Asia-Pacific Association of Chemical Ecologists (APACE)

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the APACE Newsletter. I hope it will prove interesting and useful. As might be expected, the Newsletter is a work in progress, with reference to both its design/format as well as its content. Regarding its appearance, I am perhaps the least qualified person in APACE to serve as the Newsletter's Editor as I had no experience at all with web page building!! To those more skilled persons, I apologize if the Newsletter appears 'primitive' and hope to make improvements in future issues.

Regarding its content, the Newsletter will ultimately reflect the growth and evolution of the Society itself. Because of the SARS scare and the cancelled meeting, APACE is now undergoing a re-birth. The Jeju meeting was a great success, and the quality and number of talks attest to strong interest in the Society. Yet, the structure and function of the Society need great strengthening. The membership list is outdated, finances are limited, and apart from the meeting itself there is little that links us as a scientific community.

Along with the APACE web site, the Newsletter represents an attempt to develop such a link. As I see it, the Newsletter is a 2-way channel for communication, and I encourage you to submit questions, ideas, and suggestions about the Newsletter as well as to share news and photos of your research, travels, etc. All suggestions and contributions are welcome! In particular, if you have ideas about what regular features (book reviews, mini-summaries of ongoing research of Society members, etc.) you would like to see posted, please let me know.

Thanks for reading and welcome again to the APACE Newsletter!

Aloha from Hawaii,
Todd Shelly
Secretary