Thank You, Editor DiPiro, for Your Enthusiasm and Dedication to AJPE

Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds us that “Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Dr. Joseph T. DiPiro, the sixth Journal Editor who stepped down in May 2014, most certainly embodied Emerson’s philosophy for success in all he has done to advance the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (AJPE) since 2002. The many authors, reviewers, editorial board members, associate editors, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) staff members, and others who have worked with Dr. DiPiro have clearly experienced his enthusiasm, energetic personality, and dedication to the purpose of AJPE in documenting and advancing pharmaceutical education in the United States and internationally. Dr. DiPiro has maintained the tradition of excellence for the Journal that started with the first Editor Rufus A. Lyman in 1937.

With Dr. DiPiro’s dynamic and forward-looking leadership, there were significant advances that have expanded the quality and influence of AJPE in pharmacy education around the globe. The rich history of the Journal is available on the Journal website (http://www.ajpe.org/page/history).¹ Editor DiPiro’s first significant advancement occurred in 2003 when the Journal was transitioned to an online format with free access, and expanded to 6 issues per year. He furthered advanced the Journal to 10 issues per year in 2010. This has enabled more high-quality papers to be published each year, increasing from 54 peer-reviewed research and instructional design and assessment articles published in 2003 (volume 67) to 114 in 2012 (volume 76).^2,3 Over this same time, the total number of manuscripts submitted went from 126 to 391, resulting in a manuscript acceptance rate of 69% to 42%.^2,3 The addition of an international associate editor in 2008 has also enhanced the quality and increased the number of international papers published in the Journal from less than 5 papers in 2003 to over 20 papers in 2013 (excluding Canada). Dr. DiPiro’s leadership resulted in another significant advancement when AJPE was accepted into PubMed, the online version of Index Medicus in 2006, thus increasing its visibility to other educators and researchers. His leadership vision was instrumental in the establishment of special supplements in the Journal starting in 2005 in key theme areas including service learning; community pharmacy; nonprescription medications and self care; evaluation, assessment and outcomes; international pharmacy education; interprofessional education; the AACP Curricular Change Summit; technology in pharmacy practice; educating for safety; patient simulation; experiential education; Charting Accreditation’s Future; and student leadership (the list of these can be found at http://www.ajpe.org/page/theme-issues).⁴ Finally, his efforts in leading the revision and introduction of the new website for the Journal during its 75^th year has enabled easier searching for the wealth of peer-review research and other publications available in the Journal.

Dr. DiPiro was also instrumental in adding an assistant editor in 2002, increasing the Journal Editorial Board to 20 members in 2003, adding associate editors in 2004, and implementing the Editorial Manager manuscript-tracking and peer-review system in 2005. This has resulted in a steady decline in the time from manuscript submission to first decision from 2003 to 2013. Editor DiPiro’s visionary leadership has also been influential in shepherding the efforts of other scholarly publications, providing guidance and standards for authors and reviewers in the areas of survey research and reviewing manuscripts.^5-9 He has been able to recruit outstanding individuals with excellent track records as authors of peer-review publications and manuscript reviewers to the Editorial Board, thus strengthening the expertise available for evaluating manuscripts and establishing higher standards for AJPE. These collective efforts demonstrate Editor DiPiro’s commitment to serving the many authors by providing a fair, timely decision on their manuscript and by working with reviewers with the goal of enhancing the quality of reviews that authors receive back on their manuscripts. He has certainly put all of his energy and dedication into every aspect of the Journal.

Editor DiPiro has worked tirelessly for the academy as demonstrated not only by his efforts for the Journal, but also by publishing over 200 journal papers, book chapters, books, reports, and editorials throughout his distinguished academic career. The Journal and the academy has benefited from all of these faithful and enthusiastic leadership efforts by Dr. DiPiro. Anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Dr. DiPiro knows he is a wonderful, humble mentor, colleague, and friend. He gladly gives of his time in serving pharmacy and pharmacy education in multiple leadership roles (Dean, faculty member, Chair Council of Deans, and Editor, to name just a few), in listening to others or in sharing his wealth of knowledge and expertise with others. He is an excellent role model, showing how one can balance multiple professional responsibilities while at the same time remaining focused on his family and personal health and wellbeing, and always there with a friendly hello and smile. I, like many of you in pharmacy education and beyond, have certainly benefited directly from his mentorship, guidance, and friendship over the years.

Editor DiPiro’s outstanding leadership efforts have provided an excellent foundation for the continued growth and success of the Journal in the years to come. Pharmacy education, practice, and research/scholarship will continue to benefit from his continued passion and enthusiasm working towards what is visionary and great in the future. We sincerely thank you, Joe, for being a wonderful educator, mentor, colleague, and friend, and for showing us how “nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

• © 2014 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy