JFSE and Education Material

In my March 2021 editorial, I noted that the Journal of Food Science Education (JFSE) was scheduled to end production at the end of 2021, with this October/November issue (Vol. 20 Iss. 4) being the final publication. As such, this is the last JFSE issue, although it's an excellent one. As usual, it contains numerous research-in-education articles, but this one also has 4 editorials, some innovative laboratory exercises, classroom techniques, and teaching tips. It is packed full of useful information for food instructors.

In this last JFSE issue, there are several “farewell” Editorials. First, Wayne Iwaoka and Faye Dong, two of the prime movers for formation of the Education Division and JFSE, write about their experiences with the journal over the past 20+ years. They also express their disappointment with IFT for losing sight of the importance of training the next generation of food scientists. Current Scientific Editor of JFSE, Shelly Schmidt, also adds her comments after many years overseeing the journal. Shelly has written numerous excellent articles and editorials in JFSE over the years – thanks to Shelly for all she's done for the journal.

We're looking forward to building this newest topic within JFS. Based on my background with JFSE, I will be acting as Scientific Editor on all manuscripts submitted in this category and using the Associate Editors from JFSE, who have recently joined the JFS Editorial Board, to handle the peer review process.

Also in the final issue of JFSE, there is an editorial written by members of the Education, Extension, and Outreach Division (EEOD) looking for volunteers to help coordinate a new venue for education material that doesn't fit within the scope of JFS. Specifically, this will include things like practical teaching tips, innovative laboratory exercises, and book reviews, among others. This new venue also allows different formats, like podcasts, videos, and whatever new formats emerge in the future. I encourage any and all of you to get involved with this effort to make sure there is a strong education focus within IFT.

Although we're losing JFSE, we hope that this combination of approaches means the future of education and teaching/learning within IFT is still bright. Finally, all of the 20 years of material accumulated in JFSE will remain available on ift.org and Wiley Online Library, so please feel free to read and cite that work.

Sincerely,

Rich Hartel, PhD

Editor in Chief, IFT Scientific Journals