Sara E. Skrabalak named editor in chief of Chemistry of Materials and ACS Materials Letters

The American Chemical Society Publications Division has named Sara E. Skrabalak, the James H. Rudy Professor of chemistry at Indiana University Bloomington, editor in chief of both Chemistry of Materials and ACS Materials Letters. Both journals publish original research at the interface of chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science.

“Chemistry of Materials has been a favorite journal of mine ever since I was an undergraduate researcher because my then research adviser, Bill Buhro, was an editor for the journal,” Skrabalak says. “I have also found it a place where I could publish work from all areas of my research group, which says something about its exciting research scope. Thus, it is an honor to be named editor in chief for these journals and one that I view coming with a tremendous amount of responsibility.”

As editor in chief, Skrabalak will continue fostering a scientific community around materials chemistry “while growing both journals as leading venues for the publication of high-quality, impactful results. I am especially excited to highlight the rich history of Chemistry of Materials as a means of amplifying the exciting research currently being published in both journals,” she says.

Another goal of hers is to amplify the diversity of research and researchers in the area of materials. Skrabalak says she will work with ACS Publications to identify and implement inclusive publication practices to celebrate different scientific perspectives and approaches.

Skrabalak’s research at Indiana University Bloomington focuses on solid-state chemistry and nanomaterials. She earned a BA in chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis in 2002. She earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006. Skrabalak joined the faculty at Indiana University Bloomington in 2008.

“I am delighted to welcome Professor Skrabalak to this role and am confident she will be a great leader for these world-class materials titles,” James Milne, president of ACS Publications, says in a press release. “I’m looking forward to watching Professor Skrabalak shape these journals and continue to grow their communities.”