Welcome to the website for the 2002 GNSI Conference and Annual Meeting at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Forget Dorothy Hale, little red shoes, and any other dusty misconceptions you may have of Kansas! Lawrence is a thriving university town with an historic downtown and a passionate past. Our city's motto, Ad astra per aspera, means 'to the stars, through difficulties', and it is a fitting one for a place that suffered for its abolitionist views before and during the Civil War. Today it is a city that supports the arts, historic preservation, and the colorful and varied opinions of its educated and engaged community. Our sponsors and supporters at the K U Museum of Natural History and Biodiversity Research Center, Allen Press, the Spencer Research Library, and the Spencer Art Museum, look forward to giving you a hearty midwest welcome this August! Stroll among the outdoor sculpture exhibit in downtown Lawrence, serenaded by the cicadas by day and the nighthawks by night. It is a great setting for a very educational, informational and fun time!