6001 University Boulevard Moon Township, PA 15108 Dear Fellow Colleague: The Information Systems Educator’s Conference (ISECON) provides special opportunities for information technology faculty. For a quarter of a century, ISECON has been providing this forum of a broad spectrum of presentation topics, and a special camaraderie to be shared by those who attend. This week, we are gathering to expand our understanding of information systems education. We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the entire ISECON 2007 conference planning committee for organizing such a quality event. Many have cointributesd to the planning of this event: my colleagues at RMU, and the ISECON Planning Committee. I am particularly grateful to my colleagues on the planning committee who showed great leadership while I was (1) getting my roof repaired, (2) in Mexico working (as a volunteer) on hospital information system technology for the Mexican IMSS and WorldVistA, (3) was on a honeymoon after getting married, and, last but not least, (4) was appointed to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on Chronic Care Management, Reimbursement, and Cost Reduction (because of extensive work and experience in health care information systems). Here is my guide to Pittsburgh: ISECON 2007 Pittsburgh Guide (Very Close = ?; across Mon river downtown or fairly close = ?; in Oakland = ?; fairly close North Side = ?) Urgent Sites Nearest Hospital: Mercy Hospital available from Forbes Ave. in Soho, 1400 Locust St, 412.232.8111, call 911 or call front desk Nearest drug store/pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy, 429 Smithfield Street across Smithfield Bridge 412.261.4267 Nearest grocery store: Giant Eagle at East Carson and 12th street on the South Side Calling the Sheraton Station Square Hotel: 412.261.2000 Closest Restaurants ?Japanese Cuisine: Kiku, Freight House Shops 412.765.3200 ?Chinese Cuisine: Sesame Inn, Freight House Shops, Upstairs 412.281.8282 ?Mexican Cuisine: Mexico City Taqueria, 111 Smithfield Street 412-391-2591 (across bridge and 1.5 blocks; hours Mon-Fri 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Sat 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m) Station Square Restaurants Listing: http://www.stationsquare.com/Directory-Dining.htm With a beautiful view at the top of the Duquesne Incline on Mount Washington: http://incline.pghfree.net/restaurants.htm Places to take Children ? Carnegie Science Center http://www.pittsburghkids.org/ ? Children’s Museum http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/defaultHome.aspx Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium: http://zoo.pgh.pa.us/ ? National Aviary http://www.aviary.org/ ? Phipps Conservatory http://www.phipps.conservatory.org/ Cultural Places ? Carnegie Museums (Art http://www.cmoa.org/ , Natural History http://www.carnegiemnh.org/ , Andy Warhol): http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/ Theaters (stage, opera, ballet, symphony) ?Byham Theater, Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: http://www.pgharts.org/ ?Pittsburgh Public Theater: http://www.ppt.org/about.htm ?CLO: http://www.pittsburghclo.org/ ? National Aviary http://www.aviary.org/ North Side ? Phipps Conservatory http://www.phipps.conservatory.org/ Oakland Attractions ?Duquense Incline, Monongahela Incline; see http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/Pittsburgh/Inclines/ Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Pittsburgh): http://www.visitpittsburgh.com/ Miscelleneous ?Nearest Beauty Shop: Exxact! Haircutting, 412.471.2515, Freight House Shops, Station Square Shopping Macy’s Downtown (walk across Smithfield bridge and watch for it on the right – it is on Smithfield Street Saks Fifth Avenue, 513 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh To get to shopping you can also take the subway across the river for $0.25 from Station Square to Steel Plaza or Wood Street. Universities within a quick bus ride (use routes 61ABCD, 71ABCD, 500, 501 from Fifth Avenue between Grant and Ross Streets, ask bus driver where to get off Duquesne University, Soho Carlow University, Oakland University of Pittsburgh, Oakland, includes Cathedral of Learning Carnegie Mellon University, Oakland Notable Modern Architecture Downtown PPG Center Night Life Areas ?Station Square (immediately adjacent to the hotel) ?South Side (East Carson Street) Strip District (take subway to Steel Plaza on Grant Street, walk 4 blocks on Grant to Penn Avenue and up Penn Ave. to Strip shops.) We hope ISECON 2007 will be a valuable and enjoyable experience – from both a personal networking and professional development view. We also sincerely hope you will join us next year for ISECON 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona November 6-9, 2008. Have a great ISECON2007 and let me know if there is anything that I can do to make your conference experience better let alone improve IECON in future years! Valerie J. H. Powell Robert Morris University Professor, Computer and Information Systems Education and Training Chair, WorldVistA ISECON 2007 General Chair