Letter from the Editor

Abstract

Looking back on my time at SUNY Oneonta, I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the SOAR team. I learned about SOAR in my junior year from a past e-board member who convinced me to become a peer-reviewer. I have always had an interest in academic research and the process of publishing a peer-reviewed journal, so I joined without hesitation and my only regret is not having joined sooner. Throughout my experience as the coordinating editor, I have learned just how much effort and care goes into publishing a journal, and SUNY Oneonta is especially lucky to have faculty members who want to provide us with the ability to get published as undergraduates. As the coordinating editor my job is to communicate with authors and peer-reviewers, edit and format papers, and ultimately work with the faculty advisors in order to get a new issue out every year. I also spread the word about SOAR to my peers by notifying chairs and professors of relevant departments that there is an open call for peer-reviewers, authors and e-board members. Before joining SOAR, I knew very little about the copyediting and publishing process, but I was welcomed with open arms regardless. Dr. Fulkerson, the founding faculty member of SOAR, had no reservations about helping me every step of the way and helped me get to a place of confidence in this area. In April of next year, we will travel to Suffolk County Community College on Long Island to attend SURC, the annual SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. It will be a terrific opportunity to spread the word about SOAR. Due to its open access nature, we hope to one day offer students from other SUNY schools the opportunity to get published in and peer-review for our journal.