ABLE 2005

27th Annual ABLE Conference
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
June 21-25, 2005

Just a few minutes away from the Blue Ridge Parkway and
the Appalachian Trail, nestled between the picturesque Blue
Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, the New River Valley, with
Montgomery County, Virginia as its center, offers the finest
in all facets of living. Recently designated as a Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA), Montgomery County is home to 84,000
residents and Virginia Tech, the largest state university,
and a top 50-research university. Where small town charm
with some big city amenities, you have the best of both
worlds. From our world class dining and cultural activities,
to a beautiful rural setting, and unique recreational opportunities,
the U.S.’s oldest river, the New River, oversees the good
life in the New River Valley.

Blacksburg
Home of Virginia Tech, Virginia’s largest
university and a national football powerhouse, Blacksburg
is a thriving university town that was named as the “most
wired town in the United States” by Reader’s Digest.
The vibrant downtown area maintains a small town feel with
an eclectic collection of boutiques, restaurants and historic
sites, while just a mile away high-tech industry prospers
in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC). The
CRC is the only university related Research Park and is
responsible for bringing many jobs to the area. Other universities
because of its success are currently studying it. Blacksburg
serves as the cultural center of Montgomery County and boasts
many artisans and cultural activities. Blacksburg was the
first Electronic Village town with all the businesses, schools
and homes having Internet available.

Christiansburg
Christiansburg is the second largest
town in Virginia and the county seat for Montgomery County
and can rightly call itself the Home of Heroes. Residents
and long-term visitors have included Davy Crockett, Booker
T. Washington, Daniel Boone, Lewis & Clark, George Washington,
and many others. The Town of Christiansburg plays a major
role in the thriving economic environment of the New River
Valley being the home of the NRV Mall and several shopping
centers that include many national chain retailers/restaurants.
Christiansburg also hosts a wide variety of locally owned
businesses including an old fashioned Drive-In, one of the
few left in the country and The Summit, a five star restaurant.
Christiansburg proudly boasts it is the location where Daniel
Boone crossed the Continental Divide entering the wilderness.

Though Blacksburg and Christiansburg are separate municipalities
they are connected in many ways, both historically and physically.
The Huckleberry Trail is a unique biking/walking path connecting
the two towns allowing the residents and visitors to enjoy
everything they both have to offer. Whereever you are in
Montgomery County you can literally be within 10 minutes
of a bustling retail market area or in the solitude and
beauty of nature all around you. Outstanding government
planning and citizen participation continues to preserve
our natural beauty and allow our communities to grow so
that our needs are met.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, known as
Virginia Tech, was founded in 1872 as the country’s first
land-grant institution and has evolved into a comprehensive
university of national and international prominence. As
Virginia’s largest university with 25,600 students and one
of the top 50 research institutions in the nation, it is
an institution that firmly embraces a history of putting
knowledge to work. That tradition is rooted in our motto,
Ut Prosim: “That I May Serve,” and our land-grant
missions of instruction, research, and solving the problems
of society through public service and outreach activities.
The main campus includes 100 buildings, 2,600 acres, an
airport and golf course. Virginia Tech also has a Computing
and Communications Complex for access to worldwide information.

Eight colleges offer more degree programs than any other
university in the state with 60 undergraduate and 110 graduate
programs with a 16:1 student-faculty ratio. Virginia Tech
is one of the nation’s leaders in developing and using new
instructional technologies. Virginia Tech rankings are as
follows:

Of all universities – public or private – U.S. News &
World Report ranked Virginia Tech the 46th best value in
the country. Kiplinger Magazine ranked Virginia Tech the 16th Best
Value in Public Higher Education in the nation.
Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top 15 schools
in the nation in number of patents received.

Department of Biology
The 2005 ABLE Conference will be hosted
by the Department of Biology, which is located in Derring
Hall, the major building for the workshops. An undergraduate
degree in Biology was first established in 1925. A Ph. D.
program was added in 1940. In 1945 the department’s first
Ph. D. was awarded, in Bacteriology. Today the present enrollment
in Biology is 1275 majors, the largest undergraduate enrollment
in the university, and 85 graduate students. The Department
of Biology is now the second largest academic unit on campus
based on the number of faculty (39). The addition to the
traditional areas of biology, botany, and zoology our major
areas of concentration are:

Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology
Microbiology/Virology/Immunology
Ecology and Environmental Biology
Evolution and Systematics
Animal Biology/Behavior/Physiology/Endocrinology
Plant Biology/Mycology/Phycology
Computational Biology/Bioinformatics
Biotechnology

Lodging
A block of on-campus air-conditioned
dormitory rooms is being held in Payne Hall, which has six-person
suites. Each suite has a bathroom. Each bathroom has multiple
showers, restrooms, and sinks. Payne Hall features air-conditioning,
private phones, and Ethernet ports. Each guest is provided
with two towels, one wash cloth, linens, pillow, and blanket.
You may want to consider bringing an alarm clock, radio,
clothes hangers, reading light and a calling card. Make
your reservations on line at www.studentprograms.vt.edu/conferences
and click on the ABLE link. Single rooms $23.63. Double
rooms $33.86. ABLE attendees staying at the dormitory may
be reached at (540)552-7001.

A block of on-campus air-conditioned rooms is being held
at the Donaldson Brown Hotel & Conference Center (DBHCC).
Make your reservations no later than May 21, 2005 to be
assured a room by calling toll free 877-200-3360. Please
mention ABLE to receive the special rate of $78.00 per day.
ABLE attendees staying at DBHCC may be reached at (540)231-8000.

A block of off-campus rooms is being held at the Holiday
Inn. Make your reservations no later than June 6, 2005 to
be assured a room by calling (540)552-7001. Please mention
ABLE to receive the special rate of $79.00 per day. ABLE
attendees staying at the Inn may be reached at (540)231-8000.
The Inn is approximately three blocks from Derring Hall.
Consideration should be given to driving to the parking
lot near DBHCC when going to Owens Hall or DBHCC for those
staying at the Inn who have difficulty walking or are just
plain tired.

Weather
The June temperature in Blacksburg can
vary from the low 80s (day) to the high 50s (night). Come
prepared for warm days and cool evenings. Bring insect repellant,
sun-screen, and rain gear for outdoor activities.

Travel

Maps: Viginia Tech campus
(image file | PDF)
and road map

By air:Virginia Tech has its own general
aviation airport (airport identifier BCB) with instrument
capability and is open, from 8:00am to 6:00pm, 7 days a
week. Its run-way is 4,539′ long and 100′ wide. AVGAS and
JETA fuel are available. DBHCC is approximately 1.5 miles
from the airport so a taxi or car rental would be needed
and can be arranged by calling the airport at (540)231-4444.

Roanoke airport is the closest commercial airport and is
located 25 miles east of Virginia Tech. All Conference attendees
arriving by plane may elect to take the Smart Way Commuter
Bus ($3 one way) which leaves the airport every 1-1/2 hours
and stops at the Squires Student Center, which is adjacent
to the DBHCC. The bus trip takes about one hour. You are
advised to check with the Smart Way Bus link
www.smartwaybus.com just prior to your departure from
home since bus schedules are subject to change.

By bus: The nearest Greyhound bus station
(540)343-5436) is located at 26 Salem Ave. in Roanoke. The
Smart Way Bus terminal is located in the Valley Metro Terminal
next to the Greyhound station. Greyhound passengers should
consult www.smartwaybus.com
to ensure their arrival time is compatible with Smart Way’s
schedule. See above paragraph for more details.

By train:There are Amtrak stations in
Clifton Forge, Virginia (75 miles North-East of Virginia
Tech) and in Lynchburg, Virginia (96 miles East of Virginia
Tech).

By car:Virginia Tech is located off U.S.
460 highway in Blacksburg, Virginia, which is 25 miles west
of the Roanoke and 8 miles North of Christiansburg. For
the drivers arriving via interstate I-81, take the 118B
exit and follow the Virginia Tech signs. This will put you
on U.S.460 North. Turn right onto Southgate Drive and go
approximately 0.5 miles to the Information / Visitor Center,
a small building on your right. Information/Visitor Center
hours are from 8:00 am to 5:00pm with an hour off for lunch.
For drivers coming South on interstate I-77 you may want
to consider exiting I-77 at Princeton WV and take U.S. 460
East to Blacksburg and turn left onto Southgate Drive. It
is a scenic drive and much shorter then continuing on I-77
to I-81.

All Conference attendees that will be arriving by cars
or vans and are not staying at DBHCC are requested to first
stop at the Information / Visitor Center, located at the
intersection of Southgate Drive and Duck Pond Drive, to
obtain a “One Week” parking pass for your vehicle.
This pass will allow you to park in any Faculty/Staff or
Student parking area not restricted by signs. Upon receiving
your parking pass proceed to DBHCC located on Otey Street.
To get to DBHCC take a right out of the Information / Visitor
Center parking area and immediately turn left on to Duck
Pond Road. Go approximately 0.3 miles and turn right onto
Washington Street. Proceed on Washington Street for approximately
0.8 miles and then turn left on to Otey Street. Go approximately
0.25 miles and turn right into the parking lot in front
of the DBHCC building and park in the appropriate area.
MAKE SURE YOU PARK ONLY IN THE FACULTY / STAFF PARKING AREA
AND NOT THE DBHCC PARKING AREA.

Conference attendees who will be arriving by cars
or vans and have chosen to stay at DBHCC do not have
to stop at the Information / Visitor Center and may
drive directly to the driveway in front of DBHCC.
See driving instructions in the above paragraph for
directions to DBHCC. Unload your suit cases and go
into the Hotel and obtain a DBHCC parking pass. Once
you obtain your parking pass you must then move your
vehicle across the street into the DBHCC parking area.
This pass will also allow you to park in any Faculty/Staff
or Student parking area not restricted by signs. The
Information Visitor’s Center is located at the very
bottom of the attached campus map (PDF).

Registration

> Click here for online Registration Form

All ABLE attendees are to check-in at Donaldson Brown Hotel
& Conference Center (DBHCC)C to pickup their registration
packets. Registration will be in the lobby of the DBHCC
from 12–5pm on Monday and 8am–5pm on Tuesday.
Registration will be moved to the first floor in the North
Lobby of Derring Hall 8am on Wednesday.

Summary of Events

Major Workshops

Social
Events

Opening Reception:
the opening reception will be held in the Owens Banquet
Room located in Owens Hall. Owens Dining Hall opened its
doors in 1940 and was named after a popular cook on campus
(at the time, cooks were called mess stewards). J.J. “Pop”
Owens was one of the first Northerners and first Catholics
to work on campus around the turn of the century. He was
so popular with the cadets that he alone was able to persuade
class officers to give up dynamiting as a way of celebrating
class night.

Banquet:
Friday evening we will travel via buses to Mountain Lake
resort for refreshments and dinner. Mountain Lake Chefs
have received great reviews and various awards for their
delectable meals.

Mountain Lake is one of only two fresh water lakes in Virginia,
and is the highest in elevation East of the Mississippi.
The lake is approximately 6,000 years old and was formed
along an active fault line when several earthquakes caused
rockslides that dammed up the northern end of the valley.
The lake is fed by cold underground springs, which rarely
allow the temperature to rise above 70 degrees on the surface
and 46 degrees on the bottom. Due to a unique series of
narrow channels and openings on the lake bottom the level
has a history of rising and falling depending upon the direction
of water flow through these channels to and from the icy-cold
ground water lying deep beneath the surface of the earth.
The combination of these natural phenomena make Mountain
Lake the only one of it’s kind in existence!

In 1986 Vestron Pictures chose Mountain Lake for its on-location
site for the filming of its box office hit “Dirty
Dancing”. The majestic beauty of this grand mountain
top hotel will be forever captured in this film.