JA&WMA dedicates this issue to its exceptional reviewers and editors
Rigorous peer review is critical to maintaining the high scientific quality and integrity of the research papers published in the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (JA&WMA). Each year, we invite hundreds of scientists from around the world to provide comprehensive reviews on manuscripts submitted to JA&WMA. The peer reviewers listed on pages 2–10 have provided objective and constructive comments in a timely manner, thereby helping to improve the quality of the papers published in 2014. In keeping with JA&WMA’s longstanding tradition, therefore, this issue is dedicated to those peer reviewers. We thank all of you for your valuable time and effort in this cause, and look forward to adding to this list over the coming year.
S. Trivikrama Rao, Ph.D.
In 2013, A&WMA initiated an outstanding reviewer award. This past year, several reviewers were recognized by A&WMA with a certificate of appreciation for their dedication to scientific excellence in reviewing the manuscripts submitted in 2013. They were Drs. Travis Ancelot, Mark Fitch, Peter Flachsbart, Christopher Frey, Edith Gego, Roy Harrison, Bruce Hicks, James Kelly, Sigrid Kusch, and Akula Venkatram. These reviewers provided outstanding reviews on multiple manuscripts in a timely manner. Indeed, thanks to our reviewers’ timely responses on the manuscripts assigned to them, we have been able to reduce the time from the initial manuscript submission to first decision to less than three months.
In addition to the contributions from peer reviewers, eminent scientists from different parts of the world serve as associate editors, playing a central role in the day-to-day operations of JA&WMA. Their breadth of expertise provides more complete coverage in the science of air and waste management, bringing new diligence to the manuscript peer review and selection process. The associate editors are also key representatives of JA&WMA in their respective countries and disciplines, seeking out new topics and special issues on topics of particular interest to the environmental community. Last year, we welcomed Drs. Saulo Freitas (Institute for Space Research, Brazil), M.D. Hossain (University of Texas at Austin, Texas), Jenna Jambeck (University of Georgia, Atlanta), Katsuya Kawamoto (Okayama University, Japan), Michael Kleinman (University of California, Irvine), and Ashok Luhar (CSIRO, Australia) to the group of associate editors. JA&WMA’s associate editors are listed on the inside cover page of each issue.
Also in 2013, A&WMA instituted a prestigious new award, named after Dr. Arthur C. Stern, a former president of the association and eminent scholar in the air pollution field, for those who have greatly advanced the air and waste management field through the publication of their research papers in JA&WMA. A selection committee consisting of experts drawn from industry, government, and academia work with me in selecting individuals who have contributed substantially to the environmental field through JA&WMA. Guidelines for nominations for the Arthur C. Stern Award are available on the A&WMA website, www.awma.org, and JA&WMA online at www.tandfonline.com/uawm. I encourage you to send your nominations for the 2016 Stern Award to [email protected] by no later than September 15, 2015.
As you may know, JA&WMA is one of the oldest continuously published, peer-reviewed, technical environmental journals in the world. After more than 60 years in publication, and assisted by the extensive reach of our world-class publisher Taylor & Francis, JA&WMA remains a leader in the field of air and waste management. We continue to improve the peer review and publication process. Our aim is to make publishing in JA&WMA as timely and efficient as possible. JA&WMA offers authors publish-ahead-of-print online access by posting prepublished versions of accepted papers online, thus allowing researchers access to the most up-to-date peer-reviewed information. It should also be noted that all papers published in JA&WMA are automatically made open access after one year of publication; alternatively, a one-time fee can be paid by authors to have their papers immediately open access.
Finally, thanks to generous funding provided by A&WMA’s China Section, we established a scholarship for young researchers to help cover page charges for their published papers. I encourage young scientists to consider applying for this scholarship. Visit JA&WMA online at www.tandfonline.com/uawm to learn more today.