Our readers will note that there have been changes on our masthead. The most prominent change is the retirement of Dr. Sam Keith as Editor-in-Chief after having served 6 years in that role. Dr. Keith's accomplishments with the Journal have been substantial. One of the outcomes of these efforts on Sam's part was the inclusion of Academic Psychiatry in Index Medicus for the first time, a decision we learned about 2 months after his resignation as Editor-in-Chief.
He instituted a number of new ideas. These included the following:
For me, Sam has been a particularly valued friend, colleague and mentor. One could not ask for more than Sam gave. He shared his wisdom born of over a decade of editing other journals and gave this—still green in the beginning—Deputy Editor all his support in trying out new ideas and approaches. He often allowed me to be the more visible of the two of us, often making it seem as if much for which he deserved the credit was due to my efforts. In the process, he has left a mark within me that will sustain the rest of my career.
I have my own personal difficulty dealing with leave-takings—one does not forgo the wisdom accumulated from 6 years as Editor-in-Chief if one can avoid it—so my (and our readership's) consolation is that Dr. Keith has agreed to serve on the Editorial Board. We will miss his presence and his wisdom and his provocative sense of humor in our weekly conference calls, but we will be sustained by still having that and more at our regular Editorial Board meetings.