Dear IONS Members and Friends,

The Institute of Noetic Sciences has announced that its new president will be Marilyn Mandala Schlitz. Schlitz, most recently vice president of Research and Education at IONS, has been associated with the Institute for more than 15 years. She will honor the Institute's research legacy and frontier spirit while extending that work into the twenty-first century.

"The world has changed in fundamental ways since the Institute of Noetic Sciences was founded 35 years ago," says Schlitz. "Science, technology, globalization, economic uncertainty, and ecological stress have all made their mark on self and society. Each of us is faced with more and more choices and challenges, and many people are reporting a kind of cultural acceleration as new data bombard our senses at levels never before experienced.

"Looking back, the work of the Institute has been formative, and our pioneering explorations at the meeting of science and spirituality have now begun to penetrate mainstream society. Looking forward, we believe that our role is more vitally needed than ever because the root cause of our shared social and environmental problems can still be traced to a limited mental model of who we are and how the universe works. By continuing to develop rigorous scientific and educational programs to further understand consciousness and our unrealized human potential, IONS will help advance the paradigmatic shifts that our times are calling for, personally as well as collectively."

The Institute, while acknowledging the challenging times we are in, also sees this as a time of breakthrough and looks forward to working with all the members of our extended community throughout the world to help birth a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

We ask that you join us in celebrating Marilyn's appointment as president of IONS, and also the selection of Cathy Coleman as executive director of the Institute's beautiful, 200-acre campus and retreat/conference center. More exciting news on Cathy's appointment and role and the evolution of both the IONS campus and the Institute's programs will be announced in the coming months.