On behalf of the TMS Student Affairs Committee and staff, a somewhat belated welcome back! We hope that you had enjoyable and productive summers and that your chapter is looking forward to the upcoming year. We anticipate a busy year full of fun new programs, improved communication, and more activities to promote the field of materials science and engineering. It is appropriate, then, that we begin with a quick look at this year.

November 1997--Have you paid your 1998 dues? Send your payment and the completed survey back to TMS headquarters.

December 1997--After finals, establish a web site to communicate with ASM, TMS, and other student chapters. See the November feature, "Get with the In-Crowd: Create Your Own Student Chapter Web Page" for ideas and guidelines.

January 1998--Finalize arrangements now for your chapter to send representatives to San Antonio.

February 1998--Student award winners will receive their prizes at the 1998 TMS Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

March 1998--Schedule a casual, fun social activity such as a pizza party, a golf outing, or late-season skiing to celebrate a successful year before finals keep you too busy.

April 1998--Put the finishing touches on your Chapters of Excellence entry and scholarship applications. Don't wait until after you have left campus!

As you can see, there is a lot to do in the next few months. As always, if you have questions, suggestions, or are in need of assistance, please feel free to contact me at koebnick@tms.org.

Vicki Koebnick TMS Manager, Education