Editor’s Note

Please welcome Dr. Jesus M. de la Garza (Chema) and Dr. Ali Touran as the new editor in chief and associate editor for this journal, respectively. As former editor in chief, I wish to thank my many supporters who have helped to make my appointment as editor in chief a particularly rewarding part of my professional life. In addition, I am announcing a new concept for developing top leadership and providing predictability and support during succession.

Many people are involved in producing a world class monthly archival journal, including Editorial Board members, reviewers, authors, ASCE publications staff members, and colleagues and helpers both inside Iowa State University and in other institutions. My sincere thanks goes out to all of these participants. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Jim Rowings and Dr. Ed Jaselskis, who personally mentored me as they preceded me as editor in chief. Also thanks to Chema, who took on the appointment of associate editor when I became chief editor, with the understanding that he would succeed me. For over a year, Chema has been handling much of the operational effort and has suggested policies that have improved the flow of manuscripts; I know that this journal is in good hands under his leadership. Dr. Ali Touran will succeed Chema as associate editor. Ali was outstandingly productive as an Editorial Board member, so he was invited to serve as a senior specialty editor in January 2010. Now I am pleased that he has chosen to take on this next challenge. Carl Haas, the other senior specialty editor, has been a wonderful colleague to share my experience with and a great person to bounce ideas off. He will continue in his role of senior specialty editor. Kathy Sturtevant was my editorial assistant and was tremendously helpful in maintaining the flow of manuscripts and providing enthusiastic assistance.

My colleagues have made some notable achievements during my term.

The most rewarding aspect of my tenure as editor in chief is that several Editorial Board members joined very early in their careers and our cadre of members with established careers has done an outstanding job of mentoring them (see my editorial in Vol. 133, No. 4). This combination has resulted in a dynamic Editorial Board that has been a pleasure to lead. Furthermore, some of the early career members have actually become established academics since they joined. This has convinced me that this journal and our profession will certainly be in good hands for many years into the future.

Over its history, this journal has evolved from a quarterly journal with a small editorial group to a monthly publication that processes more than 400 new submissions per year. Stability and predictability in top leadership is critical for this journal to continue its mission of scholarship. In consultation with the ASCE Construction Institute, the decision was made to ask leaders to rotate through the three positions of associate editor, editor in chief, and chairman of the Editorial Board in terms of two to four years, much like many other volunteer organizations ask leaders to rotate through the positions of vice president, president, and past president. The length or the terms will be set as participants gain experience with the proposed arrangement. However, when term lengths are set, it is important to consider that a two-year term requires a six-year commitment for an incoming associate editor, and so on. Details regarding each position are described in the following:

Associate editor: assists the editor in chief with editorial operations with the goal of becoming fully oriented before assuming the role of editor in chief.

Editor in chief: directs all editorial operations, selects personnel, and is responsible for all final editorial decisions. He or she is also responsible for tactical planning to ensure balance of manuscripts, handling editors and reviewers, and strategic planning to ensure the long-term viability of the Journal.

Chair of the Editorial Board: assists the editor in chief by providing perspective about how past operations and decision making may affect current and future operations and decision making. Also assists with editorial operations and strategic planning as requested by the editor in chief.

I am pleased to accept Chema’s invitation to serve as the first chair of the Editorial Board and continue my association with this journal. Also, I wish everyone the best as this journal embarks on a path to new challenges and new achievements under new leadership.