President's column.

I am honored to serve as your President during the 2004-2005 academic year, the 75th anniversary of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. The Academy has a rich history of supporting scientific research and education in our State, and the future promises to bring exciting opportunities for us to impact science in Mississippi. My term as President follows an exceptional year under the leadership of Dr. Hamed Benghuzzi, whose tireless efforts and abilities to enlist the help of the membership led to one of the most well-run and well-attended annual meetings in memory.

It is my hope than we can continue this year what was begun last year. This will include continuing to develop partnerships with groups sharing common goals and interests, such as our partnership with the Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA). Our State has numerous opportunities to harness the skills and abilities of current and future scientists and to develop industries based on biotechnology--areas of significant interest to the Academy and the MTA. The upcoming 2005 annual meeting, in addition to having several plenary sessions designed to appeal to and inform attendees from a variety of disciplines, will include a workshop on Bioscience and Biotechnology in Mississippi. The Dodgen Lecturer, Dr. Bruce Alberts, is known not only as the President of the National Academy of Sciences and for his work in biochemistry and molecular biology, but also as an ardent proponent for the improvement of science education at all levels, which complements the continuing interests of the MAS in improving science education in Mississippi.

As the Academy continues toward the future, I would like to encourage you to invite your colleagues in various disciplines to become members, to become involved in the Academy, and to submit work for publication in the Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. The diversity of membership is impressive, and the opportunities which result from interactions of persons from the various scientific disciplines represented in our State are endless. Together, we can continue to improve science in Mississippi. I look forward to a successful and exciting annual meeting in February!