On a smaller scale, there have been significant changes at the International Affairs Journal over the past year.  Entering fall, our staff was small and our readership, local.  There was little structure, with the Journal uncertain of its future.  Today, the picture is far brighter.  The number of quarterly publications has more than doubled.  The website has expanded to include the new, online publication, known as the International Update, as well as to continue the support for the International Affairs Journal at UC Davis.  The awareness and popularity of the Journal has exploded around the UC Davis campus, bringing in more of the highly motivated staff members that are part of the IAJ tradition.  Furthermore, awareness of the Journal has expanded around the globe, bringing in both readers and submitters from all reaches of the globe: the United Kingdom to Lebanon, Israel to South Africa, Hong Kong to all reaches of the United States of America.

The reason for the remarkable improvements is singular: dedication.  From this dedication, the staff of the IAJ has worked unbelievably hard to make the IU and the IAJ at UCD achieve more than one could have imagined. Innovation, persistence, and creativity have sprouted out from the dedication of a few to create the inspiration for many.  The Journal thrives on this spirit to produce a high-quality academic publication, accessible yet professional, and we are confident our readership appreciates the final product.

In my final quarter as the Editor-in-Chief, I bid the Journal a fond farewell.  I express the dearest thanks to the outstanding staff with which the Journal has been blessed.  Perhaps the most dedicated member of the staff has been the Executive Editor, Kyle Atwell, who worked endless hours to help catapult the Journal to its current success.  In addition, my heart-filled gratitude goes to Allison Leung, for her boundless energy and enthusiasm; to Sam Chung, who took up the reigns in production and never let us down; to Maritsa Norton, who brought her own vivacious and spirited ideas to the table; to Kaveh Azimi, whose gentle yet confident presence always brought perspective to debates; and last but certainly not least, to Patrick Rogers, who skillfully directed the reconstruction of the website and breathed life into the International Update.  Patrick will take the reigns next year, and I am certain he will guide the Journal to an amazing future.

Most importantly, it is the general staff who makes this Journal happen and I thank them thoroughly.  It is through their diligence and hard work--whether in editing, developing the layout, researching funding sources, or telling the world about this publication—that the International Affairs Journal succeeds.

In closing, I leave you, the reader, with one last thought: whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, a scholar or a professional: Get Published.

Yours truly,

Daniel F. Wollrich

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