Venue and Travel

All events will take place on the University of Texas at Dallas campus. See the conference program for the specific buildings and rooms used for each event. These rooms have been marked with a colored dot in the map below.

An interactive map of the full campus is also available online.

The university and surrounding metro are primary served by the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field (DAL). Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) provides service at these airports and the university. However, attendees will likely be much better served arriving on campus via your own (rental) car or via a taxi or ride share service such as Uber or Lyft. Those using a ride share service are encouraged to download the relevant app on their mobile device and register before arriving in the metro area. You should expect a car ride from either airport to the (UTD) campus to take around 30 to 40 minutes. We will provide free parking passes to all attendees that request one on the registration form; a limited number of spots closer to campus buildings are available for those who need one.

Food and Attractions

Conference registration includes breakfast, lunch, and two coffee breaks each day of the main conference (Monday through Thursday); plated dinner Tuesday and Wednesday evening; and breakfast and a single coffee break on Friday. For other meals and attractions, see our recommendations below. And feel free to approach the local organizers, but especially Ben Raichel, to ask about food and sights.

On campus food

Please consider the following options if you'd like to purchase a meal without leaving campus or having to drive anywhere. Please check the UTD Dining Hours of Operation page to see what campus restaurants are open and when. Do not trust Google, other search engines, or even the websites of individual restaurants for hours of operation. Call th em instead if you need to know in advance what is available. We have seen at least one restaurant website claim a place is open when it is not. Even the UTD Dining site linked above may have inaccuracies; see below.

• The Northside development on the northern end of campus has a 24 hour 7-11, and several small restaurants. Listed from West to East: Insomnia Cookies, Pinto Urban Thai Diner, Chopped Halal Grill, Fukuro, Northside Drafthouse and Eatery, and Starbucks. As shown on the map, Northside is very close to Residence Hall North (where guests will stay for the conference). Again, hours can often be limited in the summer, and you may want to call ahead to verify.
• The student dining hall in Residence Hall West, is a short walk from Residence Hall North, and meals can be purchased with a credit card. Note the dining hall has limited hours during the summer.
• On campus the other open main options (again with limited hours) are Taco Bell Cantina at PS3 and in the Union there is Chick-fil-A and Starbucks (which is open M-F 8am-4pm despite what the dining services schedule says).
• Another option for those in the dorms is delivery from services such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub. (If ordered to the dorm, you need to be downstairs when it arrives, as the front desk will not take it.)

Off campus food

The following food options have more consistent hours, but they will require a short drive. Keep in mind that afternoon temperatures could be in the low 90s F (low to mid 30s C). Do not expect to walk to any of these off campus locations even if some initially appear to be reasonably close.

• Skyrocket Burger: Amazing burgers. Go to the original location on Frankford near campus.
• Angel Chicken Kitchen: Great chicken-biscuit sandwiches. Emily recommends hummus with goat cheese and warm pita bread as a starter.
• Lockhart: Authentic Texas BBQ. Brisket is the centerpiece of TX BBQ. They can run out, so consider calling ahead to check.
• Meso Maya: Authentic Mexican food.
• Pie Tap: Pizza. Get the Prosciutto pizza, and thank Ben later.
• Ebesu Robata and Sushi: Japanese.
• Whiskey Cake or Sixty Vines: American Food. These two restaurants share the same parking lot.
• Ali Baba: Mediterranean lunch buffet. No buffet at dinner.
• Wu Wei Din: Chinese/Taiwanese. Try the spicy wanton, soup dumplings, and beef noodle soup.
• Churn and Bake: Ice cream with classic and unique flavors. They make their own ice cream and waffle cones.

For coffee, we recommend 1418 Coffee in historic downtown Plano. Other good options include Eiland, Pax & Beneficia, and Lemma.

Taco options a short drive from campus include Taqueria & Tamaleria Nuevo León for authentic Mexican tacos, or Velvet Taco (a chain, but it has many options). If you are willing to drive far, Revolver Taco in Deep Ellum amazing, and Resident Taqueria is also great.

Shops and such in and around Plano

• Historic downtown Plano: Nice historic downtown, with great food, coffee, and shops.
• Historic downtown McKinney: Much larger and much further than downtown Plano.
• Legacy West: Walkable area with high end shopping and a big food hall.
• Shops at legacy: On the other side of the highway from Legacy West with more shops and food (try Mexican Sugar).
• Truck Yard in The Colony, TX: Beer garden with food trucks and some unusual decour.

Outdoors (may be too hot)

• Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano.
• Dallas Arboretum which also includes an amazing adjacent kids area.

Downtown Dallas arts/museum district

• Klyde Warren park: Built over a highway. Kids play area on one end, fountain on the other, and adjacent to the free Dallas Art Museum.
• Other kid friendly activities: Dallas World Aquarium and Perot Museum.

Dallas neighborhoods to visit

• Deep Ellum
• Bishop Arts District

COVID

As of now, there are no COVID-related restrictions for restaurants, shops, or public buildings. In particular, there are no mask, vaccination, or testing requirements for the university.

However, we encourage you to wear a mask inside buildings if you wish to do so.

Accommodation

University Commons residence halls

Registration for the University Commons residence halls has closed.

We have reserved a block of 125 rooms at the University Commons residence halls located on the UTD campus. Attendees who wish to stay in the University Commons will be charged a flat fee of $300 that covers checkin as early as Saturday, June 10 and checkout as late as Friday, June 16. The $300 fee applies reguardless of how early or late the attendee checks in or checks out.

Attendees staying in the University Commons will receive a single set of linens which includes sheets and two sets of towels. Linens will not be replaced during the week.

Each attendee will be given a single-person bedroom as part of a three-room suite. Each suite contains a single toilet and shower along with three sinks. A floor plan is available. We are not able provide private suites for attendees. Preferences reguarding suite-mates may be made when registerting for a room.

Attendees who wish to stay in the University Commons are encouraged to declare so during conference registration where they will be charged the total amount covering both registration and their stay. Attendees may also register for the conference and later register for and pay to stay in the University Commons. However, all payments for the residence halls must be made by Monday, May 15 so we can provide accurate numbers to University Housing. Attendees will also be required to fill out a Release and Indemnification Agreement and a Medical Info and Release form before staying.

We strongly suggest that attendees staying in the dorms read this document.

Hotels

We have also reserved a block of 25 rooms at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Dallas—Richardson for those who would prefer to stay in a hotel. The hotel is located at 1981 North Central Expressway Richardson, Texas, 75080, USA. The room rate for the block is $114 a night, not including 13% city and state tax, and a room comes with breakfast, Wi-Fi, and parking. Single and double occupancy rooms run at the same rate. Rooms can be booked using this booking link or using the group code SCG.

There are other hotels near the university at various price points, but we have not reserved a block at these places. The UTD Computer Science department is located at 838 Franklyn Jenifer Dr, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA should you wish to search for nearby hotels on the internet.

All hotel guests will likely require a car or ride share to travel to and from the university.