SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2005

     Preparing this edition of the SSSR Newsletter is my final task as President of SSSR. On January 1, 2006 Pieter Reitsma will begin his two-year term as President.

The 2005 Meeting

     Our 2005 meeting was held at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel from Thursday, June 23 to Sunday, June 26. We had planned to meet there in 2003, but because of the WHO travel advisory regarding SARS, we postponed our visit to Toronto until this year. Pieter Reitsma served as Program Chair; and Alexandra Gottardo, 2005 Conference Coordinator, took care of the local arrangements. Pieter and Alexandra organized a very successful conference: 352 people registered (346 attended--the largest number yet). There were 273 presentations. The plenary session was used for my Presidential Address.

The 2006 Meeting

     The 2006 meeting will be held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver from July 5 to July 8. The setting is beautiful, and the accommodations will be comfortable and reasonably priced. Linda Siegel is our 2006 Conference Coordinator. Maggie Snowling, Program Chair, is now at work reviewing the submitted proposals and organizing the program. Detailed information is posted on our website (www.triplesr.org).

The 2007 Meeting

     We will hold our 2007 meeting in Prague from July 12 to July 15. Marketa Caravolas, our 2007 Conference Coordinator, and Maggie Snowling have found a very attractive hotel with lots of amenities, the Corinthia Towers Hotel. Details will be posted on the website.

Membership in SSSR

     To join SSSR, go to the website and follow the procedures (there is an application form). Membership in the Society includes a subscription to our journal, Scientific Studies of Reading, edited by Frank Manis and published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Our website now has the capability for web payment of dues and for member access to the electronic SSR journal.

Voting Membership

     At the 2005 meeting the Board approved the applications of five new voting members: Dorit Aram (Tel Aviv University), Ken E. Blaiklock (Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland), Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow (The Chinese University of Hong Kong), Astrid Geudens (University of Antwerp), and John P. Sabatini (Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey). Congratulations to all!

SSSR Board

     The current composition of the Board (until December 31, 2005) is as follows: President, Joanna Williams; President-Elect, Pieter Reitsma; Vice President, Maggie Snowling; Past President, Richard Olson; Secretary, Linda Siegel; Treasurer, Don Compton; Historian, Joanne Carlisle; International Coordinator, Karin Landerl; Conference Coordinator, Alexandra Gottardo; Publications Chair, Hollis Scarborough; Elected Board Members, Benita Blachman, Pat Bowers, Brian Byrne. Frank Manis is Editor of SSR.
     Ballots are currently being counted for the office of Vice-President and for an Elected Board Member, and results will be announced soon.
     Don Compton is stepping down after eight years as Treasurer. Thank you, Don, for your generous commitment of time and effort. Stephen Petrill has been appointed Treasurer, to start on January 1, 2006. Other appointments will be announced.

SSR: Change of Editor

     Frank Manis will retire from the editorship of SSR after completing his fifth year in the job. Frank reports, "Scientific Studies of Reading is healthy and thriving. Submissions are as high as in previous years, and the quality of manuscripts accepted to the journal is quite high. This year's special issue on genetics, under the guest editorship of Stephen Petrill, brought readers up to date on some of the exciting developments in behavior and molecular genetics as applied to reading and reading disorders. We have a special issue on assessment of reading comprehension due out next year. The editorial board and reviewers have done a fine job as always. The last submitted papers that are under my editorship will be in February, 2006. I will see the papers I am working on through to completion of an editorial decision. This means I will edit the 2006 volume and substantial portions of the 2007 volume of the journal. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to edit the journal these past four years, and I look forward to an enjoyable fifth and final year of editing."
     I announced in Toronto that Michael Pressley had been appointed Editor to succeed Frank. Unfortunately, Mike has decided that for reasons of health he cannot take on this position. Charles Hulme, who was also identified as a strong candidate by the Search Committee, has accepted appointment as Editor.He will start receiving submissions to the journal on March 1, 2006.
     Thank you, Frank, for doing such a great job as Editor. Congratulations, Charles--we are looking forward to a continuation of excellence in the journal under your leadership. I am also pleased to announce that Mike will guest-edit a special themed issue entitled "What is the Scientific Study of Reading Now; What Should It Be in the Near Future?"

Note from the President

     After only about a dozen years of existence, SSSR has developed into an impressive organization. We are truly interdisciplinary, truly international, and we represent the highest quality of reading research. Our journal has a reputation as a leading outlet for excellent research. We are on solid financial footing. And we are still growing. It has been an honor to serve as SSSR President, and I thank the membership for having given me the opportunity to do so.