The GSA posts information in the spring newsletter about dissertations completed in any area of German (Austrian, Swiss, German diasporic) Studies (any discipline or interdisciplinary). If you received your Ph.D. in 2011 or 2012 or have already defended in 2013, you may be listed in this year’s Spring newsletter. (No repeats, however!) If you have supervised a dissertation that was completed in 2011 or 2012 that has not already been described here, please encourage the author to submit a description following the guidelines below.

The Austrian Cultural Forum New York (ACFNY), the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research (BMWF), and the German Studies Association (GSA) are happy to announce this year's special travel fund in Austrian Studies for scholars who will participate in this year's conference of the German Studies Association in Denver, Colorado from 3 to 6 October.

The redesign of the German Studies Review recently received the 2012 Best Journal Design award from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals. The award honors a journal that launched a new design between 2010 and 2012. The Johns Hopkins University Press, which began publishing the journal with the 2012 volume, worked collaboratively with Editor Sabine Hake on the new design.

We are excited to announce a pilot project adding twelve seminars to the program structure of the GSA Conference in Denver 2013. Seminars meet for all three days of the conference during the first morning slot to foster extended discussion, rigorous intellectual exchange, and intensified networking. They are led by 2 to 3 organizers and will consist of 15 to 20 participants, at least some of whom should be graduate students. In order to reach the goal of extended discussion, seminar organizers and participants are expected to participate in all three installments of the seminar.

In 2013 the GSA will again make a number of awards. We hope that as many members as possible will make nominations and submissions.

We are excited to announce a pilot project adding a small number of seminar modules to the program structure of the GSA Conference in Denver 2013.

The GSA has lost a close friend. Professor Henry Friedlander (President 2001-02) died Thursday, Oct. 18. Some years ago, he created the Sybil Milton Book Prize in honor of his late wife. To honor his memory, the GSA would like members and friends to consider a donation to the Milton Prize fund to ensure the financial footing of the honor. (The $1,000 prize is awarded every other year.)

The re-design of the GSA website recently won honorable mention in the Website/Association category of the 2012 MarCom awards. The JHU Press Journals Marketing Department submitted the site for the award in this international competition which recognizes outstanding creative achievement by marketing and communication professionals. There were over 6,000 entries from throughout the United States, Canada, and several other countries in the 2012 competition, which featured a number of categories.

Elections recently took place for the GSA Vice Presidency and for three positions on the GSA Board. The new Vice President will assume of?ce on 1 January 2013 and will become President on 1 January 2015. The Board positions are for three-year terms and will begin on 1 January 2013.

The Vice President-elect is:

• Irene Kacandes, Dartmouth College.

The new Board members are:

The current Editor of Central European History, published by Cambridge University Press for its owner, the Central European History Society [formerly the Conference Group for Central European History] of the American Historical Association, has announced his intention not to serve beyond his second five-year term, which ends on June 30, 2014. The Society invites applications and nominations of outstanding scholars for the position of Editor.