An Expression of Gratitude

Welcome to the December issue of
Computer, the final issue for which I serve as editor in chief. As a
longtime IEEE Computer Society volunteer, it has been a special privilege for
me to serve as the EIC for Computer, the Society's flagship
publication.

These past four years have presented many opportunities, challenges, and
rewarding experiences. Through this message, I wish to express my gratitude to
the many professionals who have contributed to Computer's success
during my tenure as EIC.

Computer is the result of a collaborative effort between volunteers
and staff. I have been fortunate to work with an outstanding editorial board
and editorial staff. We have worked hard to offer timely material reflecting
the dynamic, changing nature of computing, while keeping high-quality editorial
content as the top priority.

The computing field continues to thrive while changing to meet new
challenges. Distinct boundaries between computing and other fields, such as
biology and physics, have become blurred. Security and privacy issues have
expanded in scope. Increasing computational capabilities and decreasing
computation costs have combined to escalate the demand for complex applications
that have a far-reaching impact on society, including new frontiers in medical
diagnosis and treatment, weather forecasting, space exploration, e-commerce,
and education. We have strived to ensure that Computer provides
up-to-date coverage of these changes and challenges in a variety of ways,
including regularly publishing articles on evolving topics and adding new
columns to cover emerging areas. In addition, we have updated
Computer's Web site to provide more content, in a more easily
accessible format. Our immediate plans are to expand the Web site, including
offering digital versions of the magazine.

This has been an exceptional year for Computer. The magazine served
a unique role in helping the Society celebrate its 60th anniversary by
providing special editorial that highlights past advances in computing. The
January Outlook issue combined our traditional approach of publishing research
that has great potential for shaping the future of computing with a celebration
of the advances that have influenced the computing field today. The October
issue was devoted to past challenges, successes, and possible future solutions
for computing. I am pleased that Computer made these contributions to
the Society's celebratory event.

Thank you to the many authors and reviewers who contributed to the magazine
during the past four years. Computer's value and success lie with
authors who submit their work to the magazine and to reviewers who help ensure
that our standards are maintained. Clearly, the magazine would not exist
without your contributions.

Computer 's editorial board is composed of distinguished computing
professionals who have consistently shown a strong commitment to furthering the
magazine's goals. Their many contributions include assessing potential themes
and topics while helping ensure that our editorial provides breadth of coverage
and relevance to our readers. Members of the board have given uncounted hours
of service to Computer, and thus to the Computer Society. I am
grateful for their many contributions.

To an extraordinary editorial staff, a simple thank you seems insufficient.
Computer's publishing model simply would not be possible without the
laudable talent of the entire staff. I have had the pleasure to work most
closely with Scott Hamilton, senior acquisitions editor; Judi Prow, managing
editor; and Bryan Sallis, publication coordinator. They have been a constant
source of guidance and support, and I have learned a great deal about
publishing from them. Their "above and beyond" commitment to
Computer is commendable. As I leave the role of EIC, I proudly take
with me cherished friendships with Scott, Judi, Bryan, and the members of the
board and staff.

I am pleased to announce that the incoming
EIC is Carl Chang. Carl is professor and chair of the Department of Computer
Science at Iowa State University. He brings an impressive list of academic and
editorial credentials to the magazine. The future of Computer is in
great hands.

I offer my sincere gratitude for the honor of serving as Computer's
EIC during these past four years.