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As a researcher and educator, I consider that it is not only important to search and research, but also very important to make one’s findings and ideas publicly available so that others can follow up and the quest for understanding the natural world continues. I am delighted that a collection of high-quality reports and articles fills this issue of The Chemist. While Calvin Dewitt is making a strong argument for stewardship in “bringing the human use of carbon fully within the bounds of the hospitable climate control system of the biospheric economy and our common home”, Vicki Grassian is discussing insights from physical chemistry environmental interfaces in understanding processes taking place on indoor and outdoor environments. C. Saritha and co-authors report on synthesis and characterization of a novel carbazole-based hole transporting material with potential application in the fabrication of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. Rajib Choudhury and co-authors assess the efficacy of a donor-acceptor based red light emitting fluorophore in detecting human serum in aqueous samples. Imelda Rubashvili and co-authors report a HPLC analysis involving sequential extraction for the anthocyanins obtained from ago-industrial waste material – grape skin. Elelu Shehu-Alimi and co-authors discuss the preparation and characterization of absorbents from the Physic Nut plant, a drought resistant perennial plant. John Sarah and co-authors discuss recent advances in the asymmetric Reformatsky reaction. Asha Chacko and co-authors report the oxidation behavior of permanganate functions supported on polymers. Bryan Nichols, argues how chemical scientists can play a key role by involving themselves more with citizen science and civic science. Micheal Hansen with Hart Hansen recognize the importance of teaching the scientific method in the social sciences and suggests not limiting to the natural sciences. It has been a privilege editing The Chemist, official journal of The American Institute of Chemists. However, it is time to move forward, after resurrecting The Chemist, and overseeing the publication of seven volumes (85-91) during 2012-2018 of The Chemist, I am stepping down as Editor-in-Chief. In 2018 the journal reached 91 years old and is now indexed in EBSCO. During this period the journal received, processed and published manuscripts from authors across the globe who with confidence chose The Chemist as a platform for disseminating their research and scholarly manuscripts and subjecting to the journal’s double-blind peer-review process. Since inception in 2012, the Public Understanding of Chemistry Section has published a total of 19 manuscripts from a wide spectrum of authors including a co-author who is a school student. Though I enjoyed doing this leadership service for seven years pro bono, it is a very time consuming task. Besides evaluating and editing incoming manuscripts, I enjoyed working with members of the review board who helped to maintain the quality of the journal. Thanks to review board members and editorial assistants for dedicated service pro-bono, and Alberto Fernandez for Art & Web Direction. Also, thanks to Dean Valerie Bristor at the College of Education, Florida Atlantic University for providing a platform to perform all the needed editorial work for The Chemist. This is a humbling experience, also a clear example of the support scientists need from people outside of the field in order to move forward. Unfortunately, often out of ignorance, and sometimes out of arrogance, scientists tend to act as if they can make it on their own. Times have changed, and if science needs to move forward in a global society, it needs the support of scientists as well as non-scientists alike. Human quest for searching and researching this complex natural world will continue on. Part of the quest comes from the chemical sciences which provide a platform for exploring and understanding the complexity of the natural world from the perspective of elements and compounds, their structure, composition and properties, in addition to their physical and chemical changes during reactions. The quest for search and research is built into every one of us and it is a part of being human. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings” (Proverbs 25: 2) [1]. I wish each and every reader of The Chemist the best in life! |
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