(This announcement first appeared in the January issue of this Journal [84(1), 80 (2016)].)
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) seeks applications from and nominations of candidates for the position of Editor of the American Journal of Physics (AJP), the world's preeminent journal in physics education focusing on the undergraduate and graduate levels. Candidates should have the following demonstrated experience and skills:
Strong interests and accomplishments in physics teaching
Significant acquaintance with AJP
Reasonable familiarity with the various sub-fields of physics
History of publications in professional physics journals
Excellent organizational and administrative skills
An ability to meet deadlines and to make difficult decisions fairly and rapidly
Computer skills, including a working knowledge of LaTeX.
Timeline
The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications on May 1, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled. The Search Committee will submit its recommendation to the AAPT Executive Board for final approval. The official start date will be September 1, 2017, but the new editor will ideally begin transitioning into the post no later than January 2017.
Primary Duties of the Editor
Exercises overall responsibility for operation of the Journal under the general supervision of the AAPT Publications Committee
Oversees the review process, corresponds with authors and reviewers, and selects articles for publication
Edits papers to be published, prepares accepted manuscripts for copyediting and production, and monitors the publication process
Reviews and updates the journal's editorial policy in consultation with the Editorial Advisory Board
Writes editorials and solicits guest comments
Appoints and coordinates the work of Associate, Assistant, Consulting, and Section Editors
Serves as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the AAPT Executive Board and is a member of the AAPT Publications Committee.
Financial Arrangements
The Editor's responsibilities constitute professional activities requiring approximately two-thirds of the Editor's time on a 12-month basis. The specific time commitment and financial arrangement will be negotiated between the prospective Editor, the host institution (if applicable), and AAPT. In the past, host institutions have provided some or all of the following: release time for the Editor and Associate Editor(s), part or all of the salary for the release time, office space for the editorial staff without cost, disbursement of funds at the direction of the Editor, payroll services for the office staff, and billing of AAPT periodically for these expenses, without overhead.
The arrangements for the initial appointment are flexible. One possibility is to begin as an Associate Editor for an agreed-upon time period, before assuming full responsibility as Editor. Editorial appointments are normally for three (3) years.
Application Procedure
The Search Committee welcomes inquiries from those interested in the Editor's position, and encourages nominations from people familiar with AJP. Inquiries and applications should be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Harvey Leff <[email protected]>. Each application should include:
A cover letter explaining the candidate's views on the role of the American Journal of Physics, its audience, strengths and weaknesses, and how it might be improved to better serve the physics community
A complete curriculum vitae
A letter of recommendation from the candidate's department chair (if applicable), indicating, among other things, the willingness of the department and institution to support the presence of the AJP editorial office
Two additional letters of recommendation.
Note: The Search Committee is primarily interested in the qualifications of candidates. Institutional arrangements can differ from present or past precedents, and should not dissuade anyone from applying. Interested parties are encouraged to read the recent editorial, “Should you be editor of AJP?,” Am. J. Phys. 83, 909–910 (2015); http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.4933205.
AJP Editor 2015–2016 Search Committee
Harvey S. Leff, Chair—California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Beth Cunningham, ex officio—Executive Officer, AAPT
David Jackson, AJP Editor—Dickinson College
Carl Mungan—United States Naval Academy
Randall Knight—California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo