Thomas Holme named editor in chief of the Journal of Chemical Education

Thomas Holme, a professor of chemistry at Iowa State University, has been named editor in chief of the Journal of Chemical Education. He will serve jointly with current editor in chief Norbert J. Pienta until January 2020, when the formal transition takes place.

The Journal of Chemical Education is copublished by the ACS Division of Chemical Education and ACS Publications and focuses on the latest advances in the field of chemical education.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to foster the ability for the journal to serve as a home for descriptions of exciting new ways to help students learn chemistry,” Holme says. “The pace of educational innovation has never been more brisk, and the Journal of Chemical Education provides an amazing platform for educators to share and foster such innovation.”

At Iowa State, Holme’s research is on the measurement and assessment of student learning in chemistry courses, assessment of the cognitive complexity of test items, and improvement of the quality of information that can be obtained from exams and other forms of assessment.

He also conducts research in computational chemistry and says he wants to find ways to “enhance data-driven decision-making in the direction that the journal might take in the coming years. The number of research discoveries related to machine learning in a wide array of fields suggests that there are quite likely new ways to look at evidence about the usage of research publications and how to enhance their utility.” Holme has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Rice University.

“Professor Holme is highly experienced as both an educator and scientific editor, and we look forward to seeing his vision for the journal come to life,” says James Milne, senior vice president of ACS’s Journals Publishing Group.

“The Board of Publication for the Division of Chemical Education is looking forward to supporting professor Holme’s vision as he brings his diverse and rich skill set to advancing chemistry teaching and learning through the Journal of Chemical Education,” says Ellen J. Yezierski, chair of the Board of Publication for the division.