From the Editor
Jane B. Hutchison, William Paterson University
I am serving as interim editor until a new editor can be appointed by the Board of Directors. Jeff Keezel had to resign due to health issues, and we all thank him for his service and send him get well wishes. We have two other positions vacant due to the expired terms of Elia Schoomer and Mark McCallister. Both Elia and Mark have served our organization well over the past few years, gleaning articles of interest from our members and providing relevant information to our profession. Thanks to both of them for their dedication and service to our organization. In fact, Mark McCallister will be hosting our next annual conference in Gainsville, Florida, on October 18–22nd. Redline those dates to attend our next conference.
Speaking of our conference, we must thank Michael Farris from Texas State University–San Marcos and Patrick Iglehart from St. Edward’s University for hosting a GREAT conference. Not only was Austin the city to be in for fun and stimulation, but the presentations proved to be informative and stimulating. In this edition of the Leader, you’ll find a Weird and Wired Conference Summary with plenty of pictures to document our time in Austin. Thanks especially to Russell Esfahani, South Florida Community College, and Tom Beggs, University of Georgia, for taking pictures. We also will be uploading additional pictures on our Web site. Mark Pike, Kent State University, provides a summary of our Interest Group sessions during the conference. This is a time when our organization is “in transition.”
There is a brief update from Dickie Cox, University of Alabama, on our Web redesign project. The Publications Advisory Board held a focus group session during the conference. Twelve participants provided insight and comments on our publications that will help shape our direction in the next few years. A formal report will appear in our spring edition of the Leader.
Romana Hughes and Kerrie Conover, Texas Christian University, discussed how they are able to support both Mac and PC platforms more effectively. You also will discover in this issue that our corporate members have submitted both content and equipment updates through Lyn McCurdy, our Assistant Editor.
If you want to become involved with our organization, a great place to start is to volunteer to be the editor or assistant editor of the Leader. If you are interested, please contact me and we can discuss further details. The success of our organization depends on you, our members. So submit your name and become actively involved. It’s a rewarding experience.