Like countless other students who crossed paths with Burt Barnes, I was lucky enough to have a mentor who steered the ship of my career more or less from the day I met him face to face. This was the case with almost every student with whom he crossedpaths. Burt mentored every single author in this issue and others all across the country in one form or another, many of whom could do a better job than I of describing the experience of being a "Burt mentee." This was what made Burt different, special,and beloved. Whether it was an undergraduate student in a Woody Plants class of 150 students or a fourth-year M.S. student, Burt had a way of making every student feel as though he or she was being given individual attention from day one. For over 40 years he welcomed everyone with a small sign on his office door—it yellowed through the years—that read "Snappy answers any time I'm in." It was no secret—it was the way he worked— and my experience is but one example.
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