William Tolman To Become Editor Of Inorganic Chemistry

The American Chemical Society has appointed William B. Tolman, chair of the department of chemistry at the University of Minnesota, as editor of Inorganic Chemistry, effective January 2013. Tolman will succeed the University of Rochester’s Richard Eisenberg, who has served as the journal’s editor since 2001.

“Bill is a terrific choice,” says Eisenberg. “The intellectual breadth of his science makes him ideally suited to lead Inorganic Chemistry.”

Indeed, Tolman’s work spans bioinorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, and polymer chemistry. In the bioinorganic arena, his team builds small models of the metal-containing active sites of enzymes—with a goal of using these simple systems to probe the inner workings of such enzymes. His team also devises inorganic complexes that might function as catalysts for the synthesis of polymers from renewable resources.

“The journal plays a really important role in the field of inorganic chemistry, which I care deeply about,” says Tolman. “Rich has done a superb job as editor. I’m not interested in making drastic changes. But I do hope to continue to improve the quality of the journal, boost the international character of our associate editor ranks, and use social media to broaden our reach.”

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Tolman in his new role as editor-in-chief,” says Susan King, senior vice president of the American Chemical Society’s journals publishing group. “Dr. Tolman’s broad perspective in the field, coupled with his drive for innovation, will ensure the journal continues to push new boundaries and meet the needs of the diverse inorganic chemistry community.”

King commends Eisenberg “for his tireless and dedicated service to the global research community served by Inorganic Chemistry, for his commitment to excellence and rigor in peer review, and for introducing Dr. Tolman to editorial service through appointment as an associate editor in 2007.”

Tolman, 51, holds a B.A. in chemistry from Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. After a postdoctoral stint at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tolman joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota in 1990, where he has remained ever since. He is a fellow of both the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.