In the inaugural issue of the this journal, the late Ernes Boyer wrote eloquently about the responsibility of higher education to become more vigorously engaged in the issues of the day, connecting the rich resources of the university to pressing social problems. He spoke of the scholarship of engagement that creates a special climate in which academic and civic cultures communicate creatively with each other, enriching the quality of life for all. Boyer was convinced of the value of scholars and practitioners speaking and listening carefully to each other (1996).