What Do YOU Want to Ask the Next Editor-in-Chief of Plant Physiology?

We have been charged by ASPB to conduct a search for the next Editor-in-Chief of Plant Physiology. Earlier this year, we began the search process by meeting as a group to discuss potential candidates for this important role. We invited candidates and issued a call for nominations to the community. CVs were requested from a number of your colleagues, and from that group several scientists were asked to submit a vision statement for us to review. We have reviewed the vision statements carefully and are ready to move on to our next phase in the selection process: Zoom interviews with a handful of finalists.

Now, we need YOUR help. It is important to ASPB that we select an Editor-in-Chief who builds on Plant Physiology’s rich history of serving the global plant science community. Plant Physiology, ASPB’s founding journal, was established in 1926. It is devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, biophysics, and environmental biology of plants. The next Editor-in-Chief will succeed Dr. Mike Blatt, whose term ends in December 2021.

The scholarly publishing industry is in the midst of many innovations and changes: ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion on its editorial board and among its author community; open access mandates; reassessment of journal impact factors and other metrics; and preprints, to name just a few. Importantly, the journal will enter into a partnership with Oxford University Press in January 2021 that will give journal and Society leadership rich intelligence on many aspects of the journal. The new Editor-in-Chief will play a central role in determining how Plant Physiology evolves to continue its role as a leader in the field while adjusting to the ever-changing publishing landscape.

What do YOU believe are important qualities and perspectives to look for in our next Editor-in-Chief? We invite you to provide our committee with the questions you would like us to ask the Editor-in-Chief finalists. You can suggest these questions by commenting below and/or tweeting them, using hashtag #PPEiCSearch2020. We look forward to involvement from our authors, readers, membership, community leaders, and any interested individuals. We very much want to hear from you. Please provide feedback by Monday November 2, 2020.

We recognize the value of Plant Physiology to our plant community and to ASPB’s membership. Having each one of you participate in the process is key to continuing the legacy of the journal well into the future. Thank you all for your help.

Sincerely,

EIC Search Committee

• Steve Theg (Chair)
• Judy Callis (Immediate Past President)
• Lisa Ainsworth
• Pamela Hines
• Hong Ma
• Neil Olszewski
• Craig Schenk