Reading through the articles in this issue of "Communication Education" took incoming editor, Deanna Dannels, back in time to reflect on a camping trip in North Carolina where she and her daughter went gem mining. She reflects on the the one piece of advice from the employee who taught them how to gem mine: "If you want to find gems, you gotta get your hands dirty." Dannels uses the metaphor "scholarship as gem mining" to write her reflections on the essays submitted to this forum. Dannels writes that the scholars in this forum are all encouraging communication education professionals in one way or another to "get their hands dirty"; to dig, to ask questions that shape the field and to unveil insights that will push the profession forward in new ways. Dannels shares that reading this forum affirms what she has known and continues to learn: The field is vibrant, and the authors in this forum have started conversations that will continue to grow and shape the profession to not only do well as scholars, but also to do good.