Welcome
We cordially invite you to the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH), taking place at the Rhode Island Convention Center in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, 7-12 July 2010. The 2010 JMIH includes the 26th annual meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society, the 53rd annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the 68th annual meeting of the Herpetologists’ League, and the 90th annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. This will be the first time that ASIH has met in New England in 30 years!
Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, is a modern city with deep colonial roots having been founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In response to enforcement of unpopular trade laws, Providence residents spilled the first blood of the American Revolution in the notorious Gaspée Affair of 1772. After being one of the first cities in the country to industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware industries – a part of the city is still dubbed "the Jewelry District," but is now dominated by hospitals. The city was once nicknamed the "Beehive of Industry," while today it is commonly known as "The Renaissance City." The industrial past of Providence is evidenced by its numerous 19th century mercantile buildings in Federal and Victorian architectural styles, which accompany 20th century post-modern and modernist buildings. Providence is home to a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) park system, notably Waterplace Park and Riverwalk and Roger Williams Park (including the Zoo and Botanical Center). Providence has preserved many historic buildings - the East Side includes the largest contiguous area of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. with many pre-revolutionary houses.
Providence boasts eight institutions of higher learning, more than 20 museums, an Arts and Entertainment District, and much more. The city has a burgeoning restaurant scene. Providence has a strong affinity for coffee, with the most coffee/doughnut shops per capita of any city in the country. Providence is also reputed to have the highest number of restaurants per capita, many of which are founded and/or staffed by its own Johnson & Wales graduates.
During the summer, the city hosts WaterFire, an environmental art installation that consists of about 100 bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. Multiple WaterFire events through the summer are accompanied by classical and world music and public art displays, most notably sculptures, that change on a regular basis. We are hoping that a WaterFire event will be scheduled during our meetings. The city is also the home of the Tony Award-winning Trinity Repertory Company, and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, which has a remarkable art collection for a museum of its size – definitely worth a visit! The city is also home to the Providence Athenæum (a short walk from the Art Museum) the fourth oldest library in the country. Here, on one of his many visits to Providence, Edgar Allan Poe, met and courted a love interest named Sarah Helen Whitman.
Providence experiences warm summers, cold winters, and somewhat high humidity year-round. The influence of the Atlantic Ocean keeps Providence, and the rest of Rhode Island, warmer than many inland locales in New England. However, being New England, just blink and the weather may change.
Your Local Host Committee
Chair
- Jackie Webb, University of Rhode Island
Committee Members
- Beth Brainerd, Brown University
- Eric Schultz, University of Connecticut
- Kurt Schwenk, University of Connecticut
- Cheryl Wilga, University of Rhode Island
- Brad Wetherbee, University of Rhode Island