Whether in economics, politics or global affairs, we have all been struggling to make sense of a world that no longer feels very stable.

Popular discussions about how technology is shaping our personal, social and professional lives tend not to reference education schools.

This academic year is an exciting one for all those associated with Peabody College, as 2010-2011 marks our 225th anniversary.

Of students who enter college, the gap in completion rates between minority students and their white peers is about 20 percentage points, with only about 40 percent of minority students graduating within six years.

The 2009-10 academic year is well under way and with it all the activity in teaching, research and service that characterize Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. Despite the economic uncertainty of the last year, Peabody continues to thrive.

As a world-class college of education and human development, Vanderbilt’s Peabody College has many facets. In classroom teaching, for example, we seek to prepare tomorrow’s leaders. In other settings, we strive to help those who are already hard at work develop their professional knowledge and skills.

In reviewing the articles in this issue of The Reflector, I am struck by the theme of service, both at the macro and micro levels. Our primary feature is on the presidential election (macro), while several portraits of students and recent alumni shed light on engagement at local levels, though thousands of miles away.