In this issue, for the first time, we are publishing the text of the President's Distinguished Guest Lecture from our Annual Meeting. Dr. David Korn, who is currently Senior Vice President for Biomedical Research at the Association of Academic Medical Colleges, was asked to give this address because of his vast experience in the challenges facing academic medical centers. His comments are as relevant to the reproductive services as to any other field and were so well received at the plenary session of our Annual Meeting that we have published them here in their original context. We hope to have the opportunity to publish other notable addresses from our Annual Meeting as a regular feature in future editions of the Journal.