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IEEE NPSS Newsletter

Publications

Changing of the Guard at TPS

Paul Dressendorfer, Publications Committee Chair

After serving for almost 40 years as the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (TPS), last summer Dr. Steve Gitomer decided to step down from that role.  We then began a search for his replacement, soliciting applications in a variety of venues, including through the NPSS web site, the NPSS Newsletter, editorials in TPS, the TPS email blasts, and personal contacts.  Applications were open through December 31st, 2023.

At that time, an evaluation and selection committee consisting of the chairs of the Technical Committees for Plasma Sciences and Applications, Pulsed Power Science and Technology, and Fusion Technology, along with the Publications Chair, began its consideration of the applicants.  Several qualified individuals had applied.  After due deliberation, the committee selected Prof. Edl Schamiloglu of the University of New Mexico as the best qualified candidate.  The recommendation was made to the NPSS AdCom to approve his appointment as the new EiC for TPS; AdCom approved this appointment.

Edl Schamiloglu, TPS Editor-in-Chief
Steve Gitomer, TPS Editor-in-Chief, retiring

Prof. Schamiloglu has an excellent background for this position.  He received the B.S. degree from the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University in 1979, the M.S. degree in Plasma Physics from Columbia University in 1981, and the Ph.D. degree in Engineering (minor in Mathematics) from Cornell University in 1988.  He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico.  He has coauthored 200 refereed journal papers, 293 reviewed conference papers, and holds nine patents.  His publications have been cited over 10,100 times (h-index=42, i10-index=165).  He has won numerous awards, and is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and an EMP Fellow (sponsored by the Summa Foundation).  His contributions in support of high-energy-density science, physics and technology of charged particle-beam generation and propagation, high-power microwave sources and effects, pulsed- power science and technologies, and plasma physics and diagnostics are far too numerous to list here.

In addition to the above, Prof. Schamiloglu has direct experience with editorial activities at TPS.  He was the founding Senior Editor for the section of TPS on Pulsed Power Science and Technology, is the Senior Editor for TPS Review Articles, and has served as the Guest Editor for four special issues of TPS.

With his knowledge base and experience, we expect that the hand-off of EiC duties from Steve to Edl will proceed smoothly.  Edl has begun a familiarization/training period for the EiC role, and the current plan is for him to fully take over as EiC on July 1, 2024.  Steve has agreed to stay involved with TPS, so we will be able to call upon his experience and perspective as needed.

We want to sincerely thank Steve for his many years of outstanding service to our Society, to TPS, and to the plasma community.  Things will certainly be different with him moving on from his current role.  But we heartily welcome Edl to the NPSS Publications team and believe that he will be able to build upon the stature of TPS and move it forward effectively into the future. 

Paul Dressendorfer, Chair of the IEEE NPSS Publications Committee, can be reached by E-mail at [email protected].