After two years of this session at past ESA meetings, we think we have a good formula for 2008. It was very successful to implement small "break-out" groups, in which nine to eleven audience members could talk directly with a few faculty members after a short (~10 minute) panel discussion. Several graduate students felt that these small-group interactions were among their most valuable experiences during the 2007 Meeting in San Jose. We feel that this session is particularly appropriate for the Milwaukee Meeting, because the theme - “Enhancing Ecological Thought by Linking Education and Research” - is exactly what faculty at small colleges accomplish during their careers