Journal of Paleolimnology: Celebrating 20 years of publication

Abstract

The Journal of Paleolimnology (JOPL) is now celebrating 20 years of publication. In many respects, one would expect a jubilant editorial to mark this important milestone. In fact, I do believe there is much to be happy about concerning the progress of paleolimnology and the role that our journal has played in its many successes. I will return to some of these happier points later in this editorial, but first I would like to pay a tribute to my friend and former co-editor-in-chief for 14 years, William (Bill) M. Last. It is with regret that I report formally in JOPL that Bill Last decided to retire as co-editor in December 2006. Bill also retired as series co-editor of the Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research (DPER) book series. As many in the paleolimnological community know, Bill’s outstanding efforts helped hundreds of paleolimnologists bring their contributions to publication. Bill is well known for his good humor, contagious enthusiasm, tireless work ethic, and remarkable editing skills. Bill joined me as the co-editor of JOPL in 1993, and we worked very closely together for over 14 years. As I have said repeatedly, the success JOPL has enjoyed in the past 14 years can be attributed largely to Bill’s outstanding skills as an editor, as well as his strong inter-personal and leadership abilities. We wish him well in his future endeavors and will miss him greatly.