Fall is a season of change - something that holds true at the IRE and NICAR offices. Each new school year at the University of Missouri brings new staff members to our Database Library.

So I thought I'd introduce the new graduate assistants working in the database library. Chances are, if you call to order data or ask us a question, you'll speak to one of them.

Christina Caron is a first-year master's student who has spent the past three years managing and collecting outcomes data at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Megan Clarke is also a first-year master's student who has interned with KEVN-Rapid City, S.D., and Wisconsin Public Radio.

Hsuju Ho is a second-year master's student who started working in the Database Library last year as a volunteer. She has interned at major English and Chinese newspapers in Taipei, Taiwan.

Tad Vezner is a second-year master's student who switched to journalism after a career in social work and public relations. He was director of communications for the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago. Since making the switch to journalism, he has reported for The (Toledo) Blade.

We also have two new Database Library volunteers: incoming master's students Florence Kizza and Andrea Lorenz.

Second-year master's students Jaimi Dowdell and Holly Hacker have returned to the Database Library.

Two former Database Library staffers have departed. Megan Christensen got her master's degree and is reporting for the Detroit Free Press. Stephanie Kang is reporting for The Wall Street Journal in Los Angeles.

Contact David Herzog by e-mail at dherzog@nicar.org.