Farewell and Best Wishes

permanent editor-in-chief is selected. With publication of this issue, I have reached a long-planned retirement from the NIEHS and Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP ). The mission of EHP is to serve as a forum for the discussion of the interrelationships between the environment and human health by publishing in a balanced and objective manner the best peer-reviewed research and most current and credible news of the field. I feel privileged to have been a part of this effort. From the time I began as science editor of EHP in March 2002, my goal was to engage as directly as possible with the environmental science community so that EHP could best serve as a focal point for the dissemination of relevant research. Through the combined dedication and efforts of the EHP staff and editorial boards, the journal has progressed in both science and outreach. Our impact factor now places EHP at the top of two categories of science journals: environmental science and environmental, occupational, and public health. We are privileged to be part of a changing view of environmental health science, one that recognizes that improved environmental health requires creative integration across previously classically defined disciplines: environment, exposures, and individual/population health cannot be separated from genetic and societal contexts. The articles published in EHP over the last few years provide many examples of this understanding, and I hope that your future contributions to the journal will continue to reflect these ideas. Believing that credible science information is a powerful means to improved health, I have been particularly proud to be a part of efforts to facilitate communication of environmental health sciences in two areas: to and within developing countries and to high school students. EHP ’s programs to disseminate environmental science worldwide, including our policy of open access, have provided much-needed access to vital information at a time of critical global development. Similarly, our student edition program engages the next generation of scientists in the compelling world of environmental health at a critical time in their academic development. The response by the worldwide science and education communities to these programs has been terrific. I hope that these unique efforts continue to provide a successful model for how research journals can serve to inform, educate, and improve the lives of people around the world. Concurrent with my retirement, a search for a new editor-in-chief is being conducted. I invite you to become involved by bringing forth highly qualified candidates dedicated to environmental health and the future of EHP. In the meantime, Kenneth Korach, director of the Environmental Diseases and Medicine Program of the NIEHS, will serve as interim editor-in-chief. I will assist with various aspects of transition before beginning an eagerly anticipated extended road adventure, after which I will explore new avenues for involvement in global environmental health issues. The passion and engagement of EHP ’s readers, combined with the excitement and dedication of our staff, have made the years of my tenure here the best for me to remember. On behalf of all the staff of EHP, I thank you for your tenacious support. Its impact on our morale and feelings about what we have tried to accomplish cannot be overstated. I leave with the deep conviction that the environmental health community is making a real difference in global health and that EHP will continue to be at the vanguard of these efforts. My best wishes for the coming year and all the ones to follow.