This issue of First Monday includes selected papers from the conference
held in Washington, D.C. 29-30 January 2007. 

The center focuses on five thrust areas that are the pillars of an exciting future:

• Cyberenvironments will give research communities the means to fully exploit the extraordinary resources available on the Internet (computing systems, data sources and stores, and tools).
• NCSA's cyber-resources ensure that computing, data, and networking resources are available to solve the most demanding science and engineering problems and that the solutions are obtained in a timely manner.
• Innovative systems research is exploring the path to petascale (and beyond) science and engineering.
• Advanced visualization provides critical insights into complex systems and brings the thrill of scientific discovery to the public.
• NCSA aims to bring cybereducation into the undergraduate and graduate classroom to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers to effectively use the growing national cyberinfrastructure.