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Captured
on the pages of the 2003 MSERA Proceedings are the research experiences
of close to 250 members. These parsimonious titles and abstracts give
the summarized version of work accomplished and findings disseminated.
Unfortunately, the parsimony betrays the story of hours spent in research
implementation and reporting. These words are mere symbols of the curiosity
that drives us to search, or construct, new knowledge; mere symbols
of that moment of joy all researchers share when the findings of our
toil are rich and meaningful, and ready to share with our peers.
Also
captured in the Proceedings is the hard work of MSERA officers,
State Representatives, and Committee Chairs in bringing to you an annual
meeting that is both enjoyable and informative. These individuals graciously
donate their time, energy, and expertise to MSERA not for glory or fame,
but to achieve our mission of "promoting exemplary research in the mid-South."
I am grateful to all of these dedicated professionals for their commitment
to excellence, their devotion to educational research, and, most importantly,
their friendship. They have made my year as President a joy.
Scott
Bauer, President-Elect, has worked diligently this year chairing the
Distinguished Awards Committee and the Development Committee. He has
also provided me with a generous amount of support and sage advice over
the past year. I look forward to his leadership next year as the new
MSERA President. Nola Christenberry, Secretary/Treasurer, has watched
over our finances to ensure the continued fiscal health of MSERA. I
owe her a debt of gratitude for her fiscal vigilance. Qaisar Sultana,
Past-President, has performed the thankless task of preparing the slate
of nominees for new officers. I admire her commitment to MSERA represented
by her gracious service. She was a tough act to follow as President!
Additionally,
my thanks must be extended to John Petry, Executive Secretary; Cliff
Hoftwolt, Budget Planning, Managing, and Advisory Report, Harry Bowman,
Constitution and Bylaws Committee; and David Morse, Web site and Archives/Paper
Repository Committee for their on-going contribution to MSERA. I also
wish to extend my gratitude to the State Representatives for their continued
work on behalf of MSERA: Mary Jane Bradley, Beverly Klecker, Jane Nell
Luster, Dana Thames, Russ West, and Dennis Zuelke. And, of course, many
thanks to the At-Large Representatives who have aptly served MSERA for
the past two years: Gahan Bailey, Lynn Howerton, Otis LoVette, and William
Person. The Executive Board simply could not function without these
individuals.
As
you are already aware, the editorship for Research in the Schools
changed hands this year. To the outgoing editors - Jim McLean and Alan
Kaufman - I wish to extend a heartfelt "thank-you" from all members
of MSERA for your leadership in providing MSERA with a reputable journal.
To the new editors - Larry Daniel and Anthony Onwuegbuzie - I wish you
the best of success and look forward to continued publishing quality.
I
wish to thank everyone who willingly volunteered to co-chair a committee.
Because of the dedication of this group of individuals, my job as President
was much easier. Robert Kennedy and Jane Nell Luster, co-chairs of the
Publications and Communications Committee, did an excellent job identifying
our future RIS editors. Larry Daniel and Scott Bauer continued
to solicit institutional memberships as co-chairs of the Development
Committee. Due to their efforts, we now have close to 30 institutional
members. Carolyn Reeves-Kazelskis was our liaison with the Mentors Group.
This group of MSERA founders volunteered to work on special mentoring
projects as identified by the Executive Board. As always, Lynn Howerton
and Mary Jane Bradley published a first-rate newsletter for our organization
this past year.
Rebecca
Giles and Linda Kondrick, Membership Committee, recruited new members
to MSERA and prepared for the new member breakfast at our next annual
meeting. Jean Clark and Gail Weems, Graduate Student Advisory Committee,
generously donated their expertise to support our graduate student members.
Last, but certainly not least, I wish to thank Bill Spencer and Russ
West for their work in developing a quantitative and qualitative evaluation
of our meeting in Biloxi. In addition to all of the co-chairs this year,
I wish to thank all MSERA members who volunteered to serve on a committee.
This association survives because of the work done by our committees.
All of us owe these dedicated individuals a round of applause.
I
wish to thank the MSER Foundation for their continued support of all
MSERA activities. I encourage each of you to consider donating money
this year to the foundation. Through your support the foundation can
continue to operate on our behalf.
On
behalf of all MSERA members, I wish to thank Gahan Bailey, 2003 program
chair, and Nancy Masztel and Shirley Bowles, 2003 Site Coordinators,
for their work on the 2003 annual meeting. Gahan spent untold hours
pulling together an exemplary program. Nancy and Shirley donated their
time and energy over the past three years working with the staff of
the Grand Hotel in Biloxi to ensure a first-rate meeting experience
for MSERA members. My gratitude to these three professionals is beyond
expression.
My
final "thank you" goes to all members of MSERA who return to our annual
meeting year after year and share their productivity and friendship.
I look forward to visiting with each of you in Biloxi.
Sincerely,
Kathy K. Franklin,
2003 MSERA President
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