Beginning with this issue, Jan Allebach of Purdue University becomes the new Editor of JEI. I have been Editor for six years and it is time for someone to bring new energy and new ideas to the editorship. All of us involved in the selection process heartily endorse Jan’s selection and have full confidence that he and his team will work successfully to enhance the stature of the journal.

At this time, I would like to extend my appreciation to all of the people who gave special effort in time and expertise to help JEI over the last six years. This is a large group, and includes associate editors, special-section editors, numerous reviewers, SPIE and IS&T staff, and the first JEI editor and my predecessor, Paul Roetling. It is not easy to make publication decisions on people’s work, or to maintain standards when there is a run of rejections. There have been some difficult times and controversial decisions. I have called on numerous people in difficult circumstances and have never failed to find people more than willing to help. Rarely has anyone turned me down. It is this support of people who contribute their time for the good of the societies and of the profession that has been the most gratifying experience in being Editor of JEI.

From the beginning, and with the full support of both SPIE and IS&T, the goal has been to publish high-quality papers in a timely fashion. This has meant some tough reviewing standards and some thinner issues than one might desire. But in the end, it has furthered both the quality and quantity of research published in JEI. The editorial policy has been inclusive, welcoming both application and theory, and publishing papers that cover the full scope of the sponsoring societies. Special sections have varied widely in their topical content, and have helped to display the full range of electronic imaging research in academia, industry, and government research laboratories. We are especially pleased by the strong international contribution to the journal. I express my appreciation to all the authors who submitted their work to JEI these past six years and without whom we would not have a journal.

If you work in electronic imaging, I encourage you to think of JEI as your journal. I believe we have made some progress, and I am certain that Jan will continue and improve the efforts we have made over the last six years.