Scientific Editors are the Gatekeepers!

Abstract

IFT has been very fortunate that it has been able to engage an unusually dedicated group of Scientific Editors to cover the subject matter of its peer-reviewed papers. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety has Dr. Manfred Kroger, a renowned professor emeritus from The Pennsylvania State Univ., while Journal of Food Science Education has Dr. Grady Chism, professor emeritus from The Ohio State Univ. For the Journal of Food Science, we actually have six Scientific Editors. January 2008, we added three new sections to JFS and called upon three of our SEs to assist by also serving as SE for a new section. Drs. David Min, Andy Rao, and Tung-Ching Lee each “volunteered” to take on a new section until the number of manuscripts submitted to the section warranted identifying a separate SE. For two of the new sections, we have manuscripts coming in but not in sufficient number to call for a separate SE. Therefore, Dr. David Min, Professor at The Ohio State Univ., covers two sections: Food Chemistry, and Toxicology and Chemical Food Safety. Similarly, Dr. M.A. Rao, professor emeritus at Cornell Univ., serves as SE of two sections: Food Engineering and Physical Properties, and Nanoscale Food Science, Engineering, and Technology. Eventually these two new sections, Toxicology and Chemical Food Safety and Nanoscale Food Science, Engineering, and Technology, will grow to the point that separate Scientific Editors will be appointed for them. The third SE who volunteered to cover two sections is Dr. Tung-Ching Lee, professor at Rutgers Univ. He served as SE of Sensory and Food Quality and Health, Nutrition, and Food. We had obviously identified a need in having the new Health, Nutrition, and Food section, because within six months the number of submitted manuscripts averaged over 10 per month, comparable to other, established sections. In discussions with Dr. Lee, he indicated a preference to continue serving as SE of the Health, Nutrition, and Food section. Therefore, in response to this overwhelming reception, we decided to appoint a separate SE for the Sensory and Food Quality section, leaving Dr. Lee as the SE of the new section, Health, Nutrition, and Food. We certainly want to thank Dr. Lee for his excellent service as SE of the former Sensory and Nutritive Qualities section. For the Sensory and Food Quality section, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Herbert Stone, recently retired President/CEO of Tragon, as the Scientific Editor of the Sensory and Food Quality section of JFS. Herb comes into this position with vast experience since he not only brings his industrial experience, but also he has served for several years as Associate Editor of JFS's Sensory and Nutritive Qualities section. I know that he will continue the tradition of reaching out to the appropriate IFT divisions, in this case the Sensory Division and the Quality Assurance Division, among others, to seek quality manuscripts. Welcome to the team, Herb. That leads me to identify the remaining two Scientific Editors. Dr. Catherine Donnelly, professor at Univ. of Vermont, serves as SE of Food Microbiology and Safety, and I handle the Concise Reviews/Hypothesis section. So, the team is in place and I am especially grateful to them for serving as the gatekeepers for quality and relevance in the papers that are published in IFT's peer-reviewed journals. When you see them, give them a “thanks” from you too.