One of the great ironies of 24-hour, nonstop television and the Internet is that the information and entertainment available is not really of great interest to a wide audience. Pick a subject and you can find a specialty channel or a website devoted to just one topic. The same is true for the publishing world, which has mourned the loss of the general interest magazines, such as Life and Look, while replacing them with specialty publications devoted to one subject in areas from antique glass to wine collecting.

That's why having the opportunity to be the new editor of UConn Traditions is such an interesting and challenging responsibility. As a major public university, UConn has a fascinating range of stories waiting to be told in every corner of the University and, as this edition of UConn magazine demonstrates, alumni stories can be found around the world and beyond. While the common interest shared by readers is UConn, the subject matter is as diverse as the University itself.

In the more than 25 years I have lived in Connecticut, I have crossed paths with dozens of UConn alumni during my time writing for The New York Times, working at Yale-New Haven Hospital and the University of Bridgeport, as well as teaching writing classes at Fairfield and Quinnipiac Universities. I have met writers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, researchers, bankers, politicians, teachers, musicians, nurses, business executives, artists and others.

The common thread among these individuals is their association with UConn and the diversity of their achievements since leaving their days as students. If there is ever a time to be telling the stories of these alumni, it is during the unprecedented period of transformation that is now occurring. As exemplified by astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz '73 (ENG) in this issue's cover story, after earning a degree from the University, not even the sky is the limit.