Friends, FUN, and the Future

This issue marks the completion of another transition at JUNE, as our new Editor-in-Chief, Bill Grisham, will be responsible for subsequent issues, beginning with—can you believe it--Volume 10. I have felt honored to have been able to serve in various capacities with FUN for 20 years and with JUNE for nearly a decade. Although I admit to feeling some sense of relief when I passed the torch into Bill’s capable hands, I did so with a sense of nostalgia and gratitude for the opportunities I have had and the valuable lessons I have learned. As with many endeavors, there have been a few challenges and some setbacks over the years, but the fact that both FUN and JUNE have not only survived, but continue to flourish is, indeed, heartwarming to witness. More than anything else, I have enjoyed working with an amazingly wonderful group of colleagues at FUN and JUNE. I appreciate the passion and commitment that my fellow members have demonstrated for undergraduate neuroscience education. It is this dedication and enthusiasm that will continue to drive both FUN and JUNE to new heights in the coming years. Although FUN has always been, and will continue to be a grassroots organization, there is no doubt in my mind that its source of inspiration has come from the leadership of its founder, Julio Ramirez. I am confident that anyone who knows Julio will readily affirm my contention that the primary source of his motivation for devoting so much of his time and energy in making FUN and JUNE so successful—is the joy he receives from helping others. The more people he can help, the greater the satisfaction he receives. It has been an absolute blessing to be able to work with Julio. He is not only a friend and colleague—but a role model for all of us. I am profoundly grateful for how his friendship and mentorship has enriched my life. I have also been extremely fortunate to have had Barbara Lom as a mentor and as the guiding force for JUNE. Like Julio, Barbara has selflessly given of her time and talents to ensure the success of JUNE and actively providing the much-needed mentorship during my transition into the Editor-in-Chief position. The countless hours she has devoted to JUNE is remarkable on its own, but the fact that she devoted so much effort to JUNE, prior to receiving tenure is a testament to the depth of her commitment to making sure JUNE succeeds. I can’t thank Barb--and the entire editorial board at JUNE--enough for their support and encouragement during the past few years. I need also to express my profound gratitude to Fern Duncan, with whom it has been an absolute joy to work and for whose expertise and hard work has made each issue of JUNE one of superb quality. Of course, JUNE would not be able to survive without two of its most critical components—authors and reviewers. For those of you who have submitted manuscripts to JUNE and for those of you who have generously volunteered their time and expertise to review these manuscripts, we owe a debt of gratitude. Our authors and reviewers deserve a salient acknowledgement because the lion’s share of JUNE’s successes is due to their efforts and their contributions cannot be overemphasized. Clearly, it is the membership of any organization that determines its ultimate success or failure, and it is precisely the quality of FUN’s membership that instills my superb confidence in JUNE’s future. It is the example of Julio’s joy in helping others that is exemplified by so many of FUN’s members that comprises the driving force that will ensure that our flagship journal will always be THE voice of undergraduate education. I suppose that it should not be at all surprising to anyone that the type of individual who dedicates the biggest part of his or her career to educating undergraduates would also relish in the joy of helping fellow colleagues succeed, but I guess it has been the level of this commitment that I have witnessed during my years as Editor-in-Chief of JUNE that has instilled so much pride in belonging to FUN, and so much confidence in the future of JUNE. In closing, I would like to thank all of my colleagues and friends for the opportunity to serve as Editor-in-Chief of JUNE. Despite a few technical difficulties and some persistent efforts of hackers, JUNE has not only survived, but has become stronger. Through the years, it has become increasingly clear to me that our strength resides in the members and friends of FUN. The joy of helping our students and of helping our colleagues is the spirit that guarantees the future of JUNE. It has been a joy to be part of JUNE and I look forward to helping our journal reach new heights—and I especially look forward to several more years of working with friends and FUN in the future.