Dear ACCS Colleagues and Friends:

I would like to thank you for your continued support of the ACCS and your dedication to Chinese Communication Studies. I am honored to serve as the president of the ACCS this year. I also want to thank the officers of the ACCS for their willingness to serve this year: Qi Wang (Vice President), Qi Tang (Secretary/Treasurer), Ling Fang (Newsletter Editor), Hairong Feng (Research Chair), Yahui Zhang (External Affairs Chair), and Chiaoning Su (Student Committee Chair). My thanks also go to Chin-Chung (Joy) Chao for her leadership in 2011-2012 and Joyce Chen for planning the ACCS program this year.

Founded in 1991, the Association for Chinese Communication Studies (ACCS) is committed to promoting the study of Chinese communication and culture. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the ACCS officers and members, the ACCS has continued to experience steady and healthy growth in terms of membership and scholarship and gain visibility and recognition in the field of communication studies. We are excited that more scholars, particularly graduate students, join the ACCS every year, and we are proud that more members showcase their scholarship relating to Chinese communication and culture in leading communication journals and reputable academic presses.

This year the ACCS sponsors 8 sessions featuring 37 presentations at the upcoming NCA convention. All members and friends are encouraged to attend these sessions, particularly the ACCS Business Meeting on Friday, November 16, 2012, 8:00am-9:15am in Macaw 2 (1st level),Walt Disney World Swan, as well as the Top Paper Session afterwards at 9:30-10:45am in the same room. In addition, the ACCS continues its tradition to reach out to Chinese scholars in China. The ACCS will co-sponsor the 10th China Association for Intercultural Communication (CAFIC) International Conference to be held on Nov. 21-24, 2013 in Hainan Island, China.

I also want to remind graduate students of applying for the newly created Dr. D. Ray Heisey Graduate Student Scholarship. The ACCS has decided to establish the Scholarship in honor of Dr. D. Ray Heisey, a long term ACCS member and renowned intercultural communication scholar. The criteria for the scholarship and the application form are available at http://www.uni.edu/commstudies/accs/scholarship.htm. The Committee members are Joyce Chen (Chair), Guo-Ming Chen, Hairong Feng, Mei Zhang, and Mei Zhong. I want to thank Joyce Chen and the members for their hard work throughout the process.

The ACCS not only provides us a valuable platform to collaborate on research and share and explore scholarly ideas, but also offers us opportunities to get to know each other and nurture friendships. The ACCS is like a big family where we love, respect, and support each other. If you are interested in joining the ACCS, please contact Dr. Qi Tang at qtang@tnstate.edu. I believe, with your support, the ACCS will continue to grow and prosper.

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