What emerges from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and society's response is a call for research that will mitigate the effects of the next tsunami on society. The scale of the 2004 tsunami's impact (227,000 deaths, $10B damage), and the world's compassionate response ($13.5B), requires that tsunami research focus on applications that benefit society. Tsunami science will be expected to develop standards that ensure mitigation products are based on state-of-the-science. Standards based on scientifically endorsed procedures assure the highest quality application of this science. Community educational activities will be expected to focus on preparing society for the next tsunami. An excellent starting point for the challenges ahead is education, at all levels, including practitioners, the public, and a new generation of tsunami scientists. To educate the new generation of scientists, Volume 15 of The Sea: Tsunamis has been written to capture the technical elements of tsunami state-of-the-science today. The volume includes: the recorded and geologic history of tsunamis and how to assess the probability of the tsunami risk; the generation of tsunamis; the measurement and modeling of tsunami propagation and inundation; the impacts of tsunamis on coastlines; and tsunami forecast and warnings. Together, this volume gives a technical foundation to apply tsunami science to community-based tsunami preparedness. The editors of The Sea: Tsunamis will present an overview of the volume with emphasis on its value to higher education.