In 2004, Larry Smarr, Kate Hayles, and V.S. Ramachandran took us to the boundary of science and science fiction. The 2005 ECAR Symposium was designed once again to bring together those who are crafting important changes in the world with those who study the effects of such change on our institutions and work. Sessions encouraged interaction at the nexus of theory, analysis, and practice. The 2005 program reflected ECAR's commitment to dwell on both the big issues facing society and higher education and the diversity of ECAR's research agenda. Topics for the 2005 ECAR Symposium included IT investment and business process performance; IT governance, standards, and assessment; the Internet and American society; and strategies and practices for creating effective and durable human networks.