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The Forensic Examiner, nearing the end of its 16th year, has come a long way. From the three-page letter that Founder Dr. Robert O'Block created and sent to a few members from his tiny home office back in 1992, to the 88-page, 4-color, peer-reviewed journal that

Our most recent achievement has us all beaming especially brightly. The Forensic Examiner is now on newsstands across the United States and in Canada, including Barnes and Noble, Borders, Hastings, and many other independent bookstores! Joining the ranks of esteemed magazines such as Scientific American and The Economist, we are one of the only academic peer-reviewed journals to be featured on the newsstands of major bookstores. And just to put any fears immediately to rest, an academic journal is how we will always remain.

There is no doubt that long-standing members have noticed the changes in design over the past few years. We've encouraged our art director, Brandon Alms, to be creative with layout and cover designs, and we have not been disappointed. Our editorial staff has also put forth a lot of effort to maintain a level of discourse within the journal that is accessible to individuals outside the field. However, we would never dream of compromising our scholarly standards. Our goals do not include catering to people looking for sensational stories similar to those found on popular television networks, but we do want to appeal to a broader audience.

As the cover states, we want to show the general public real cases, real experts, and real science. Offering subscriptions and selling on limited newsstands over the past couple of years has made us aware of a growing population of individuals who are not formally educated in forensic science, but who are fascinated with the field. By sharing academic articles with these individuals, we plan to show them that true forensics, though not nearly as glamorous, can be just as interesting and dynamic as any hour-long drama.

By expanding our audience, we hope to inspire more young readers to pursue careers in forensics and to bring a higher level of awareness to the importance of forensics funding. Our authors have the chance not only to reach a larger audience, but also to influence a new demographic in a way they never before imagined.

ACFEI Members: It goes without saying that the journal wouldn't be anywhere near what it is today if it weren't for the dedication and loyalty of you, our members. Above all else, this is your journal, and its main purpose is to serve you. Thanks for helping make The Forensic Examiner the world's leading forensic journal!

New Readers: We're thrilled you have chosen to explore the real world of forensics with us. We have no doubts that you will love learning about the science behind forensics and enjoy discovering areas of the field new to you!

We're delighted to be the first journal able to maintain high academic

standards while appealing to the general public, and we plan to take full advantage of our opportunity to disseminate knowledge to a larger and more diverse audience. This issue in particular reflects a lot of design changes that we hope will be more inviting to all readers. If all goes according to plan, forensic accountants just might find themselves reading forensic engineering articles, and visa versa.

Leann Long

Editor in Chief

editor@acfei.com