Volume 72 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry represents an extensive compilation of the material presented by the invited speakers at a short course on Diffusion in Minerals and Melts held prior (December 11-12, 2010) to the Annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, California. The short course was held at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa in Napa, California and was sponsored by the Mineralogical Society of America and the Geochemical Society.