JA&WMA recognizes the outstanding efforts of its reviewers and editors

S. Trivikrama Rao, Ph.D

The Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (JA&WMA) continues to rely on rigorous peer review to maintain the high quality and integrity of the research papers published in the journal. The Associate Editors and I are grateful to the thousands of peer reviewers who participated in the review process over the past year, thereby helping to ensure that published research is accurate, trustworthy, and meets the highest standards of scientific study within the environmental field. The peer reviewers listed in the online version of this issue provided objective and constructive comments for papers published in 2020. In keeping with JA&WMA’s longstanding tradition, therefore, this issue is dedicated to those reviewers for their valuable time and effort in this cause.

Each year, we present an outstanding reviewer award. This past year, the reviewers listed in the online version of this issue were recognized by A&WMA with a certificate of appreciation for their dedication to scientific excellence in reviewing the manuscripts submitted in 2019 and 2020. The reviewers provided thorough reviews on multiple manuscripts in a timely manner, which helped the authors in improving the quality of their papers. It is noteworthy that the number of downloads of JA&WMA papers in 2020 nearly doubled from those in 2019. Also, thanks to our Associate Editors’ diligence and reviewers’ timely responses, we have been able to reduce the time taken between the original manuscript submission to first decision to an average of 60 days.

In addition to the contributions from our peer reviewers, a group of eminent scientists from around the world serve as Associate Editors, playing a central role in the operations of JA&WMA. Their breadth of expertise and experience provide more complete coverage in air and waste management science and technology, bringing new diligence to the manuscript peer review and publication process. The Associate Editors also serve as key representatives of JA&WMA in their respective countries and scientific disciplines, seeking out new topics and special issues on topics of interest to the environmental community. A&WMA is also recognizing the top two Associate Editors for expediting the review process with a certificate of appreciation.

We take his opportunity to thank Drs. Hsunling Bai, Pinjing He, and Valli Manickam for their contributions to the journal as Associate Editors for the past six years. In 2020, we welcomed Drs. Sandhya Babel of Thammasat University, Hsing-Cheng Hsi of National Taiwan University, Heejung Jung of University of California at Riverside, Rajeev Singh of Benarus Hindu University, Chongqing Wang of ZhengZhou University, and Hua Zhang of Tongji University as new Associate Editors. JA&WMA’s Associate Editors are listed on the inside cover page of each issue.

Each year, A&WMA presents a prestigious award named for Dr. Arthur C. Stern, a former President of the Association and eminent scholar in the air pollution field, to recognize 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 works with me in selecting individuals who have contributed substantially to the environmental field through JA&WMA. Please join me in congratulating the winners of the 2021 Stern Award: Drs. Neal Fann, Christopher G. Nolte, Patrick Dolwick, Tanya L. Spero, Amanda Curry Brown, Sharon Phillips, and Susan Anenberg for their paper, “The geographic distribution and economic value of climate change-related ozone health impacts in the United States in 2030” (JA&WMA 2015, 5, 570–580; https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2014.996270). This paper projected the impact of climate change on ozone air quality and associated health benefits expected in the United States in 2030. Guidelines for the nomination for the Stern Award are available online at www.tandfonline.com/uawm. I encourage you to submit your nominations for the 2022 Stern Award to [email protected] by September 15, 2021.

I will continue to further enhance JA&WMA’s stature with the support of the contributing authors, peer reviewers, Associate Editors, members of the Editorial Review Board, and Publications Committee. Finally, I am grateful to Lisa Bucher and Stephanie Glyptis of A&WMA, and Marissa Nania and Eilise Norris of Taylor & Francis, for their invaluable assistance in managing the journal.