From the Editors

This summer edition of the journal includes the abstracts and membership awards and JIAEE awards from the conference held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 24-28, 2009. The conference theme was “25 Years of Strengthening International Agricultural and Extension Education.” We solicited “birthday letters” from the membership to recognize this notable achievement for the organization.

As we celebrate the birthday of our organization, it is important to reflect on how our organization, and the journal, has evolved over time. Dr. Jack Elliot, a former journal editor and president of AIAEE commented in his birthday letter:

Beginning the journal was a labor of love. The original journal white paper team of Satish Verma from Louisiana State University, Bill Seiders from the University of Illinois and me (then at Michigan State University) presented our work at the first AIAEE meeting held west of the Mississippi River in 1991 at St. Louis, Missouri. Wade Miller from Iowa State and Anne Fox from Oregon State were added to the team to form the first journal editorial board. The first issue of volume one was distributed during the 10th anniversary of the association. Some of the original strategies such as publishing the outstanding research presentations have been modified as the journal sought to improve its prestige within the journal world.

Today the journal includes editorial board members from throughout the world. As our organization has grown, the journal has also expanded to include a broader range of topics and authors. We look forward to our next 25 years!

If you would like to contribute to the development of the JIAEE, we are seeking a new managing editor. The term would begin in January, 2010. You will find a call for the managing editor at the end of this issue.

Sincerely,

James R. Lindner, Executive Editor and Kim E. Dooley, Managing Editor

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education