The current Chair, Terry Miller, has elected to step down after the 2013 meeting in order to facilitate a smooth transition to new leadership. Since no new Chair was available at Ohio State, the International Advisory Committee (IAC) decided to search for a new venue.

How was the University of Illinois selected as the new venue?
The IAC appointed an ad hoc site selection committee (SSC) to evaluate the potential new venues for the Symposium. The process began in June 2012, when four universities expressed interest in hosting the Symposium. The SSC carefully evaluated the potential venues, and on February 4, 2013 they recommended to the IAC that the University of Illinois be the new venue. This recommendation was approved by the IAC on March 1, 2013, and the new venue was formally announced on March 7, 2013. Illinois was selected for a number of reasons, including its strength in spectroscopy, the support of many departments on its campus, and its central geographic location.

Will the Symposium's dates change?
Our intention is to keep the Symposium on the same dates, which historically means the week of June with the Monday falling between the 16th and the 22nd.

Who is the new Symposium Chair?
The new Symposium Chair will be Ben McCall. Ben was a graduate student in Takeshi Oka's group (University of Chicago), and a postdoc in Rich Saykally's group (UC Berkeley), before joining the Illinois faculty in 2004. He has strong ties to the Symposium, having given his first scientific presentation at the 1997 Symposium, and having attended every year since with only one exception (due to an observing run). He received the 2009 Coblentz Award, organized a mini-symposium on frequency combs in 2010, and served on the Symposium's International Advisory Committee from 2008 to 2011. His research is centered on high-resolution gas-phase molecular spectroscopy, with a strong interest in studying astrochemically important molecules and molecular ions and performing complementary astronomical observations.

Who will be the new "Becky"?
Five departments on the Illinois campus (Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, and Mechanical Science and Engineering), together with the Vice Chancellor for Research, have agreed to provide funding to hire a Symposium Coordinator to perform the role that Becky Gregory has played. A search committee of UIUC faculty and staff (with Ben McCall as a non-voting member) advertised for the position, interviewed three candidates, and selected Birgit McCall (Ben's wife) for the position of Symposium Coordinator. Birgit (pronounced like "Beer-Git") cross-trained with Becky during the 2013 Symposium.

How will the Symposium be different at Illinois?
Aside from the venue, we expect few changes in the 2014 Symposium. We will still have donuts, and the general format of the meeting will be identical. Our goal is to achieve a seamless transition, so that attendees can enjoy the same quality Symposium experience they have come to rely on at Ohio State.

What is the weather like in Champaign-Urbana?
The average high temperature and average monthly precipitation in June are almost identical in Champaign-Urbana and in Columbus, so you can expect fairly similar weather.

How can I get my additional questions answered?
Feel free to email Ben McCall (chair@isms.illinois.edu) or Birgit McCall (birgit@isms.illinois.edu) with any additional questions you might have!