Announcing the 2024 Winner of the Kroger Outstanding Reviewer Award

Abstract

It is time to acknowledge our top reviewer for the past year. Annually, we recognize one reviewer for his/her contributions to the journal, in honor of Manfred Kroger. Dr. Kroger was a long-term editor for Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety (CRFSFS), well known for his diligence in making sure manuscripts were top notch. Much of the credit for the early success of CRFSFS goes to Dr. Kroger.

To select the Kroger award winner, the Associate Editors first nominate reviewers who have done exceptional review work for them in the past few years, using reviewer performance data to support their nominations. The Scientific Editors then vote as to which candidate should receive the award. The award is based on a number of factors; the number of reviews is important, but also the timeliness and quality of the reviews. The award is presented in person at our annual Reviewers’ Reception at IFT FIRST.

This year's Manfred Kroger award goes to Dr. Han-Seok Seo of the University of Arkansas, a leading expert in sensory analysis and an outstanding reviewer. He has completed 90 reviews in the last 5 years, averaging 11.6 days turnaround. Clearly, Dr. Seo deserves the 2023 Kroger award.

Seo: The scientific journal's organizational structure mirrors that of a soccer team. A typical soccer team's positions, that is, a goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards, and their roles correspond, respectively, to an editor in chief, scientific/associate editors, peer reviewers, and authors. Like midfielders who help forwards score the balls or block the opposing team's attempts at scoring before reaching the defensive line, peer reviewers provide authors with helpful comments to improve the quality of their manuscripts. Moreover, peer reviewers play a crucial role in preventing inaccurate, low-quality, and misleading manuscripts from being published by carefully reviewing them. As the midfielder position is considered the engine of a soccer team, peer reviewers are a key component of the journal system. As a journal gains more well-trained, dedicated, and enthusiastic reviewers, its impact significantly grows, like how skilled, committed, and spirited players improve a soccer team's performance. Also, a combination of reviewers from diverse backgrounds and career levels plays an important role in strengthening a journal's review system, similar to how harmonious chemistry between junior and senior players enhances a soccer team's performance. We actively encourage junior scientists to engage in the peer review process. However, I would like to use this opportunity to emphasize the importance of involving peers from a diverse spectrum of backgrounds and career stages, including established scholars and industry researchers, in reviewing manuscripts. Since established scholars and industry researchers may offer insights and perspectives that may be overlooked by junior scientists, I hope they also actively join the manuscript review process. By doing so, we can enhance the cohesion and strength of our journal's review system and scientific communities. Let us work together to strengthen our midfielder position!

Thank you for those comments, Dr. Seo. I have never thought of myself as the goalie of a soccer team; rather my job as Editor in Chief seems more like a cat herder.

Again, congratulations to Dr. Seo. His work as midfielder for the Journal of Food Science is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Rich Hartel, PhD

Editor in Chief, Journal of Food Science

Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison