After multiple decades of service, Jeff Blaustein is retiring from the University of Massachusetts. On May 19, 2017 the UMass Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, with support from the College of Natural Sciences and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, will host an all-day symposium to honor Jeff and his contributions to UMass and to the field.

Collaborators, former trainees, and friends will share new developments and reflect on Jeff's contributions. Join us for what promises to be a remarkable celebration!

We have a distinguished lineup of speakers that will highlight the festivities:

  • Tony Auger (University of Wisconsin)
  • Tracy Bale (University of Pennsylvania)
  • Gregory Ball (University of Maryland)
  • Jacques Balthazart (University of Liego, Belgium)
  • Michael Baum (Boston University)
  • Sheri Berenbaum (Pennsylvania State University)
  • Geert DeVries (Georgia State University)
  • Nancy Forger (Georgia State University)
  • Jon Levine (University of Wisconsin)
  • Shaila Mani (Baylor College of Medicine)
  • Margaret McCarthy (UMaryland School of Medicine)
  • James Pfaus (Concordia University)
  • Emilie Rissman (North Carolina State University)
  • Colin Saldanha (American University)
  • Per Sodersten (Karolinska Institute, Sweden)
  • Marc Tetel (Wellesley College)
  • Stuart Tobet (Colorado State University)
  • Kim Wallen (Emory University)
  • Diane Witt (formerly NSF)
    •

Location
A light breakfast, morning sessions, lunch, afternoon sessions, and a cocktail reception will be held at the Old Chapel, located at 144 Hicks Way in Amherst, MA, from 8AM - 5PM on Friday, May 19. An optional banquet (pre-registration required) will be held at the Campus Center, located at 1 Campus Center Way in Amherst, MA, from 6:30PM - 9:00PM on Friday, May 19. 

Registration Rates
Symposium registration includes a light breakfast, all morning sessions, a box lunch, all afternoon sessions, and a cocktail reception. Symposium registration does not include lodging or the conference banquet. Attendees can register for the symposium only, the banquet only, or both!

Symposium Registration
Regular Registration: $35.00
CNS Affiliate Registration: $25.00

Banquet
Regular Banquet Ticket: $35.00
CNS Affiliate Banquet Ticket: $25.00

Space is limited in both the symposium and the banquet: early registration is strongly recommended. Registration will be accepted until April 28, 2017, or until space fills. Once we have reached capacity this page will be updated to accept a wait-list. 

How to Register
To register for the symposium and/or the banquet, simply click "Register Now" above! You will be prompted to create an account (or login to your account if you already have one from another event with us) and will then be brought through the registration form. During the registration process you will let us know what event(s) you would like to attend and will also select your payment method. Payment is accepted by credit/debit card using our secure online gateway, by check or by speedtype.

Registration is accepted on an individual basis, but you can register multiple attendees under one account. To register multiple attendees first complete the registration for one person. While still logged in, click "Registrations" in the toolbar at the top of the page and then click the "Create Additional Registration" button to enter the details for the next attendee. Instructions on the form will help guide you through, but please contact us if you need assistance.

Please keep in mind that space is limited and likely to fill. Registration will be accepted until Friday, April 28, or until capacity is met. 

For additional registration, campus, and/or area information please contact the Registration Office at 413-577-8102 or registration@umass.edu.
For additional symposium related details please contact Dr. Luke Remage-Healey at  healey@cns.umass.edu.

Event Location
The symposium will be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday, May 19, from 8AM - 5PM. A light breakfast, morning sessions, lunch, afternoon sessions, and the cocktail reception will be held at the Old Chapel, located at 144 Hicks Way, Amherst MA 01003 (below). The symposium banquet will be held at the Campus Center, located at 1 Campus Center Way, Amherst MA 01003. For directions to campus, please click the "Traveling to Campus" tab above or click here.

Registration/Check-in
Registration will be held in the Old Chapel on the morning of Friday, May 19. The symposium will begin promptly at 8AM, so we anticipate registration will open around 7:30AM. Sessions will run until 5PM. Exact registration times will be provided to all attendees as the event approaches. Attendees should park in the Campus Center Parking Garage located at 1 Campus Center Way, Amherst MA 01003, and walk to the Old Chapel. Click here to take a look at a campus map. Additional arrival details will be sent to all registered attendees as the event approaches!

Parking
Parking is available in the Campus Center Parking Garage. For GPS purposes, the garage is located at 1 Campus Center Way, Amherst, MA, 01003. Campus Center Way is off of Commonwealth Avenue, across the street from the Mullins Center. After turning onto Campus Center Way stay to the left to go up the hill. You will see the garage entrance on your right. You can park on any level and use the Northeast or Southeast Stairwells to gain access to outdoor campus paths.

A parking coupon will be provided to you upon your arrival allowing you to park for a discounted rate of $6.00/day. The first time you drive out of the garage you will provide the gate attendant with this pass and the full balance due (payable by cash or card). The attendant will then provide you with a receipt to show upon each subsequent exit. 

Accessible Parking
Vehicles displaying a state-issued disabled placard or license plate may park in any marked Reserved Accessible Space, any regular unreserved space, or any parking meter at no charge. All vehicles, regardless of disabled placards or plates, must pay when parking in the Campus Center Parking Garage. We recommend looking at the Parking Services interactive Parking Map: click the blue "P"icon on the top right of the map and click off "Handicapped Parking" to locate accessible spaces around campus.

Driving to Campus

From the South, via I-91 North
Travelers have a choice of two routes:

  • Take Exit 19 in Northampton: From the exit ramp, turn right onto Route 9 and go approximately 4.5 miles to Route 116 North. Turn left onto 116 and go one mile to the UMass Exit. Stay to the right as you exit to merge onto Massachusetts Avenue.
  • Take Exit 24 in Deerfield: At the stop sign at the top of the ramp, turn right (north) onto Routes U.S. 5/10/116, and immediately turn right again at the traffic lights onto Route 116 South. Follow Route 116 South for eight miles to the UMass exit. Turn left at the stop sign. 

From the North, via I-91 South

Follow I-91 to Exit 25 in Deerfield. At the end of the ramp turn left and follow the road to the intersection. Turn right onto Routes 5 & 10 South. Go one mile, turn left onto Route 116 South. Following Route 116 South for eight miles to the UMass exit. Turn left at the stop sign. 

From the North, via I-93 South
Follow I-93 to I-495 South. Follow to Route 2 West. Continue on Route 2 to U.S. 202 South. Follow for about 15 miles to the blinking light at the Pelham exit marked “Route 9 and 116 Amherst.” Turn right and follow for seven miles to Amherst center. Follow signs to UMass. 

From the East or West, via I-90 
Travelers have a choice of four routes:

  • Off Exit 8 (Palmer/Ware): Follow Route 32 South to Palmer; take Route 20 West to Route 181 North into Belchertown, and then Route 9 West to Amherst. Follow signs to UMass.
  • Off Exit 7 (Ludlow): Follow Route 21 North to U.S. 202 North to Route 9 West to Amherst center. Follow signs to UMass.
  • Off Exit 5 (Chicopee): Follow Route 33 North to Route 116 North to Amherst center. Turn left at the light onto Route 9 West. Follow signs to UMass.
  • Off Exit 4 (West Springfield): I-91 North to Exit 19 to Route 9 East to Amherst. Follow signs to UMass.

Click here to get directions from your location!

Traveling by Plane
If you are traveling to Amherst by plane, the closest airport is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut (near Hartford). This airport is approximately 45 miles from the UMass campus. Logan Airport in Boston is approximately 90 miles from the UMass campus. Both airports feature car rental agencies and a variety of shuttle services, including Valley Transporter (413-253-1350) and Seemo Shuttle (413-586-1120 or 800-908-2829).

Traveling by Bus
The Amherst area is serviced by Greyhound, Peter Pan Bus Lines and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority. Based on the service you select and route availabilities you should take a bus to Amherst UMass if at all possible instead of Amherst Center (Amherst Center is about 1.5 miles from the UMass Campus). Please be sure to review bus schedules and campus maps before your arrival as both the area and the campus can be confusing to navigate if it is your first time here.

On-Campus Lodging
Hotel UMass
Rated the best hotel in Amherst and seated in the center of the picturesque UMass Amherst campus, Hotel UMass blends a tranquil countryside escape with the bustling energy of campus life. Just an elevator ride from Campus Center meeting spaces and amenities, including the University Store and several newly renovated Dining options, Hotel UMass offers unbeatable convenience for a discounted conference rate of $189.00/room/night (plus applicable fees). Availability is limited and reservations at this discounted rate are only available until April 20, 2017 (availability permitting). Interested guests must make their reservation directly with the hotel (www.hotelumass.com or 877-822-2110) and reference group code SRN17C. 

Area Lodging
The Amherst area is full of many hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts. A variety of hotel chains offer their familiar comforts just a short 5 - 10 minute drive from the UMass Campus on Route 9/Russell Street in neighboring Hadley, while charming independent inns and B&Bs dot the area, offering a taste of Pioneer Valley living. Some popular options are below.  Click here for a full listing courtesy of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. Interested in staying at a local Bed and Breakfast? Click here for more information on what the Pioneer Valley has to offer, courtesy of the Five College Area Bed and Breakfast Association. 

Amherst

Hadley

Deerfield

Northampton

What is there to do during any free time you might have? The area is filled with exciting attractions, outdoor activities, shopping, and more! Some popular attractions are below. For more information please visit http://www.valleyvisitor.com/.

On-Campus Attractions
You don't need to travel far to find something to do - there are numerous attractions located right here on campus! 

The UMass Fine Arts Center seeks to engage audiences in the arts, embrace diversity, and uphold the highest standards for arts education. Comprehensive in scope, the Center offers the region's only mix of classical music, dance, theater, jazz, Broadway, special events, and gallery exhibitions. The Fine Arts Center is also home to the University Museum of Contemporary Arts. 

The Mullins Center, our state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility, hosts diverse events from hockey and basketball to concerts and popular touring performance groups. 

The Orchard Hill Observatory, located on the highest point of the UMass campus, is home to a 16-inch Cassegrain telescope and is used for public events and open observatory nights. 

The Durfee Conservatory and Garden, established in 1867, is a historic plant conservatory that offers a sanctuary of calm and serenity among the hustle and bustle of campus.

Area Attractions
Amherst is known for its rural charm and big city appeal. With many restaurants, bars and local shops, visitors get lost exploring our downtown. Located just a few minutes drive from the campus, it is a convenient and popular destination. 

The city of Northampton is a blend of historic, contemporary, intellectual, artsy, athletic and entrepreneurial. With cafes, bars, restaurants, clubs, shops, museums, rivers, parks and spas, Northampton is a place to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of budget.

Yankee Candle, located about 20 minutes away in South Deerfield, offers an enchanting mix of shopping and entertainment. You'll find 400,000 candles in over 200 different famous Yankee scents, but there are more than just candles at this flagship Village Store. It's a unique, entertaining world of New England charm, fairy tale fantasies, and hands-on, interactive candlemaking that's fun for every age.

Historic Deerfield is an authentic 18th-century New England village. Tour beautifully restored museum houses with period architecture and furnishings, see yankee ingenuity at work in demonstrations of colonial-era trades, and explore the world-famous collection of early American crafts, ceramics, furniture, textiles and metalwork. 

Home to more than three hundred inductees and more than 40,000 square feet of basketball history, the Basketball Hall of Fame stirs the spirits of basketball fans everywhere. Hundreds of interactive exhibits share the spotlight with skills challenges, live clinics, shooting contests and enough basketball history to impress the world’s most avid sports fans. 

Six Flags New England is home to many rides and attractions, from pulse-pounding roller coasters to gentler options for the youngest of thrill seekers. With some of the fastest, tallest, wildest, most gut-wrenching rides in the country (including a few record breakers), as well as family rides, kid rides, entertaining shows and the Hurricane Harbor Water Park, Six Flags New England has fun for everyone.

Want to learn about more things to do in the Pioneer Valley? Click here!

For Symposium Related Questions
Please contact Dr. Luke Remage-Healey at healey@cns.umass.edu.

For Registration and/or Campus Related Questions
Contact the Registration Team at 413-577-8102 or registration@umass.edu.