Note from the Editor-in-Chief Note from the Editor-in-Chief
I remember when I was a graduate student, I looked forward to receiving my issues of IEEE Communications Magazine. To me, the magazine was a valuable window to the state of the art in communications technology. I have always been fond of the magazine because the articles are expertly written and technical, but also entirely accessible and easy to read. The informative content and accessible style of the magazine are some of the reasons IEEE Communications Magazine is consistently one of the highest ranked publications in the communications field.
The magazine's raison d'être, and my main responsibility as Editor-in-Chief, is to serve you, the reader. The magazine goes to all members of the IEEE Communications Society as one of the most tangible benefits of ComSoc membership. It is also archived in libraries worldwide, and referenced by researchers and professionals outside of ComSoc. The magazine strives to serve this vast global community by being the primary source of leading-edge high-quality technical information.
I first became involved as an editor with Communications Magazine when the Editor-in-Chief at the time, Tom Plevyak, published an open invitation for volunteers. I am pleased to take my turn now to make a similar open call for participation. The magazine belongs to the entire community and can thrive only with your participation. There are many ways to be involved. Most obviously, high-quality submissions of broad interest are always welcome (through the online Manuscript Central). Submissions may be designated for a feature topic, one of the ongoing Supplements or Series, or a standalone article. Every submission undergoes a rigorous peer review process. Second, proposals for new feature topics may be submitted at any time. Feature topics usually consist of four to seven papers focusing on a timely theme. Feature topic proposals are reviewed by the editorial board for reader interest, timeliness, and likelihood of attracting submissions. Third, there is always a need for new Associate Technical Editors and expert reviewers — please volunteer. Fourth, community feedback about improvement of the magazine is always valuable and welcome.
Let me take this opportunity to also encourage your broader participation in ComSoc. The magazine may be one of its most visible activities, but ComSoc is very active in many other publications, conferences and workshops, technical committees, standards, and a broad range of endeavors promoting the engineering profession. I believe you will find your experience with ComSoc rewarding in both professional and personal ways.
In closing, I would like to offer two observations from my experience with the magazine. First, I am honored to follow a series of Editors-in-Chief who have been outstanding in shepherding the magazine. They have done a tremendous service for the Society. My predecessor, Roch Glitho, has left the magazine in excellent shape and will continue to help as a Senior Technical Editor. Second, I am taking the liberty of speaking for the editorial board to say that everyone involved is proud of the magazine as ComSoc's flagship publication. We are all volunteers and willingly dedicate our time and effort because we care about and believe in the quality and value of the magazine. As good as it is, we want IEEE Communications Magazine to become even better. I believe that IEEE Communications Magazine is more relevant than ever. The technological landscape in telecommunications is changing quickly, and access to expert technical information is necessary to keep current. IEEE Communications Magazine strives to be your primary information source. Just as I looked forward to reading each issue as a student, we hope that you will be excited and continue to regard the magazine as a "must read."
Biography
TOM CHEN is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. He received his B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining SMU, he worked on ATM research at GTE Laboratories (now Verizon), Waltham, Massachusetts. He is a senior technical editor for IEEE Network, founding editor of IEEE Communications Surveys, founding editor of ComSoc e-News, and former associate editor for ACM Transactions on Internet Technology. He is the co-author of ATM Switching Systems (Artech House, 1995). He was the recipient of the 1996 Fred W. Ellersick paper award for an article in IEEE Communications Magazine. His current research interests include traffic control and network security.