Scott Reeves: 1967–2018

Our Editor-in-Chief, Scott Reeves, died suddenly and unexpectedly on the 3rd May 2018. Earlier that day, he was in his element successfully launching a new research group on collaborative working and learning at Kingston University and St George’s, University of London, where he was Professor of Interprofessional Research. The global academic and wider community, in which he had deep roots and connections, are deeply shocked and profoundly sad. Journal readers and contributors were well represented at his funeral on the May 31 at the parish church in his home town of East Grinstead. One of us, Merrick Zwarenstein, delivered the tribute and Scott’s widow, Ruth, shared family memories.

Scott was involved in the Journal for a long time before taking over as Editor-in-Chief. He was an Associate Editor and short reports editor, before Hugh Barr and Fiona Ross, with no hesitation, passed him the baton when they decided to stand down. Scott had no hesitation in accepting. He had by then emigrated from the UK to Canada and later the United States where newfound colleagues rallied to support him complementing continuing support arms-length from stalwarts in the UK. Transatlantic partnership turned global as the Journal grew in scope and stature under Scott’s leadership and its Impact Factor swelling to 2.205 by 2016/2017.

Scott was first and foremost a sociologist and ethnographer. He brought his sociological lens to the study of wicked problems of health and social care professional relationships, in their learning and their work. He built and sustained productive research relationships across disciplines. His own contributions to the Journal were many, at his best when writing with colleagues from across the academic disciplines and practice professions. Reaching out, he delivered keynotes and led workshops seemingly everywhere supporting interprofessional researchers. His workload was as prodigious as his publications prolific, neither compromising his standards nor his scholarship, expecting as much of others whom he supervised and supported. Accessible and approachable, he was patient and generous. Growing recognition never detracted from his modesty.

Returning to the UK, he invested the same energy and dedication at Kingston with St George’s University of London where he continued as editor of the Journal, ably supported by his wife Ruth as its editorial administrator.

No one has done more than Scott to build the credibility and capacity of the interprofessional movement. Through the Journal, he paid particular and personal attention to building the interprofessional academic community in countries and regions of the world struggling with few resources, workforce shortages and challenging health problems. His legacy lives in those whom he mentored, in projects that he steered, national and international networks, the difference he made to developing health systems and, of course, his publications especially in this Journal.

Taylor and Francis, as the owner and publisher of the Journal, are taking steps to appoint Scott’s successor early in 2019. Meanwhile, they have invited us to be a ‘Caretaker Editorial Group’ to oversee the production of the next three issues during 2018 and handle other Journal business. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ruth, William, Ewan and Joshua for sharing their beloved Scott with us and the Journal. He gave so much with all he touched—it has been a privilege being a small part of his life.