American Chemical Society names Stuart J. Rowan new editor-in-chief of ACS Macro Letters

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2017 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) announced today that Stuart J. Rowan, Ph.D., professor at the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, has been appointed the new editor-in-chief of ACS Macro Letters, the Society’s rapid and urgent communications platform for original research in polymer science. Rowan has served as the deputy editor of ACS Macro Letters since its inception in 2011; he will succeed Editor-in-Chief Timothy P. Lodge in January 2018.

Rowan joined the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in 1999. In 2005, he was promoted to associate professor with tenure and became a full professor in 2008. Last year, Rowan joined the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. He is a Fellow of the ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry (POLY) and has received a number of other accolades throughout his career, including the Herman Mark Scholar Award from ACS POLY in 2015 and the Morley Medal in 2014. Rowan, who has published close to 150 scientific papers and reviews, focuses on the potential of supramolecular and dynamic chemistry — both covalent and non-covalent — in the construction and properties of structurally dynamic polymeric materials.

“It is a great honor to be selected as the new editor-in-chief of ACS Macro Letters,” says Rowan. “Tim Lodge has done a phenomenal job getting the journal started and guiding it to where it is today. The goal moving forward is to maintain the journal’s commitment to rapid publishing of the highest-quality research in polymer science.”

ACS Macro Letters publishes research in all areas of contemporary soft matter science in which macromolecules play a key role, including nanotechnology, self-assembly, supramolecular chemistry, biomaterials, energy generation and storage, and renewable/sustainable materials. Lodge, professor of chemistry, chemical engineering and materials science at the University of Minnesota, has served as the founding editor-in-chief of ACS Macro Letters since 2011. Under his leadership, the web-based journal has published timely communications of high-impact research in all areas of polymer science and engineering. Its high quality is demonstrated by an impressive Impact Factor of 6.185, placing it as the leading journal in its field. 

“As deputy editor, Rowan deserves the lion’s share of the credit for shepherding the journal through its first six years to its current position of prominence,” says Lodge. “The community can rest assured that ACS Macro Letters will continue to prosper under his visionary leadership.”

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome Professor Stuart Rowan in his new role as editor-in-chief of ACS Macro Letters,” says James Milne, Ph.D., senior vice president, ACS Publications Journals Publishing Group. “Professor Rowan has a wealth of editorial experience from serving as the deputy editor of ACS Macro Letters. I also thank Professor Timothy Lodge for his profound impact in serving as the inaugural editor-in-chief for ACS Macro Letters, which has emerged as one of the most influential platforms for publishing urgent communications serving the polymer science community.”

About the American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Through its Publications Division, the Society publishes 50+ peer-reviewed journals and eBooks. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature. The Publications Division offers high-quality service to authors and readers, including rapid time to publication, cutting-edge web and mobile delivery platforms and comprehensive open-access options. The Society's main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.