Our flagship journal Chemical Science, with its dedicated team of Associate Editors, aims to publish research that’s most important to the chemical sciences community. We were excited to announce the appointment of Professor Luis Campos from Columbia University as an editor for polymer science on the Chemical Science blog, and we enjoyed taking some time to get to know him on a more personal level, from his views on publishing to his love of improv!
What are you most looking forward to as an Associate Editor at Chemical Science?
I’m excited to be a part of Chem Sci because I am hoping to serve and represent the polymer community, bringing visibility to the creative work that many people are doing worldwide. With its broad target audience, Chem Sci is an ideal venue to highlight the work of talented young chemists.
What recommendations do you have about publishing journal articles that was helpful in your experience?
Clarity and attention to details in the story you’re telling. Setting the stage in a paper is as important as the results one describes. For example, in my group, we’ve found it very useful to focus on “Figure 1” to try to use images to represent the hypothesis or the story that we’re trying to tell in the paper. It is not always straightforward in all cases, but it’s an important exercise when we write papers. There are many other tips floating around, and I highly recommend that all authors keep an open mind when learning how to write.
Could you share something you’re excited about related to your research or the field?
My group studies small molecules and macromolecules in a way that I can categorize as falling in the bucket of physical macromolecular chemistry, akin to the well-known field of physical organic chemistry. Interestingly, there is not one particular topic that I’m excited about in my research field since there are many exciting challenges out there. I recently participated in an NSF-led workshop to establish a 10-year roadmap of challenges in polymer science and engineering. The final report is a valuable piece, outlining some of the most exciting and challenging areas of research.
There is one thing that I am passionate about –
the polymer community is awesome!
However, there is one thing that I am passionate about – the polymer community is awesome! It’s a very warm, kind, understanding, and supportive group of people. I have had my share of ups and downs, and the support I’ve received from friends and colleagues in the community is just amazing and energizing.
How did you get involved with improv?
A friend of mine introduced me to Thank You, Robot, an improv comedy group in NYC. They are really talented individuals who perform regularly in the city. Each set involves a research scientist presenting their work (~10 min talk). Then, the improv team does a whole comedy routine around it. It’s super entertaining and fun and I always look forward to working with them and their shows.
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For more tips on how to publish your research, you might find some helpful notes from the RSC in the online guide.
We warmly welcome Luis to the Chemical Science team and look forward to publishing more of the community’s innovative research, especially in the areas of polymer chemistry and organic & functional materials!
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We are already planning several upcoming Meet the Editor events around North America and hope to have even more to come. If your department is planning to host an RSC Associate Editor and would like to include these activities, let us and the Editor know you would like to add a time for us to give a talk or informal lunch discussion with tips on publishing! Contact our Americas team (americas-editorial@rsc.org) for more information.
