Holden Thorp, a chemist and former provost at Washington University in St. Louis, has been
named the next editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals by the Board of Directors of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Thorp, currently the Rita Levi-Montalcini Distinguished University Professor at Washington
University, will become the 21st editor-in-chief of Science since the journal’s inception in 1880
when his term begins on October 28, 2019.
“I’m excited and awed to be the next editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals,” said
Thorp. “This is a critically important time, when we have such pressing challenges in the world,
to demonstrate the wonder of science and to advocate for the ideals of evidence, reproducibility
and scientific reasoning.”
“I am truly delighted we have been able to recruit Holden Thorp as the new editor-in-chief of the
Science family of journals,” said Alan Leshner, interim chief executive officer of AAAS and
executive publisher of Science. “He is a distinguished scientist and administrator with a
remarkable breadth of expertise.”
Thorp will succeed Jeremy Berg, who joined AAAS in July 2016.
Margaret Hamburg, chair of the AAAS Board of Directors and the search committee that
selected Thorp, commended Berg for his steady leadership during a time of expansion and
change at the Science journals. “As Jeremy Berg prepares to return to academic life, I want to
express gratitude for his many contributions, both to Science and to AAAS more broadly,” said
Hamburg, who is also the foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine. “As editor-in-chief, Jeremy was at the helm during a time of critical growth and transformation for the family
of Science journals, providing essential leadership and championing the integrity and high
scientific standards for which Science is renowned.”
Hamburg also praised Thorp. “Holden is a terrific choice for the new editor-in-chief. Among
many impressive attributes, he will bring a keen intellect, a passion for science, strong
communication skills and broad experience as a top-flight research scientist, academic leader,
administrator of scientific organizations and entrepreneur,” she said. “Widely recognized for
inspiring and wise leadership, he is also known for his ability to work across scientific
disciplines, his open, collaborative work style and his integrity and objectivity. At a time when
both the landscapes of science and scientific publishing are changing rapidly, Holden combines
the necessary scientific strength and breadth with a deep expertise and commitment to advancing science and science communication.”
Berg further emphasized how Thorp’s deeply interdisciplinary research experience provides
excellent background for working with the integrative journals at the Science family. “Holden is
a remarkably accomplished scientific and academic leader,” said Berg, noting how Thorp rose
rapidly through the ranks at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
from outstanding chemistry faculty member to dean of the School of Arts and Sciences to
chancellor, then becoming provost of another leading research university, Washington University in St. Louis. “This trajectory reflects Holden’s interest in and aptitude for leadership and the respect he has earned from his colleagues and others. His roles in these positions have provided him with a huge amount of leadership and administrative experience that will serve him and AAAS well as he takes the helm of the Science family of journals.”
Thorp currently holds faculty appointments in both chemistry and medicine, and served as
Washington University’s provost from 2013 until concluding his term in July. During his tenure
as provost, he led the university’s academic enterprise through a period of growth in several key areas, including efforts to increase socioeconomic diversity and changes to the undergraduate admissions process, which led to an academically stronger and more diverse student body. He also was instrumental in furthering the university’s prominence as an institution that drives innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in the St. Louis region.
“While we all will certainly miss Holden’s regular presence here at Washington University, we
are thrilled for him to have been selected for this distinguished position,” said Chancellor
Andrew D. Martin. “Not only is it a terrific honor for him, it also is a wonderful choice for the
scientific community, which will no doubt benefit greatly from his leadership and expertise. I
wish him all the best.”
Founded in 1880 by journalist John Michels and with seed money from Thomas A. Edison,
Science has been the official journal of the nonprofit AAAS since 1900. Encompassing all fields
of science and engineering, through peer-reviewed research articles as well as award-winning
news reports, breakthroughs debuting in Science have ranged from wireless telegraphy and new chemical elements, to the sequencing of the human genome.
“I am delighted that AAAS has chosen Holden Thorp as editor-in-chief of the Science family of
journals,” said Barbara A. Schaal, dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences and the Mary-Dell
Chilton Distinguished Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, and a former
president of AAAS. “As editor-in-chief, he will be one of the most significant voices in the
global conversation about research and scientific discovery. Championing the value of science
has never been more important, and I look forward to following along as he takes on this vital
work.”
Prior to joining Washington University, Thorp spent three decades at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served as its 10th chancellor from 2008 through 2013. A native of the state, he started at the University of North Carolina as an undergraduate student and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with highest honors in 1986. He earned a doctorate in chemistry in 1989 at the California Institute of Technology and completed postdoctoral work at Yale University. He holds an honorary doctor of laws degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College and is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Over the years, Thorp’s research focus has spanned a wide range, from physical inorganic
chemistry in his earliest days to efforts in drug development in later years. Thorp is also an avid musician, playing both bass guitar and classical piano, including at Washington University student theater and musical performances. “Music theory and science are very similar in that you have a set of rules, and within those rules, you make music and also think about where you can push the rules—and revise them,” Thorp said. “The history of the evolution of music and the evolution of science are very similar in that way.”
The journal Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed, general science journal in the world. The Science family of journals includes Science, Science Translational Medicine, Science Signaling, Science Robotics, Science Immunology, and the open-access journal Science Advances.
As editors-in-chief before him, Thorp will be focused on efforts to increase the reproducibility of
scientific research and to ensure that researchers around the world who have transformational
pieces of science know that the Science family of journals is a potential home.
Thorp will oversee both the journal’s staff of Ph.D.-level editors and Science’s award-winning
team of science journalists. Science’s editors and news reporters work in Washington, D.C.,
Cambridge, U.K., and other locations worldwide, from China and Japan to Europe and Africa.
Science has had 20 editors-in-chief to date, including Jeremy Berg (2016-2019), Marcia McNutt
(2013-2016), Bruce Alberts (2008-2013), Donald Kennedy (2000-2008), Floyd E. Bloom (1995-
2000), Daniel E. Koshland Jr. (1985-1995), and Philip Hauge Abelson (1962-1984).
* * *
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement and more.