Announcing a New Editor in Chief at Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management

Richard J. Wenning, Founding Editor of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management

This new year, 2022, marks the 20th anniversary of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) peer‐reviewed journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (IEAM).

Rick Wenning, Founding Editor of IEAM

During this time, it has been my privilege as editor-in-chief to work with a cadre of distinguished experts from academic, business and government communities around the world to create a journal that builds bridges between quality environmental science and its thoughtful application. It has been a wonderful 20‐year journey from inception to full maturation. I am pleased to share with readers that a new editor-in-chief will guide IEAM, beginning with this 20th volume of the journal.

The journal was launched in 2001 as a quarterly publication in partnership with Allen Press in Lawrence, Kansas, USA, and matured to a bimonthly publication with the global publishing house John Wiley & Sons. IEAM is indexed by Web of Science and SCOPUS and is ranked in the top quartile among comparable environmental science publications. During the last year alone, scientific content appearing in IEAM was downloaded 232,000 times. The journal is available in 7,300 libraries around the world and attracts a diverse readership of environmental professionals from academic, business and regulatory communities in more than 100 countries, suitably reflecting the Society’s tripartite membership.

IEAM promotes a broad array of environmental topics that heretofore did not easily fit within the Society’s foundations in ecotoxicology and chemistry research. IEAM content has influenced the scientific content presented at SETAC annual meetings and has inspired and supported the Society’s commitment to the use of science in regulatory and environmental decision-making. The journal provides a forum for special topic groups and routinely reports on focus meetings hosted throughout the Society’s geographic regions. Increasingly, IEAM also publishes workshop and meeting outputs from other groups and societies, building bridges between regions, subject areas and experts. In fact, IEAM is much more than a Society journal; nearly 75% of the content is submitted by experts who are not members of SETAC. IEAM’s annual Best Paper Award draws attention to new approaches to applying the results of ecological, chemical, engineering, physical and social science research to advancements in environmental management strategies and regulatory policy. In recent years, ecosystem services, climate change adaptation, nature‐based solutions and sustainability have become important topics published in IEAM and discussed at SETAC meetings.

These accomplishments are a team effort, involving a dedicated journal editorial staff, deputy editors, subject matter editors, and an international editorial board. Together, we have succeeded in creating a credible and rigorous scientific journal on par with the Society’s flagship publication, Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry. IEAM promotes several science communication platforms. Within the pages of IEAM, “Books and Other Reviews” draw attention to fiction and nonfiction books, research reports and white papers written by governmental agencies and NGOs, and films and television programming describing past, present and future environmental issues. “Letters to the Editor,” “Brief Communications” and the short feature “Debates, Dilemmas, and Discoveries” provide rapid communication of the progress of research and call attention to new innovations and the regulatory and societal implications of science‐informed environmental management, policy and decision-making. These forums also provide a platform for the airing and debate of scientific disagreements. IEAM special series are notable for their deep dive into emerging or newly important topics, which reflect the journal’s willingness to explore subject areas at the interface of science, technology and policy.

We’ve expanded the journal’s online presence as well. IEAM Podcasts provide researchers with the opportunity to talk directly to the scientific community and discuss more broadly their research appearing in the journal. IEAM Blog spotlights topics published in the journal to a larger, more generalist audience and has evolved into a platform that draws attention to SETAC science more broadly. IEAM has become symbolic of the Society's reputation for tripartite collaboration and underscores the Society's willingness to explore new topics, bridging the gap between scientific research and problem solving.

The maturation of IEAM has been accomplished through a series of three‐year strategies. The Society’s commitments to double‐blind peer review, writer’s workshops, dual‐language abstracting of published papers, and online‐only access were launched first in IEAM. The current three‐year strategy focuses on achieving greater diversity and inclusiveness among editors, reviewers and contributing authors. The strategy also calls for IEAM to create training and mentorship opportunities that encourage scientific publishing by early and mid‐career scientists and prepare the journal for leadership by the next generation of environmental professionals within and beyond SETAC.

Sabine Apitz, new editor-in-chief of IEAM

With a new commitment to future leadership in mind, I am delighted to announce that the SETAC World Council has appointed Sabine Apitz as my successor to the post of editor‐in‐chief, beginning January 2022. Apitz will be ably supported by managing editor Jenny Shaw and associate editor Donna Frankel. I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with Shaw for nearly 13 years. Frankel is indispensable for guiding journal contributors through the review and production process. They are both tireless advocates for timely publishing of high‐quality science, and their commitments to authors and devotion to the Society are beyond reproach.

Apitz shares similar commitment and passion. She has served ably as deputy editor and subject matter editor at IEAM for 15 years. Her professional career focuses on the application of cross‐disciplinary science to support environmental policy, management and decision-making. She has an impressive publication record in several relevant disciplines, including ecosystem services, sustainability and sediment management. She has represented IEAM and SETAC at conferences around the world and devoted considerable time to mentorship activities and outreach to early career professionals. Apitz was recognized as a SETAC Fellow in 2018 for a career‐long dedication to volunteer work in the Society.

Over the years, IEAM has inspired an expanded sectoral and cross‐disciplinary diversity in the Society and established a dedicated author base and audience within the SETAC community and more broadly in the fields of environmental science, management and regulation. IEAM challenges both the Society and environmental professionals by insisting that they answer the “so what” question about the purpose and aims of their work: How do case studies, theoretical models, field and laboratory research contribute to a better world? What does the work teach others facing similar challenges? I take great comfort knowing that Sabine Apitz and the editorial team at IEAM will continue to challenge science, encourage new leaders, and carry the journal to greater success in the years to come.

Author’s contact information: [email protected]

This editorial was originally published in the January issue of IEAM and reproduced with permission.

SETAC has benefitted tremendously from Rick Wenning’s labor of love. As the founding Editor in Chief, he helmed IEAM for two decades and guided the journal into a place of prominence in the scientific literature. Rick is a visionary, and he has been instrumental in introducing new initiatives and cutting-edge topics. He worked tirelessly to develop an editorial board that reflects the diversity of the Society’s tripartite and geographic reach. On a personal note, Rick is a collaborator and mentor who cultivates long-term relationships with those who engage with IEAM—editors, reviewers, authors, and co-workers. It has been our honor to work with Rick. Please join us in thanking him for his tireless dedication these past twenty years.

We look forward to working with Sabine Apitz, who will navigate the exciting developments waiting to be discovered at IEAM.

Jenny Shaw, Donna Frankel, and Jen Lynch, IEAM