Editor's note

Image caption: Greg Rienzi
Editor

My fantastic editor's note.

Pardon any perceived smugness, but I'm borrowing a line from the student of a friend who teaches high school English. This student is wont to turn in assignments headed by a superlative: "My Fantastic Essay" and "My Fantastic Poem" are examples. I admire the boldness and cheek, and she confirmed that the latter was his intent, not arrogance. I thought, why not carry this concept further? One could start the day with a fantastic cup of coffee. Go for a fantastic run. Write a fantastic email. Asked how you're doing, say, "Fantastic!"

In this spirit, I'm proud to present an issue that we think is pretty fantastic. Some months ago while brainstorming stories, we wondered how to honor the Class of 1974, the first full undergraduate class at Johns Hopkins to include women. We could tell a wealth of stories about that class, but we thought why stop there? Instead, we landed on a themed issue celebrating the women of Johns Hopkins, from any era. In addition to distinguished members of the Class of 1974—such as Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross—we reached back in school history to profile pioneering geologist and alum Florence Bascom (1862–1945) and looked to the present (and past, of sorts) to tell the story of a Johns Hopkins molecular paleobiologist who is literally fleshing out the characteristics of extinct life on Earth.

I could go on, but I'll stop here and invite you to read what's inside. Have a fantastic day.

Greg Rienzi
Editor