In early 2021, I was browsing the UMRA website when I saw a call for a new editor-in-chief of the Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays (JOIE), an open-access journal hosted online by the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy. I hadn’t spent much time viewing JOIE, so I took a longer look at it. I found a delightful mix of articles on topics ranging from intellectual to entertaining, informative to enlightening. With my previous experience in editing and writing (reports, correspondence, grant applications), I was excited by the opportunity to work with authors on their submissions to the eJournal.

Alongside a savvy editorial committee of five members, some of whom had been with the journal since its inception in 2013, I worked to revitalize JOIE. The JOIE homepage was updated, reviewing guidelines were established, and new methods of recruiting authors were implemented. This has been a labor of love for me. 

Since 2021, we have added 14 articles to JOIE, and in April we posted our first video, an extraordinary documentary on the Farmer-Labor Movement in Minnesota by UMRA member and video producer Randy Croce. 

Recent articles include a tribute to the founding mother of women’s studies at the University, a selection of retirement stories, and a commentary on life in a politically divided country. These articles, and more, have added substantially to my own knowledge base and stimulated my interest in subjects I had not encountered previously.

Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated my retirement as editor-in-chief. I will step down on June 1 as leader and become a JOIE editorial committee member. I look forward to working with a new editor-in-chief who brings fresh ideas for further development of the journal.

If you have questions or are interested in volunteering for the editor-in-chief position, please email me at [email protected] or Ron Matross, chair of the UMRA Membership and Communication Committee, at [email protected].

—Kris Bettin, JOIE editor-in-chief