Dr. Maruthi Akella Selected to be the New Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences

Dr. Akella directs the Controls Lab for Distributed and Uncertain Systems (C-DUS) with the ASE/EM Department at UT Austin. Photo Credit: University of Texas at Austin

Meet Dr. Maruthi Akella, the New Editor-in-Chief of the JAS

By Emily Cavanagh

The AAS is excited to introduce you to our new Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences (JAS), Dr. Maruthi Akella. Following a thorough evaluation of a pool of highly qualified applicants, an AAS committee unanimously selected Dr. Maruthi Akella to this prestigious role.

Photo of Dr. Maruthi Akella
Dr. Maruthi Akella working in the lab at the University of Texas, Austin. Photo Credit: University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Akella comes to the position uniquely qualified. He has worked for several years as an American Astronautical Society Associate Editor, is an AAS Fellow, and recently served as an Associate Editor of two other aerospace journals. In fact, his connection to the JAS goes even further back than his role as Associate Editor; in 1996, Dr. Akella co-authored the first paper of his career in our journal. Dr. Akella’s appointment is a reflection of AAS’s high standards of excellence, and we eagerly anticipate a bright future with Dr. Akella at the helm.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected as Editor-in-Chief of the JAS,” Dr. Akella said in a statement. “The journal is one of the most significant scholarly publications in the astrodynamics field, and it has been led by distinguished researchers, including our current outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Professor Kathleen Howell.”

The AAS is deeply grateful to Dr. Howell, who devoted 27 years of service to AAS, which Dr. Akella echoed in his statement. “Throughout her long and remarkable tenure,” he said, “Kathie’s dynamism and passion led to broadening the scope of our journal, championing new and emerging fields, and successfully transitioning to a fully online publication.” He added that Dr. Howell will be a source of guidance during the Editor-in-Chief transition.

Given the JAS’s secure footing, Dr. Akella said he does not foresee a need for making any radical departures. “I will ensure that JAS keeps pace toward embracing the rapidly changing landscape that we operate in,” he said. “I look forward to prioritizing review timeliness, improving communications among the editorial team, and actively exploring special topics and sections dedicated to emerging research fields,” he added.

Dr. Akella thanked AAS leadership for entrusting him with his new role. “I do not take this call to service lightly,” he said, “and I look forward to serving our astrodynamics community to the best of my ability.”

Source: https://astronautical.org/2019/11/13/meet-dr-maruthi-akella-the-new-editor-in-chief-of-the-jas/