In April 2006, I was privileged to accompany nine CURO and JURO students from the University of Georgia to the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Asheville, North Carolina. For me as an educator, it was inspiring to see the accomplishments of my students as well as those of hundreds of other students from around the country. For three days at NCUR, we all were part of a community of researchers who shared their knowledge with each other and built relationships across disciplines and across college campuses. In the spirit of continuing to showcase the scholastic contributions of undergraduates across the country and to contribute to academic community building, JURO has published this special issue based on the research presented at NCUR.

The articles in this issue represent the high quality of work produced by undergraduate researchers at numerous colleges in the United States. They also represent the ways that disciplines are woven together to create a tapestry of perspectives. The research in this issue comprises the fields of art, religion, geography, sociology, economics, history, political science, child and family development, anthropology, psychology, speech communication, marketing, higher education, public health, and international affairs. By presenting and publishing their work, these authors have succeeded in contributing to the body of knowledge in their respective fields and in sparking conversations across disciplines. And, by publishing this special NCUR 2006 issue, JURO has succeeded in becoming a national outlet for superior undergraduate research.

Rebecca Cheney
Consulting Editor