Ray Davis will retire (from teaching) at the end of this academic year after 40 years at UT.  We want to alert you to the fact that a celebration of Ray's career and a symposium on crystal engineering in honor of Ray are being held on the UT campus on Saturday, April 29th, 2006.    

As the information becomes available, you will also find information on this website about a Friday evening reception at Chez  Zee's - 5406 Balcones Dr.),  the program for Saturday symposium in the Auditorium in Welch Hall (WEL 2.120), and a celebration banquet on Saturday evening in the President's room at the UT Club.  

Use the links on the web site to find maps for City of Austin and UT campus, driving directions, information for lodging, dining and local attractions.  Guests are encouraged to stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Mention UT-Davis for special rates (see Housing).

The theme of our scientific sessions is "Ray Davis - Crystal Engineering".   Eight speakers will represent all the colleagues and students who have been closely related to Ray during his career (see program).   Two distinguished guests and some former students will also speak at the banquet, and a plaque will be presented to Austen to commemorate this occasion.  A booklet including all the Abstracts as well as brief (one-page) biographic sketch from former students and trainees of Ray will be published.  Please write about your current work status and share your stories about Ray during your stay in his lab.  Please send it as a single electronic file, preferentially Word or PDF attachment, to Bobby Barnett at bobby.barnett@uc.edu by April 1  (see Photos / Stories). 

Please register here to attend this special event and to unite and reunite with other former members of the Davis alums.  There is a minimal fee to cover the food and room rental.  To benefit the scientific community, all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at UT are invited to attend the scientific sessions on Saturday free-of-charge, while the registration is still required. 

Many thanks, and we look forward to seeing you in Austin this spring.  For more information about the Ray Davis Retirement Symposium/Celebration, contact Bobby Barnett bobby.barnett@uc.edu or Joel Oliver joliver@bcremc.net and look for updated information on registration, local arrangements and the program on this web site at http://bioinst.cm.utexas.edu/davis_sympos/ .

On behalf of the organizing committee (Bobby Barnett, Joel Oliver and  Marv Hackert.  

Bobby L. Barnett Department of Chemistry University of Cincinnati PO Box 210172 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0172 bobby.barnett@uc.edu	Joel Oliver 6502 Julia Lane Nashville, IN  47448 joliver@bcremc.net