What is your current role and area of oversight on staff?
In my role as Publications Portfolio Manager, I oversee three publications staff working on peer review support and special projects, as well as interact with my colleagues in conferences, marketing, and IEEE Publications Operations. I work closely with the VP of the Publications Board and the Publications Council, and the Photonics Society journals program Editors-in-Chief and their editorial boards on policy, strategy, and, in general, provide guidance and support in their efforts to strengthen and expand their journals. My direct manager is Doug Razzano, the Society’s Executive Director and Group Lead.
What is your background and how long have you been with the IEEE?
I joined the Society in October 2023, with more than 20 years of experience in STM publishing, including two stints at Springer, 11 years at the Association for Computing Machinery, and more recently, KnowledgeWorks Global (specifically, KGL Editorial). My experience includes vendor selection, onboarding and training, and hands-on oversight of peer review management systems, editorial assistants, journal production, and others to deliver quality content. At KGL, I provided client contractual management and ensured that all stakeholder expectations were met with best publishing practices and the highest levels of customer support.
I studied French and German at The Ohio State University and continued my education in German language and literature at the University of Siegen in Germany, where I lived for two years, on a Fulbright Scholarship.
What inspired you to join the IEEE and IEEE Photonics Society team?
I had been interested in working for IEEE for a number of years. My background as ACM Journal Manager had given me some insight into IEEE as an important competitor. I had been working in scholarly publishing on the vendor side while at KGL Editorial and wanted to get back to the publisher side of the business. When I saw the Society’s position advertised, I suspected I had the expertise needed and much to offer because of the trajectory of my career. After my first interview with Doug, I knew I really wanted the job, and meeting his management team confirmed to me that I would be a great fit.
What do you enjoy most about your work and/or working with volunteers?
Volunteers are the backbone of scholarly publishing, especially for those working in societies. Working with my Editors-in-Chief, editorial boards, and publications committees over the years has been an honor. I am in awe of these people who are so much smarter than I am but to whom I can impart my publishing expertise in terms of information, guidance, support, and inspiration (I hope) to do their job, and to do it well. I am always available for a question or a conversation, and our monthly meetings are both productive and a pleasure.
From your perspective, what is a challenge that our community is facing?
Our publications are being challenged by an increase in competition from new, commercial publishers and their publications. This challenge makes providing high-level quality support to our editors more important than ever so that they can do their jobs effectively and enthusiastically. Against this backdrop, we are also working hard to provide more extensive marketing outreach for our authors via social media, press releases, newsroom profiles, and more. As a nonprofit entity, we have important advantages over commercial publishers. The Society’s focus is to reinvest in the photonics community. Its education, awards, publications, and other programs serve to fulfill its mission to advance technology for the benefit of humanity and lay the foundation for future generations.
Tell us something fun about yourself !!!! (Hobby, secret talent, what you do for fun, etc.)
I was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Connecticut, and went to Ohio State, where I studied French and German. When I moved to New Jersey, I created a Meetup group for German speakers that still meets after 10+ years. I love hiking, cycling, and being in the country, and my favorite place to spend time is in the Western Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York.
