September 8, 2008

David Schoonmaker Named Editor of American Scientist Magazine

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – After a year at the helm as acting editor of American Scientist magazine, David R. Schoonmaker has been named editor of Sigma Xi’s flagship publication. His appointment follows a 15-year tenure as managing editor.

In all, he has 35 years of experience in magazine production that includes serving as executive editor of Rodale’s Men’s Health Newsletter and technical editor for Mother Earth News. He has also written or edited seven books.

"We believe that David Schoonmaker has the leadership skills and vision necessary to keep American Scientist at the forefront in scientific publishing," Sigma Xi Executive Director Jerry Baker said.

"He has demonstrated through his extensive experiences his ability and devotion to scientific writing, which will enhance our efforts to serve our members and the public with informative feature articles and coverage of emerging technologies," Baker continued.

"I am not a scientist," Schoonmaker said, "but I have a deep and abiding love for and interest in science. Growing up with a geologist father, I could tell a syncline from an anticline by age six. Working for American Scientist is the best job any editor could hope for. I am privileged to work with talented colleagues and the world's best scientists to produce a magazine I'm passionate about-one that I believe is the best of its kind."

Schoonmaker succeeds Rosalind Reid, who served as editor of American Scientist from 1992-2008. She is now acting executive director of the Initiative in Innovative Computing at Harvard University, where she was a visiting scholar in 2007-2008.

American Scientist traces its origins back to 1913. The bimonthly, illustrated magazine of science and technology has a circulation of more than 75,000 and is published by Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. In recent years, American Scientist has been honored with many awards for editorial, design and illustration quality.

Each issue is filled with feature articles written by prominent scientists and engineers, reviewing important work in fields that range from molecular biology to computer engineering. The articles are carefully edited and accompanied by illustrations that are developed to enhance the reader's understanding and enjoyment.

Readers also enjoy the Scientists' Bookshelf and a number of regular columns that cover topics in computing, engineering, public and professional issues and reflections on the history and practice of science. In the Science Observer section, the editors give the readers glimpses behind the scenes in science. And each issue includes the work of noted cartoonists such as Sydney Harris, Benita Epstein and Mark Heath.

Read faithfully by Sigma Xi's membership of distinguished scientists and engineers, the magazine is now available on newsstands around the world, as well as by individual or institutional subscription. American Scientist Online incorporates the full content of the print magazine and additional online-only features. Visit www.americanscientist.org for more about the magazine.

Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi is the international honor society of research scientists and engineers, with more than 500 chapters at colleges and universities, government laboratories and industry research centers. Membership is by invitation, in recognition of research potential or achievement. Over the years, more than 200 Sigma Xi members have received the Nobel Prize.

In addition to publishing American Scientist, the non-profit society awards hundreds of grants annually to student researchers and sponsors a variety of programs that support science and engineering.