Changing of the Guard

Abstract

At the Journal of Environmental Engineering, we have a practice of having the Editor, upon completing his or her term, continue to serve the Journal as an Associate Editor for another 2 years. One might say that would be like George Bush going into Congress after having served 2 terms as President! Another practice is to have the past editor, as one of the last major tasks for the Journal, identify a successor to the present editor. This is all good practice in that the past editor can be a great help to the present editor, it provides continuity, and takes another responsibility off the shoulders of the present editor who we all know has a full plate. I want you to know that it is Mark Rood that you need to thank for putting up with me as editor of the Journal for the next 2 years. When Mark first approached me about taking on the job, I hesitated. Of course I was honored that my colleagues thought enough of me to believe that I could and would take on this responsibility. But the sinister side of me thought, “How many people turned him down before he got to me?” Those of you in academics understand what I mean. When you are offered a position as Chairperson of your department, you instantly believe it’s because no one else wanted the job. You are typically offered “Congratulations” and “Condolences” in the same breath. Of course, I am joking! In my case, at least in part, I decided to say “yes” to Mark as a way of saying we need to overcome those myths, as real as they may be. I understood that there is no direct compensation for serving as Editor, something anathema in the business world where I reside. I also realized that the workload might be crazy at times, and the appreciation might be negligible at other times. But even in the business world, we recognize the importance of certain activities, such as the Journal, and the need to contribute to its continued success without the expectation of remuneration. We are all familiar with the term “pro bono.” It exists for a reason. I do believe we all have a responsibility to contribute to the profession, and after thinking about it, I felt that this is one way to contribute my talents effectively. I hope that doesn’t sound schmaltzy or self-serving, but the concept of service to the profession is one that we should consider more often. Thank you, Mark, for giving me the opportunity to serve. This job of editor is typically reserved for someone in academia. I suppose I am something of a hybrid. I spent nearly 10 years as a faculty member at Princeton University and then at Lafayette College where I was Head of the Department of Civil Engineering. I loved it. For the last 16 years or so, I have been a full time consultant having left Lafayette to start my own business which subsequently was acquired by TRC. I also have a year in