The department of physics’ very own Calvin Johnson has been named an associate editor at Physical Review C, one of the leading US journals in nuclear physics.

When scientific papers are submitted to science journals for publication, they undergo peer review, whereby fellow scientists, experts in the same or a closely related field, judge the scientific validity and importance of the papers.  These referees are typically kept anonymous.  It is the job of the associate editor to serve as a conduit between authors and referees.  They must make sure the refereeing is fair, that is, neither too lax nor critical without good reason.  Such a position requires a detailed knowledge of current physics as well as the expertise of referees.

Shortly before this, Professor Johnson was named one of the American Physical Society’s outstanding referees for 2017.  His field of expertise for Physical Review C is in the theory of nuclear structure.