From the Editor's Desk

Mariëlle Hoefnagels, Labstracts Editor
University of Oklahoma
hoefnagels@ou.edu

I wish I had stories to share about the long and fruitful relationship I have had with ABLE, but I’m still a baby in this organization, having joined only last year.

I heard of ABLE a few years ago from Jean Dickey when I corresponded with her about a lab in her manual, Laboratory Investigations for Biology. She was very enthusiastic about ABLE. I checked the ABLE website and was impressed with all the useful resources, but for one reason or another I didn't get around to joining until 2002. I wish I had taken her advice earlier, because I’m grateful for the wonderful people that make up ABLE. As a bonus, I’ve even reconnected with some long-lost friends from graduate school!

My first ABLE meeting was in Baton Rouge. I fell in love with the workshop format; “regular” professional meetings now seem dull in comparison. On a whim, I volunteered to be Labstracts editor. I'll confess that at the time, I didn't really even know what Labstracts is! I’m sure my predecessor, Doreen Schroeder, and then-president Maggie Haag thought I was a bit strange for volunteering during my first year as a member. But I had no competition, so I got the job. I love to write, and I love to edit, so being Labstracts editor seemed a natural way to serve ABLE.

I promise that future editions of this short column will not be about me. But since I’m new in this organization and new on the job as editor, I thought you might like to know the short history of my relationship with ABLE. If you’d like to know more about me and the classes I teach at the University of Oklahoma, you can visit my website.

One more note -- I want to gratefully acknowledge the authors of the contributions that appear in this issue of Labstracts. All of the articles came unsolicited, and I didn’t really have to pester the board members for their constitutionally required submissions as much as you might expect. I want to thank them and encourage the rest of you to submit your short articles, long articles, teaching tips, or other little gems for the winter Labstracts issue (the deadline is Jan. 15, 2004). Think about what you like in a newsletter, and then think about how you can contribute to ABLE’s.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity.