MRS Bulletin recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. What started as an eight-page newsletter in 1975 has transformed into a widely recognized and highly respected publication in materials research that serves as a valuable benefit to more than 16,000 members of the Materials Research Society.
Fiona Meldrum, chair of inorganic chemistry at the University of Leeds, has accepted the position of chair of the MRS Bulletin Editorial Board. She follows Paul Drzaic, who has served in this role for more than 10 years and was recently elected to the MRS Board of Directors. “I am quite confident that Fiona will bring perspective, insight, and energy to the position, and successfully lead the Bulletin into its next phase,” said Drzaic.
Meldrum has been an active member of MRS for many years, including serving as a volume organizer in 2010, as a single article reviewer for MRS Bulletin, a symposium organizer, a co-chair for the 2013 IMRC Meeting, and providing scientific reviews of MRS Bulletin theme articles on a regular basis. She has also organized symposia of other meetings, including the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and EUROMAT.
Her current research focuses on crystallization, with a particular emphasis on biomineralization and bioinspired crystal growth. She obtained her undergraduate degree in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge in 1989 and her doctorate in bioinspired crystallization from the University of Bath in 1992. Following a postdoctoral position at Syracuse University, USA, she carried out further postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany, after having been awarded a Humboldt Research Fellowship. Meldrum then joined The Australian National University in Canberra, before returning to the UK to take up a lectureship at Queen Mary University of London in 1998. In 2003, Meldrum moved to the School of Chemistry, University of Bristol where she remained until she joined the University of Leeds in 2009.
Paul Drzaic and Fiona Meldrum
“It’s certainly a great privilege to be taking over as chair of the editorial board, and I hope to be able to support the Bulletin team and all of our volunteers to ensure that the Bulletin maintains its status as the flagship MRS publication,” said Meldrum. “The last few years have seen a range of new innovations, such as the introduction of MRS Bulletin Webinars, and I look forward to helping the team to continue to develop the journal—both in print and online—such that it continues to serve as a leading resource for all of the MRS members.”
Drzaic is senior manager for emerging display technology for Apple, Inc., where he and his group are responsible for the evaluation, development, and implementation of new display technologies. A common research and development theme across Drzaic’s career has been flexible displays and electronics and novel electro-optical effects. He was awarded the MRS Woody Award in 2009. He served as a volume organizer for MRS Bulletin in 2004 and has served as chair of MRS Bulletin’s editorial board since 2005. He was a symposium organizer for the first MRS symposium on flexible electronics in 2002 and served as a chair for the 2006 MRS Spring Meeting.
“I’m quite proud of the accomplishments of the editorial board members, the MRS Bulletin staff, and other volunteers. We’ve introduced special topical issues, the Energy Quarterly feature, single article reviews to complement the major issue theme, and MRS Bulletin Webinars, all while maintaining the quality and prestige of the MRS Bulletin theme articles. The MRS Bulletin continues to provide a major benefit for MRS members, and the greater scientific/engineering community,” said Drzaic.
“Fiona Meldrum’s leadership will provide for the further evolution of the Bulletin. We have some exciting new initiatives planned for the near future, including a new website and the integration of MRS News services into the Bulletin. I look forward to the next 10 years of MRS Bulletin,” said Drzaic.
“Paul incorporated the directed efficiency of his industry and entrepreneurial experience to channel creative ideas into practical and integrated successes,” said Betsy Fleischer, past editor of MRS Bulletin. “It was important to him that MRS Bulletin achievements were not limited to the boundaries of the publication itself.”
“It has been a tremendous pleasure working with Paul Drzaic in his role as chair of the editorial board, and his contributions to the success of MRS Bulletin have been very significant,” said Gopal Rao, editor of MRS Bulletin. “We will continue to benefit from his expertise and advice as he serves as a member on the MRS Board, and we look forward to working with Fiona in the future.”
