Advertisement for JESS Editor-in-Chief
The Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, the flagship journal of the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS), is seeking an Editor-in-Chief. Established in 2010, JESS is published by Springer, part of Springer Nature. The journal offers a venue for relevant interdisciplinary environmental research, practice and public policy dialogue. In addition to setting a rigorous, credible standard for interdisciplinary environmental research, the journal also aims to represent diverse voices in the ESS community. Toward this end, recent initiatives include a new “essays with attitude” op/ed section and plans for an undergraduate research section. The journal has a high standard for publication and an international readership, publication record, and editorial board.
AESS seeks to appoint an Editor-in-Chief (EiC) to succeed Walter (Tony) Rosenbaum, the founding EiC who will be retiring from the journal in September of 2021. The position for the new EiC will commence June 1, 2021 to provide overlap between the new EiC and Emeritus EiC for transition mentoring.
The newly appointed EiC will have full editorial responsibility for the content published in the journal and for ensuring that the ethos, editorial standards, policies and scope of JESS are maintained. They will also be responsible for providing strategic guidance and overseeing the scope of content and work of 26 Associate Editors. The EiC will lead an Editorial Board of 30 members and collaborate closely with the AESS Board. The AESS board expects the EiC to have a strong presence in the organization, contributing to the Annual Conference, attending monthly board meetings as an ex officio representative of JESS, and chairing the AESS Publications Committee.
While no single candidate is likely to exemplify all of the following characteristics, we are seeking an EiC who is:
- An active scholar with publishing experience situated in one or more areas of the fields of environmental studies and sciences.
- Experienced as a journal editor, associate editor, or special issue editor, with strong critical analysis and appraisal skills, and a good understanding of peer review and publication ethics.
- Prepared to help JESS realize the goals of AESS with respect to equity and inclusion. The EiC must understand strategies for mitigating biases against scholars based on their gender, race, ethnicity, institutional type, and other factors that have led to marginalization, historically, in ESS.
- Able to demonstrate strong leadership and collaboration skills.
- Able to articulate a clear vision for JESS consistent with the interdisciplinary mission of AESS.
- Interested in building strong community relationships with environmental studies and science scholars and practitioners at all levels.
- Dedicated to further developing JESS as a leader in the rapidly evolving landscapes of interdisciplinary scholarly journal publishing and of the fields of ESS.
In addition, although the publisher provides administrative services, the EiC must be able to dedicate a significant amount of time on a regular basis to a busy and thriving journal. See the position description for details of the work.
Term of appointment
The term of office will be for five years, with an option for renewal by mutual consent for a further term. The position offers an honorarium.
Applications
Applications should include a full CV, a letter explaining interest in the position and qualifications, and a separate document that outlines a vision for the future of JESS, in relation to the AESS mission and to the increasingly open-access environment of scholarly publishing.
Applications should be sent to the JESS Search Committee at:
Applications will be reviewed by a Search Committee that will recommend the candidate for hire to the AESS Board. The Search Committee consists of the AESS leadership, Board members, and two Associate Editors of JESS. Tony Rosenbaum (JESS Editor-in-Chief) and Melinda Paul (Springer Publishing Editor JESS) are ex officio advisors to the Committee. The AESS Board will make the final selection of the EiC.
Closing date for applications
April 15, 2021
Interviews and start date
Interviews will begin in early May. The anticipated start date of the position is June 1, 2021.
AESS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, disability, or veteran status in its education or employment programs or activities.
