Joan-Emma Shea and Gregory Scholes to take the helm of the Journal of Physical Chemistry

Joan-Emma Shea of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Gregory D. Scholes of Princeton University have been named the new editors-in-chief of the Journal of Physical Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Chemical Society. They will succeed George C. Schatz of Northwestern University, who is retiring.

Shea will oversee the Journal of Physical Chemistry A, B, and C, while Scholes will oversee the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. “The shift to two editors will allow for greater efficiencies in the publishing process and a better author experience, and help ensure JPC reaches a diverse and growing global audience,” says James Milne, acting president of ACS Publications Division.

Shea is professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she is using statistical and computational physics to study biological problems. She has been deputy editor of JPC B since 2014 and will become the first female editor-in-chief of JPC in its 124-year history.

“I hope to inject new vibrancy into each part of the journal, and help the journal grow in new scientific directions while remaining true to the core values of JPC,” Shea says. “We plan on significantly expanding the international focus of the journal, with editorial appointments from around the globe, and truly establish JPC as the home of a vibrant and globally engaged physical chemistry community.”

Scholes is the William S. Tod professor of chemistry at Princeton University, where his research focuses on how complex molecular systems interact with light. He has been deputy editor of JPC Letters since 2016.

“My vision is to make JPC Letters a truly global journal—editors will be from around the world, and we will think about the needs and values of communities,” Scholes says. “My immediate plans are to institute a new editorial structure that involves executive editors who promote the journal strategically in different geographic or scientific areas. They will play important roles in building communities of authors and expanding the scope of JPC Letters to include new areas of physical chemistry.”