Impulse and momentum

It is both an honor and a privilege to be selected as the next Editor-in-Chief of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, which will be starting its 22nd year of publication in 2024. The journal is an amazing legacy of Sue Silver, whose creative energy and leadership helped to establish and define the journal for many years. I will be taking over this role from Rich Wallace, who further increased the journal's impact while streamlining its many moving parts. I guess that means I am batting third. I hope I don't strike out. During their stints as Editors-in-Chief, Sue and Rich were full-time employees of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). In my case, I will be the first Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of Frontiers with a full-time academic job. Fortunately for me, Rich remains with ESA as the Director of Publishing, so I can bug him whenever I need to.

According to some dictionary I found online, impulse is “a strong and unreflective urge or desire to act”. Unreflective may best define my impulse to apply for the EiC job. I impulsively applied for the EiC position because I believed I had the experience necessary to do the job. In December 2023 I completed two terms (six years) of service as EiC of BioScience, the journal published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). At the time I was thrown into the deep end of the pool because the previous editor left somewhat suddenly to take on editorial duties elsewhere. I had a lot to learn, and fast. Fortunately, I had fantastic help and guidance from the Senior Editor of BioScience along with a very strong supporting network of AIBS staff. As EiC of BioScience I interacted with and provided guidance to authors, met regularly with journal staff to stay on task, developed and communicated with Editorial Board members, encouraged submissions, and oversaw recruitment of special features. Furthermore, I worked hard to expand and diversify the Editorial Board both internationally and through recruiting members of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition, I increased the gender equity of the Editorial Board. I plan to bring this experience to Frontiers.

Frontiers and BioScience have much in common regarding content and operation. Both are broadly interdisciplinary journals that publish content strongly aimed at management and application. Also, both journals use the ScholarOne manuscript-handling software to challenge authors. I really enjoyed working for AIBS, and at the end of my six years I especially enjoyed the lack of emails in my inbox each morning. In the case of BioScience, I was also the first academic EiC following a series of editors who were full-time employees of AIBS. I'm starting to get the feeling that I represent a cost-savings to scientific societies.

I have been an active member of ESA throughout my career. As Chair of the ESA Publications Committee I was part of the group that created—in what former EiC of Ecology, Don Strong, charitably described as a “fern bar” on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, NM, during the 2009 ESA annual meeting—the concept for Ecosphere. I have also been ESA President and served for one year as the Vice President for Public Affairs. So, I have a long history serving the Society. I care a lot about ESA and what it represents. I recognize that becoming EiC of Frontiers will be my biggest time commitment and perhaps my most exciting challenge as a member of the Society.