Prof. Jochen Albrecht recently received the Barbara Hirsch Special Service Award from the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA). This award is given to individual members or committees who have shown a consummate level of service to URISA through an ongoing commitment to the success of the organization. Jochen received this recognition for his continuing service as the Editor-in-Chief of the URISA Journal, a peer-reviewed publication that addresses current issues in Geographic Information Science, systems and applications. The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is a non-profit professional and educational association that promotes the effective and ethical use of spatial information and information technologies for the understanding and management of urban and regional systems. It is a multidisciplinary association where professionals from all parts of the spatial data community can come together and share concerns and ideas. More information about URISA can be found at www.urisa.org.