Schatz retires as editor-in-chief of journal after 15 years

CBES senior investigator George Schatz announced his retirement as editor-in-chief of The Journal of Physical Chemistry (JPC) in an editorial published online Dec. 19. Schatz spent 15 years in the position, overseeing the family of journals as it expanded from two journals (JPC A and JPC B) to four (adding JPC C and JPC Letters). During this time, the journals published more than 100,000 papers.

In his farewell editorial, Schatz highlighted the quality and diverse group of editors that were chosen under his leadership, the quicker processing times from manuscript submission to publication, and the growth in papers submitted from outside the United States.

Prior to his tenure as editor-in-chief, Schatz served as senior editor for 12 years.

“During my years as JPC Editor much has changed, with the publication process going from paper manuscripts and the use of mail and phone for nearly all transactions to the modern era of web-based functions and email for journal activities,” wrote Schatz, the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry and of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University. “In addition, physical chemistry has changed dramatically during this period, and it is comforting to me that JPC has been able to play a leadership role during this process.”