What do you do at the CIC?
I am the Managing Editor of The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (Can. J. Chem. Eng.), which is the premier journal of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering. That means I am primarily responsible for ensuring that all activities leading to publication are achieved in a timely fashion. This includes overseeing the review of articles and arriving at initial decisions about these manuscripts in approximately one month. I also facilitate various stages of production that follow once an article has been accepted for publication, which includes the steps of procuring images to go with it, proofing the text, and getting it into production — always with an eye on how best to expedite online publication times. Above all, I am dedicated to advancing the journal, and the process that creates it, because I value the importance of providing a high-quality research publication. That is a goal I share with our authors, whose outstanding contributions are integral to these processes.
In addition to my role with the journal as a product, I also collaborate with the marketing teams at CIC and our publisher Wiley to promote the Journal on a global basis. We are always looking to connect with the chemical sciences and engineering community in venues such as the annual Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Conference. There the Journal hosts a workshop dedicated to early career publishing, along with an event dedicated to showing our appreciation to Canadian authors of papers that were accepted and published in the applicable year. In a similar way, I have been actively engaged in supporting the coordination and processing of the CIC, CSC, CSChE, and CSCT awards portfolio, which further recognizes excellence in the chemical sciences.
How has your background led up to this work?
Growing up in South Africa and immigrating to Canada has provided me with a range of skills and opportunities, which has included experience with customer-based organizations where I analyzed, facilitated, and improved processes whilst being acutely aware of the need to be detail-oriented. I joined the Chemical Institute of Canada in 2008, initially supporting the membership team and working on special projects before accepting a position on the Can. J. Chem. Eng. team. We have come far and work well together, and I continue to look forward to advancing future initiatives.
What else should people know about the CIC?
The CIC is a dynamic non-profit organization that is committed to the advancement of membership connectivity by means of a diverse number of initiatives. Can. J. Chem. Eng. is one of these initiatives, and we are dedicated to advancing sciences though our publication and eager to further connect with our members as we highlight the latest research. Furthermore, I would like to mention that it is a pleasure to work with such a highly motivated and talented team, not only at the National Office, but also with Professor João B.P. Soares, Editor-in-Chief, and with our editorial team.