As 2011 comes to an end, and my rotation as lead editor comes to a close, I reflect on the progress and changes made at the journal in terms of publications, as well as the management structure. The editorial office of the journal has been effective at implementing a two-year round of changes to both the management and the visual look for the journal, with the assistance of Cambridge University Press and the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP). In the March 2011 issue, we introduced the new cover designed by Cambridge University Press, as well as a new table of contents with a diverse selection of manuscript categories for our authors. We have an active editorial board of 15 members who represent a healthy mixture of scholars and practitioners from across the United States. These folks have all reviewed or written manuscripts on an annual basis for the journal. We hope to expand the editorial board to include more international representation over the next couple of years.
The journal has been successful at implementing the coeditor approach that alternates lead editorship annually between a natural scientist and a social scientist, both of whom have a mixture of scholar and practitioner experiences in environmental science and policy in the private and public sectors, as well as in the national laboratory system. The lead editor focuses on implementation of the journal while the coeditor prepares, through a strategic planning process, for his/her lead year by reaching out to authors. The outreach process has been very effective at bringing in new perspectives and topics on environmental issues to achieve the interdisciplinary approach of the journal. It also has allowed a healthy number of manuscripts to be submitted and published in a timely manner. I have been pleased to see the growth in topics and the diversity of manuscripts that the journal has published as a direct benefit of this strategic planning and outreach. The issues are filled with top-quality manuscripts on a variety of subjects of interest not only to the NAEP but to environmental professionals and students across the United States who rely on the journal for information. Most of all, the journal continues to maintain the mission of the NAEP organization of providing quality manuscripts that balance interests of both the practitioner and scholar in the environmental profession. Much of this work also needs to be attributed to the managing editor, Dan Carroll, who serves as the front door of the editorial office for the journal. He has implemented a smooth and efficient process of peer review and publication with the cooperation of Cambridge University. In addition, the Public Policy Studies Office (PPS) at DePaul University has assisted in a number of ways, supporting the journal both financially, as well as with the assistance of Ms. Phyllis Sullivan, the Office Administrator of PPS
The December 2011 issue is focused on the interdisciplinary topic of environmental justice. The editorial office is fortunate to have guest editor Dr. Dorceta Taylor and nationally known authors represented in this issue. I first met Dr. Taylor at the University of Michigan Conference on Environmental Justice. I took DePaul University students there to hear from the top agency officials and researchers on the topic of environmental justice. Dr. Taylor was the lead of the conference and quickly became a mentor for the students, as well as a colleague with whom I have kept in contact. In 2009, she published the book The Environment and the People in American Cities 1600s–1900s: Disorder, Inequality, and Social Change by Duke University Press. This book won the Outstanding Publication Award from the American Sociological Association in 2010. Currently, she is the director of the Multicultural Environmental Leadership Development Initiative at the University of Michigan. Her background is not only impressive but extraordinary. She has dual doctoral and three master's degrees in Sociology and Forestry from Yale University. Even more impressive, she is the first black woman to receive a doctorate from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Her current appointment is as a professor in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at University of Michigan, where she has served as the coordinator of the Environmental Justice Field of Studies since 2002. She was the Edward P. Bass Distinguished Visiting Scholar in 2005 for the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies and has many published works and awards. We appreciate and welcome her input to this issue.
During 2011, Environmental Practice issues included topics such as transportation, the NAEP annual conference with highlights on NEPA subjects, an open issue that included a diversity of topics, and this December issue on environmental justice. These issues make contributions to the dialogue and scholarship on environmental science and policy that impact our society and country. In 2012, Dr. James Montgomery has completed his strategic planning effort for the journal issues and takes over as the lead editor for the journal. He will kick off the new year with an issue on green infrastructure.
As I transition into a strategic planning role of coeditor during 2012, I am exploring for 2013 a focus on international issues concerning the environment. We are working with practitioner and scholars at conferences and organizations across the globe who are interested in taking an international view of the issues that interest our readership. If you wish to provide feedback for the planning effort beginning for 2013, please contact me.
