JDS Communications appoints Jessica McArt as Editor in Chief

Champaign, IL, June 26, 2023 – The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) is pleased to announce the selection of Jessica McArt, PhD, DVM, DABVP (Dairy Practice), as the next Editor in Chief of JDS Communications. McArt will be the second Editor in Chief for the journal and its first female leader, succeeding Matthew Lucy, PhD, who oversaw the Journal of Dairy Science before helping to launch JDS Communications nearly three years ago. During his expert tenure, Lucy maintained and boosted the journal’s history of excellence and grew its published pages and overall impact. He will be mentoring McArt through January 2024, when her three-year term formally begins.

McArt is currently the Senior Editor of the Health, Behavior, and Well-being section of the Journal of Dairy Science, and an associate professor, interim department chair, and veterinary epidemiologist at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her DVM before completing a PhD in comparative biomedical sciences with a focus on epidemiology. A diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Dairy Practice), she performs clinical service for Cornell’s Ambulatory and Production Medicine Clinic, conducting applied research and teaching veterinary students in the classroom and on farms.

She also leads the prestigious McArt Dairy Cow Lab, where she focuses on the identification, epidemiology, and economics of periparturient metabolic diseases in dairy cows, helping to better understand how to manage and prevent the diseases that could impact the well-being and health of dairy cows as well as the overall success of dairy farms. Her awards include a SCAVMA Teaching Excellence Award in Clinical Sciences, the 2020 Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence, and the 2023 ADSA Foundation Scholar Award in Dairy Production.

As Editor in Chief, McArt will assume responsibility for overseeing JDS Communications, its section editors, and its initiatives. Announcing her appointment, ADSA’s President Normand St-Pierre said, “Jessica’s broad scientific background and excellence in her discipline, her skills in communicating scientific discoveries, deep knowledge of the scientific peer-review and publishing process, and her demonstrated experience as a leader make her a clear choice to steer JDS Communications into its fourth year and beyond.”

Jerry Bowman, ADSA’s Executive Director, said “we couldn't be more excited to have Jessica assume this role, and eagerly anticipate the innovative contributions she will make to the field of dairy science.”

“I am thrilled to be joining JDS Communications, and honored to be following Matt Lucy’s tenure,” said McArt. “I hope to honor its history and build on its growth and increasing stature among dairy science journals. I look forward to working closely with Paul Kononoff, Editor in Chief of the Journal of Dairy Science, as well as the journal staff in my new role. I also look forward to engaging a diverse group of readers and authors and hope to foster a sense of belonging within our scientific journal community as we strive to ask and answer questions that advance the science of dairy production and processing.”

Both JDS Communications and the Journal of Dairy Science play pivotal roles in furthering dairy science and technology. By publishing trusted, pioneering research, these journals contribute to the understanding and improvement of dairy production and dairy foods, and provide a critical platform for facilitating the exchange of knowledge, driving innovation, and enhancing the sustainability and profitability of the dairy industry worldwide.

About JDS Communications
JDS Communications®, an official journal of the American Dairy Science Association®, is co-published by Elsevier and FASS Inc. for the American Dairy Science Association. The journal publishes narrowly focused, hypothesis-driven original research studies designed to answer a specific question on the production or processing of milk or milk products intended for human consumption. In addition to short research articles, JDS Communications publishes mini reviews—unsolicited, concise review papers. Research published in this journal is broadly divided into the production of milk from food animals (nutrition, physiology, health, genetics, and management) and processing of milk for human consumption (dairy foods). JDS Communications aims for rapid turnaround and a short time to publication. www.jdscommun.org

About the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA®)
The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) is an international organization of educators, scientists, and industry representatives who are committed to advancing the dairy industry and keenly aware of the vital role the dairy sciences play in fulfilling the economic, nutritive, and health requirements of the world's population. It provides leadership in scientific and technical support to sustain and grow the global dairy industry through generation, dissemination, and exchange of information and services. Together, ADSA members have discovered new methods and technologies that have revolutionized the dairy industry.www.adsa.org

About FASS Inc.
Since 1998, FASS has provided shared management services to not-for-profit scientific organizations. With combined membership rosters of more than 10,000 professionals in animal agriculture and other sciences, FASS offers clients services in accounting, membership management, convention and meeting planning, information technology, and scientific publication support. The FASS publications department provides journal management, peer-review support, copyediting, and composition for this journal; the staff includes several BELS-certified (www.bels.org) technical editors and experienced composition staff. www.fass.org