Issue date: 9/29/04 Section: News

Suffolk's Deborah Geisler tends to take on many tasks.

In addition to her positions as Graduate Program Director and communications professor, Geisler has recently wrapped up a four-and-a-half year non-paid project as Chairman of the 62nd Annual World Science Fiction Convention.

The five-day convention took place for the first time here in Boston, over Labor Day weekend at the Hynes-Convention Center.

The World Science Fiction Convention was started in the late 1930s.

This year's guests of honor included Terry Pratchett, author of "Monster's Regiment," William Tenn, a well-known professor at Penn State University and author of "On Venus Have We Got a Rabbi," as well as Jack Speer and Peter Weston.

The majority of convention-goers included professional writers, editors and publishers from around the world with a special interest in science fiction.

As Chairman, Geisler was in charge of 500 volunteer employees and a $1 million budget.

She worked up to 80 hours per week in anticipation of a crowd of 5,600 science fiction fans from around the globe, including Japan, Israel, the U.K. and many others countries.

"It isn't easy managing 500 people, especially when they're all over the world," Geisler said.

Without the Internet to help communicate and connect her to volunteers and members, Geisler said planning the convention simply may not have worked out.

Geisler also took advantage of her close connection with Suffolk in order to make the convention run more smoothly.

Two NESADSU students, Michelle Kennedy and Emilie Mittel, were able to put their art skills to work when asked to design a more inviting atmosphere for the convention's interior.

The 10 Somerset dorms were also utilized for many of the convention's volunteers and guests.

Geisler said she is grateful to have had Suffolk so readily available.

"It was just great having the opportunity to show people around the university," she said.

Geisler began her involvement with the sci-fi convention in 1989 and she said she hopes to continue with this "side job," as the convention plans to be held in Los Angeles as well as Scotland in coming years.

It was all quite a duty to uphold, especially since the convention ended Sept. 6 and Geisler's first class of the year, none other than Convention Management, started Sept. 7. Regardless, Geisler found it "amazingly rewarding" and looks forward to future conventions.

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