here is a synopsis of some of your choices.

Field Trips
We are offering two field trips this year, one on Sunday and one on Thursday, both offering opportunities to experience effects of the karst geology that is so important in the region surrounding Nashville, and both being offered at rock bottom prices (pun intended) due to sponsorship support. You’ll want to participate in both trips! The Sunday trip will visit Mammoth Cave, Kentucky and nearby sites where geophysical data have been acquired to map karst features. The trip will include a visit to the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green KY where a karst collapse in 2014 consumed eight priceless automobiles. It has been organized by Thomas Brackman, whose field work and research centers around karst geophysics. Several experts will be on hand to provide support at stops along the tour.

The Thursday trip will visit two dams that have required considerable geophysical surveying to address karst problems. Center Hill Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is undergoing major rehabilitation to control seepage, and Normandy Dam, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, where gravity measurements have provided critical information. The trip also includes a stop at the George A. Dickel Distillery before heading back to the host hotel.  This trip was organized by Jeff Munsey of TVA.

A New Approach to Short Courses
Usually, the Short Course Chair identifies topics of interest and chooses Short Courses for the conference. This year, exhibitors were given the opportunity to offer short courses of their choosing at SAGEEP. In many cases, these are courses that they typically offer at their home offices, and people often have to travel there. You have the chance to take the courses while in Nashville which might save you some travel expenses! They are offered on Sunday before the Icebreaker and on Thursday after the Technical Sessions have ended. Janet Simms has organized 8 courses for you to consider. I won’t list them all here, but please look them over.

Luncheons
There will be two special luncheon events this year.  On Monday, Paul Bauman will make a presentation about his work with the Geoscientists Without Borders® (GWB) program of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). EEGS has a cooperative relationship with GWB and strongly supports that program. Paul will be discussing his GWB project, which involved finding groundwater for refugee camps in Africa. Very exciting stuff!

On Tuesday, the EEGS Luncheon will feature a Panel and Forum to announce key news for the future of EEGS and SAGEEP.  The Executive Board of EEGS will provide an update on the state of our society, followed by a panel discussion of the five year plan.  Representatives from EAGE will be present to elaborate on intersocietal collaboration and partnership planned for upcoming symposiums.  There will be an official unveiling of the next phase of SAGEEP and this forum will be used to provide attendees a first look at plans for SAGEEP 2019 and beyond.

Local History, Food, Music and Sports
Nashville is widely regarded as one of the ‘up and coming’ cities in the U.S. and a strong tourist attraction. Of course, much of this is centered about its music scene, but there is much more!

Sunday, March 25
On Sunday evening after the Ice Breaker, the annual Student Event will be held at a small cafe downtown Nashville, a “unique Nashville experience”. Well known and “up and coming” singer/songwriters will perform. Buses will be provided at no cost, and non-students are welcome to join, as long as they promise to interact with the students!  Refreshments will be provided and it will be an open-mic night, so anything could happen! Students should come with a list of hard questions for the professionals that join them. It’s a great chance to get valuable information to plan your career. Or to find new hires for your company!

Monday, March 26
Beginning after the Technical Sessions on Monday, we will provide shuttle buses from the host hotel to downtown Nashville at no cost so that you can go to dinner, visit “the Gulch”, the Country Music Hall of Fame, or other places of your choosing. The shuttle begins at 5:00 p.m. just outside the SAGEEP registration area.  The last bus will leave downtown Nashville, at Broadway and 1st Avenue, at 8:30 to return to the hotel by 9:00 p.m.  Of course, you can go downtown at other times as well, as it’s only a 10-minute Lyft, Uber or cab ride away.

Tuesday, March 27
We will be having a barbeque meal with a highly-touted bluegrass band on the property of The Hermitage, mansion of former U.S. President Andrew Jackson (1829-1837). Bus transportation will be provided and those interested will be able to join a guided tour of the mansion for an additional fee.

The Outdoor Demonstrations, featuring instruments from conference exhibitors, will be held adjacent to the dinner venue, Cabin by the Spring. Come and see the latest and greatest equipment and services and talk to knowledgeable people who would be happy to show and tell! There will also be a small area where service providers will exhibit instruments used for ordnance detection and classification. These instruments are not for sale and may not be seen in the exhibit hall, but should be of interest to the broader geophysical community.

During the buffet dinner, a well-regarded bluegrass band will play. Doug Laymon says, ‘bluegrass music can’t generally be considered background music’, but we can assure you that this will be a highlight of the meeting! After dinner a local instructor will lead those who are interested in line dancing. Bring your boots! All of this is available to you for only $40 (only $35 for students)!!! How can you miss this???

EEGS Foundation Silent Auctions - The EEGS Foundation On-Line Auction is Live
The EEGS Foundation has received sponsorship support from two different organizations to purchase tickets to the Grand Ole Opry and a Nashville Predators NHL game.  Because the tickets were purchased early, the seats are superb.  Both events occur on Tuesday evening, so you might have to miss part of the Conference Evening at The Hermitage if you win.  The EEGS Foundation On-Line Auction is live and ready for your bid - winners will be announced at the end of the Icebreaker on Sunday evening.  The Foundation is also soliciting donations of items both geophysical and non-geophysical to offer at the Silent Auction. Check out the EEGS Foundation web site for details: https://www.eegsfoundation.org.  Please consider donating something to auction, and bid on the items that you can’t live without!  Support your Foundation!

I’m looking forward to seeing each of you in Nashville! If you have any questions for the SAGEEP Planning Committee while you’re planning your trip, please ask!

Bill Doll
SAGEEP 2018 General Chair