14th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference

2024 Conference Schedule

Thursday, October 10, 2024

9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST

Hybrid Format—In-Person and Online Presenters and Attendees

GW City View Room, Foggy Bottom Campus

Elliott School of International Affairs

1957 E Street NW Washington, DC 20052

Friday, October 11, 2024

11:00 am to 4:00 pm EST

Virtual: Online Presenters and Attendees

Hosted by the Graduate Program in Publishing at the George Washington University

Conference co-organizers:

Puja Telikicherla, Licensing and Subsidiary Rights Manager, American Psychiatric Association; Adjunct faculty, Publishing, George Washington University

John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Publishing, George Washington University

Conference Assistant: Taylor Dent, MPS in Publishing student, George Washington University

Schedule subject to change; all times listed EST

ABBREVIATED SCHEDULE (see full schedule with bios and abstracts below)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024 (hybrid) | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

GW City View Room, Foggy Bottom Campus

Elliott School of International Affairs

1957 E Street NW Washington, DC 20052

John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Publishing, George Washington University

9:15 am – In Other Words: Addressing Language and Multilingualism

Says Who?: Language Discrimination in Academic Publishing

Stella Sanchez, MPS in Publishing graduate, George Washington University; Assistant Managing Editor, Aerospace Medical Association

Networks and Collaborative Alliances Towards Latin America

Edgar García-Valencia, Veracruzana University

Does the Editor Need to be a Translator to Offer Quality Multilingual Content?

Laura Rodríguez Mejía, Independent Editor, Proofreader and Translator

10:30 am – Advancing Editorial Equity in Scholarly Publishing

Moderated by Jennifer Regala, Associate Director, Publishing, Wolters Kluwer Health

Diversity in OA Publishing: What Does the Data Tell Us?

Casey Pickering, Director, Product Marketing, CCC

From Bias to Integrity: Fostering Equitable Science through Author Submission Guides and Policies

Steph Pollock, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lead, American Psychological Association

Mia Ricci, Director of Publications Operations, American Geophysical Union

Cindy B. Veldhuis, PhD, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University

Increasing Diversity of Editorial Boards: A Literature Review and Case Study Analysis

Tammy Brodie, Editorial and Peer Review Coordinator, The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Elizabeth Brown, Editorial Coordinator, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

12:00 pm – Lunch

1:15 pm – Afternoon Welcome Remarks

Liesl Riddle, Ph.D., Dean, College of Professional Studies, George Washington University

1:30 pm – AI and Responsible Publishing

The Rights-Ethics Relationship in the Era of AI

Simone Taylor, Chief, Publishing, American Psychiatric Association

One Step Ahead: Proactive Versus Reactive Approaches to Avoiding Research Integrity Issues

Anna Jester, Director, Business Development, Wiley Partner Solutions

Jennifer Workman, Senior Business Development Manager, Wiley Partner Solutions

The Integrity Algorithm

Christopher Kenneally

2:30 pm – break

3:00 pm – From the Editor's Desk

How to Not Get Exploited as a Freelance Academic Editor

Bailey Harrington, freelance editor; part-time staff editor, Washington State University

Protecting Their Innocence: Modifying Mature Content for Young Readers

Amy Hall, Amethyst Harbor, Inc.

Authenticity as Ethos: Why Diversity Alone Won’t Build Integrity in Publishing

Liliann Albelbaisi, Publicity Representative, Stirred Stories

Kelsea Johnson, Co-Founder, Stirred Stories

Redefining the Future of Peer Review: Black Stripe’s Community-Centered Practices and Their Impact on Open Access and Diverse Submissions

Mikayla Lee, MPS Publishing student, George Washington University

4:30 pm – Closing Remarks – Day 1

5:30 pm - In-person Social Hour

FRIDAY, October 11, 2024 (online only) | 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

11:00 am – Opening Remarks

11:15 am – Rethinking Peer Review

Moderated by Josephine E. Sciortino, Editorial Director, Canadian Science Publishing

Openness and the Ethics of Peer Engagement

Rebecca Kennison, Digital Content Editor, Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

AI in the Academic Context: Intellectual Property, Peer-reviewing and Editors' challenges

Marco Giraldo Barreto, Editor in Chief, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano

12:30 pm – Collaborative Publishing

Advancing HBCU Scholarship, Diversifying Digital Publishing

Sara Jo Cohen, Editorial Director, University of Michigan Press

Diona E. Layden, Special Collections Librarian, Fisk University

La Tanya L. Reese Rogers, Associate Professor of Literature and Drama, Fisk University

Adventures in Digital Publishing: Opportunities, Challenges, Looking Ahead

Ana Maria Jimenez-Moreno, Acquisitions Editor, The Ohio State University Press

Allison Levy, Director, Brown University Digital Publications

Mae Velloso-Lyons, Associate Director, Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Emory University

Why Publishers Should Invest in Libraries to Cultivate Lifelong Readers

2:00 pm – break

Haley Baker, Cady Hockman, and Mikayla Lee, Student Committee Leads, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing

2:30 pm – Building an Inclusive Scholarly Publishing Workforce

Building an Inclusive Scholarly Publishing Workforce: What we are learning from the Workplace Equity Survey

Maribel Gomez, MPS in Publishing Graduate, George Washington University, Publishing Inventory Associate, CCC

Camille Lemieux, Manager, Data Projects, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Springer Nature

Paige Wooden, Director of Publications, American Geophysical Union (AGU)

From Funding to Publication: The Impact of the Geopolitical Landscape on Scholarly Communication

Andrew Bostjancic, Senior Manager Policy and External Affairs, Taylor & Francis Group

Ginny Herbert, Associate Publisher, Researcher Engagement and Experience, AIP Publishing

4:00 pm – Closing Remarks

FULL SCHEDULE: session abstracts and bios

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024 (hybrid) | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

GW City View Room, Foggy Bottom Campus

Elliott School of International Affairs

1957 E Street NW Washington, DC 20052

And virtual

9:00 am – Welcome and Opening Remarks

John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Publishing, George Washington University

9:15 am – In Other Words: Addressing Language and Multilingualism

Says Who?: Language Discrimination in Academic Publishing

Stella Sanchez, MPS in Publishing graduate, George Washington University; Assistant Managing Editor, Aerospace Medical Association

This presentation discusses evidence of linguistic discrimination—defined as being mistreated or devalued based on language use—in English-language academic publishing and explores how it might be subverted by changes in editing policies and business practices. Among professional linguists, there is a relatively firm consensus that claiming the superiority of one language, or one form within a single language, over others is both fallacious and damaging. However, author instructions and peer review guidelines frequently reference the use of “standard” English as a professional expectation, reinforcing tangible barriers against non-native English speakers. The author recommends a utilitarian approach to reducing the effects of linguistic discrimination in the scholarly publishing community and suggests a new lens through which to view the future of editing in the international scholarly publishing space.

Stella Sanchez, B.A., M.P.S., currently serves as the Assistant Managing Editor of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, an English-language research journal with an international readership, published by the Aerospace Medical Association. She holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Journalism, with a minor in Cognitive Science, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Recently, she graduated from the Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program at The George Washington University.

Networks and Collaborative Alliances towards Latin America

Edgar García-Valencia, Veracruzana University

After considerable discussion in the past four years about “nearshoring”—relocating business operations to a nearby country in a response to offshoring—is it possible to establish publishing alliances, and not only with publishers, but also with printers and other partners, to establish closer or more specific collaborations? Partnerships in print-on-demand and with bookstores are avenues that are being explored in Latin America and have the potential to work for content in all languages. Going beyond exports of US books from the U.S. to Latin America, how do we frame the potential for Latin American books in the U.S., where a sizable market for Spanish-language books exists? This presentation examines the potential, and the challenges, for increased distribution and collaboration.

Edgar García-Valencia, Veracruzana University, was previously director of two of Mexico's largest and oldest university presses, the Centre for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS) and Veracruzana University Press, from 2004-2021. Additionally, he co-founded and coordinated Altexto, the Mexican Association of University Presses. He works at Universidad Veracruzana, focusing on image, culture, and publishing practices, both past and present. He also consults on digital publishing for various institutions in Latin America.

Does the Editor Need to be a Translator to Offer Quality Multilingual Content?

Laura Rodríguez Mejía, Independent Editor, Proofreader and Translator

Although a larger number of journals publish in at least two languages (the article’s original language and English), it is less common to see publications that offer three or four languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French and English, for example, and even less common to include indigenous or other regional languages. To accomplish multilingualism in publishing, greater cooperation is needed: a single publisher cannot afford to provide its content in more than two languages, sometimes it can barely manage to publish in two. Cooperation, however, needs to be supported with resources (including economic resources) to support the work of translators, proofreaders, and reviewers. This includes an often-overlooked resource: translation sensitivity, the ability to identify the need to distance from literal translation to offer a text that is truly faithful to the original content.

Laura Rodríguez Mejía is an independent editor, proofreader and translator. She has a degree in Modern Languages and another one in Literary Studies from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. She currently works as a Professional of Periodicals in Ediciones Unisalle where she oversees the standardization of editorial processes, the review of different textual typologies, and translations and content in English and Spanish.

10:30 am – Advancing Editorial Equity in Scholarly Publishing

Moderated by Jennifer Regala, Associate Director, Publishing, Wolters Kluwer Health

Jennifer Regala is Associate Director, Publishing, at Wolters Kluwer Health, where she works with award-winning news magazine publications, including Oncology Times and Emergency Medicine News. Jennifer has worked in scholarly publishing for 20+ years, most recently as the Director of Publications/Executive Editor at the American Urological Association. Jennifer's personal motto is: ""It's free to be nice and to comb your hair

From Bias to Integrity: Fostering Equitable Science through Author Submission Guides and Policies

Steph Pollock, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lead, American Psychological Association

Mia Ricci, Director of Publications Operations, American Geophysical Union

Cindy B. Veldhuis, PhD, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University

In the pursuit of scientific excellence, fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is paramount. This conference session explores how inclusive author submission guides and policies can enhance scientific integrity while promoting a more equitable research landscape. Attendees will engage with three sets of standards addressing critical aspects of EDI:

• Global Collaboration and Indigenous Sovereignty: Best practices for collaborative research across borders and emphasizing respect for Indigenous knowledge and sovereignty.
• Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Research: Support and assistance to those who conduct research on sexual orientation and gender diversity (SOGD) to ensure the 2SLGBTQIA+ community’s needs are at the forefront of research.
• Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Scientific Manuscripts: Acknowledging the importance of ensuring an inclusive and fully representative scientific process, we explore effective ways to address race, ethnicity, and culture in scientific writing.

Stephanie (Steph) Pollock, MPS (she/her) is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lead for the American Psychological Association’s Journals Program. In this role, she directs EDI initiatives for APA’s 89 journals, working with staff, editors, and governance—as well as external groups—to promote equity and improve representation in science and scholarly publishing. With more than 12 years in the publishing industry, Steph also holds a MPS in Publishing from GW and is a Co-Chair for the Society of Scholarly Publishing’s DEIA Committee. Steph identifies as a white cisgender woman who was born in and lives in the eastern United States; she is committed to using her platforms and the power she inherits from these identities to pursue a more equitable and inclusive industry.

Mia Ricci is the Director of Publications Operations at the American Geophysical Union where she oversees AGU’s 24 scientific journals and the ESS Open Archive, AGU’s preprint and community server. Mia has over 16 years of experience in scholarly publishing and is committed to driving positive change. She also leads the DEIA efforts for AGU’s publications, is a member of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) Board of Directors, and currently serves in committees for the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communication (C4DISC), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), and the Joint Commitment for Action on Inclusion and Diversity in Publishing. She is a member of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences (AAPIiG) and was the co-founder of Wiley’s Asian and Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group.

Dr. Cindy Veldhuis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences and in the Institute of Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing at Northwestern University. She received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed her master’s (Cognitive Psychology) and bachelors (double major: Theater and Psychology) at the University of Oregon. Her research focuses on LGBTQIA+ women’s relationships, health, and health behaviors as well as violence, trauma, mental health, and the impacts of sociopolitical events on wellbeing. She serves as co-chair of the Science Committee of the American Psychological Association’s Division 44 (the Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity) and is corresponding author for the committee’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Research Manuscript Writing Guide.

Increasing Diversity of Editorial Boards: A Literature Review and Case Study Analysis

Tammy Brodie, Editorial and Peer Review Coordinator, The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Elizabeth Brown, Editorial Coordinator, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

Initiatives to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become paramount to the growth and success of scientific journals. This session will explore DEI in scholarly publishing, presenting our research concerning the diversity of various journal editorial boards through a literature review and two case studies. We’ll discuss common factor(s) of diversity and methodologies from a variety of discipline-specific journals, and report on our case studies comparing the current diversity of the two editorial boards, which agreed to be used as case studies for this presentation. We’ll discuss learning outcomes from our research and propose potential next steps that scientific journals and the wider scholarly publishing field can take to spur widespread diversification of editorial boards.

Tammy Brodie graduated with an M.A. in publishing from Emerson College in 2022, with her thesis focusing on West African Publishing and digital accessibility. She has been involved in scholarly communications for the past four years and currently works as an Editorial and Peer Review Coordinator for the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). In 2024, she was awarded the Society for Scholarly Publishing Early Career Fellowship. Her interests in scholarly communications include open access, DEI, and accessibility and distribution. She also serves as a board member for the environmental organization, Salem Sound Coastwatch. Tammy lives in Beverly, MA where she can be found running on the beach and traveling with her camera.

Ellie Brown is from Boston, MA and currently resides in Washington, DC. She graduated with a B.A. in History from McGill University in June 2021 shortly before beginning her career in scholarly publishing at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). During her tenure at the journal, Ellie has been an active member of PNAS’s Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and was honored with the 2022 Rookie Award in recognition of her commitment to improving journal processes and outcomes. Ellie currently serves on SSP’s Career Development Committee as part of her SSP Early-Career Fellowship. In her free time, Ellie enjoys reading cozy historical mysteries, practicing yoga, and embarking on new cross-stitch projects.

12:00 pm – Lunch

1:15 pm – Afternoon Welcome Remarks

Liesl Riddle, Ph.D., Dean, College of Professional Studies, George Washington University

1:30 pm – AI and Responsible Publishing

Wendy Queen is Director, Project MUSE, which is a division of Johns Hopkins University Press. MUSE is a leading provider of digital humanities and social science content for the scholarly community around the world. Currently, Project MUSE hosts more than 800 journals and over 100,000 books from some 400 leading university presses, scholarly societies, and related publishers. Wendy serves on numerous boards and committees including AUPresses and Hopkins Scholarly Communications Committee.

The Rights-Ethics Relationship in the Era of AI

Simone Taylor, Chief, Publishing, American Psychiatric Association

Does technology, and the potentially transformative change it supports, demand a review of copyright and other traditional intellectual property (IP) rights that are exclusively granted to creators to govern how their content is used? This session will deliver an in-depth examination of this important question, the increasingly essential role of traditional principles in the rapidly changing world of AI, and marketplace developments that enable copyrighted content to be used in AI systems in a manner that is responsible, ethical, and respectful of the rights of creators and rightsholders. It will also explore the value of licensing diversification as a vehicle for fairness, accessibility, and trustworthiness.

Simone Taylor is Chief, Publishing, American Psychiatric Association. From a background in scientific research, Simone started her publishing career at Elsevier, and via the National Physical Laboratory, Wiley, and AIP Publishing, has developed considerable international experience in leading adaptive and transformational change. Simone has a passion for helping authors maintain an archivable record of their work in the scientific literature and is a keen advocate for improving global accessibility to published works. She has served on cross-industry groups for implementing data citation principles and for standardizing data policy, and works to deliver more equitable outcomes in compensation and career advancement for marginalized groups in the workforce.

One Step Ahead: Proactive Versus Reactive Approaches to Avoiding Research Integrity Issues

Anna Jester, Director, Business Development, Wiley Partner Solutions

Jennifer Workman, Senior Business Development Manager, Wiley Partner Solutions

Research Integrity concerns have increased in recent years as issues like papermills, image manipulation, and AI technology have caused major ethical concerns for the publishing process. Managing the peer review process has become more complex and challenging as journals struggle to respond to Research Integrity challenges and work to prevent them from impacting the publication process. It is easy to approach Research Integrity from a reactive standpoint; responding to issues as problems arise versus actively finding ways to prevent issues and understand journal trends. This session will explore the ways journal policies, workflow management changes, and data analysis journals can support journals in managing Research Integrity issues. We will explore ways that journals can proactively understand patterns and prepare before problems arise.

Anna Jester works in Business Development at Wiley Partner Solutions. She frequently finds herself discussing preprints, manuscript submission and peer review, and editorial services, as well as gastronomic pursuits, Salukis, and travel. Find her if you are looking for dialogue about functionality and workflows, want a demonstration or presentation relating to the previously mentioned topics, or will be attending scholarly publishing industry meetings. Anna volunteers on the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) Membership Committee, on the Science Editor Editorial Board, and is a Past President of the Council of Science Editors (CSE). She previously served on the International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE) Annual Meeting Planning Committee and the NISO Working Group for Peer Review Terminology. Her favorite standard is currently ANSI/NISO Z39.106-2023.

Jennifer Workman collaborates with societies, publishers, and editorial offices to customize solutions that improve publication workflows, promote growth, and help organizations deliver on their strategic goals. She earned an MBA with an Emphasis in Marketing from the University of West Alabama and has worked in the scholarly publishing industry for 10 years. Prior to her current role at Wiley, Jennifer worked at J&J Editorial both as a Managing Editor on several titles, and Senior Manager of a large editorial support team. Outside of the office, Jennifer is a devoted foodie and enjoys the serenity of outdoor adventures, particularly hiking.

The Integrity Algorithm

Christopher Kenneally

For conference attendees and their organizations, AI constitutes an existential dilemma to academic and scholarly publishing. Indeed, “talking” chatbots and generative AI technology present an unprecedented challenge to trust and confidence in all types of published information. A decisive response to this misinformation crisis can be a vigorous reaffirmation of “the integrity algorithm.” Under pressure from the research community and the public, publishers must soon turn to self-regulation for various uses of AI. They will seek models with histories of self-examination and time-honored adherence to high principles. Attendees will learn why the integrity algorithm that guides decision-making in scientific and scholarly journal publishing — constructed of a code of conduct, not computer code — has much to offer as a prototype.

Christopher Kenneally developed a wide range of in-person and online programs on issues facing scholarly publishing and the research community for Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), from 2001 to 2024. In 2006, he created CCC’s award-winning podcast series, Velocity of Content. As a freelance journalist, Christopher Kenneally reported for the New York Times and Boston Globe, among many other publications as well as for WBUR-FM (Boston), National Public Radio, and WGBH-TV (PBS-Boston). He contributes opinion columns regularly to the Boston Business Journal. Kenneally is author of “Massachusetts 101” (Applewood Books), a history of the state “from Redcoats to Red Sox.”

2:30 pm – break

3:00 pm – From the Editor's Desk

How to Not Get Exploited as a Freelance Academic Editor

Bailey Harrington, freelance editor; part-time staff editor, Washington State University

Many academics work with an academic editor to prepare their work for publication. They may hire an editor directly or use an agency that specializes in English-language editing for academic texts. Journals may require the use of an editor and often provide authors with information on these agencies; occasionally, journals even have direct relationships with one or more of them. This presentation will include real-life examples of rates from my own work for agencies, as an editor in a university writing center, and with freelance academic clients, as well as examples of exploitative procedures and rates, to help editors protect themselves and be compensated fairly for their work

Bailey Harrington has worked as a freelance academic editor since 2015; in 2022, she left academia to focus on editing. In 2023, she joined Washington State University’s Writing Center as a staff editor and began freelancing for trade publishers, including Macmillan. Bailey holds a PhD in Genetics and Molecular Medicine from the University of Edinburgh. Most of her academic editing work is in the areas of genetics, biology, and medicine, although she also edits for clients in other fields writing in English as a foreign language. Bailey is active in the freelance editing community, serving as the Programming & Events Coordinator and Book Club Co-Chair for the Academic Editing Chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association. At this moment, she is probably reading.

Protecting Their Innocence: Modifying Mature Content for Young Readers

Amy Hall, Amethyst Harbor, Inc.

To what extent should kids be shielded from difficult subject matter? Major publishers frequently print young readers’ versions of nonfiction books dealing with mature themes. It’s a balancing act to share this information in a way that captures the essence of the original material in an age-appropriate way. Using examples from my own experiences indexing books dealing with the #MeToo movement, two violent episodes in world history, and forensic science investigations, I evaluate the best ways to handle sensitive material. Today’s young readers may be more sophisticated than ever, but they don’t necessarily need to be exposed to graphic descriptions of events or vulgar language to gain an understanding of contemporary issues. By using simpler, nonspecific phrases, the author’s words can be studied in a less traumatic way.

Amy Hall is a professional book indexer with specialties in the areas of cookbooks, communications, criminal justice, and wellness issues. She holds a BS degree in Advertising from San Jose State University and a Certificate in Basic Indexing from the USDA. Amy has been a member of the American Society for Indexing since 2006 and was elected to ASI’s Board of Directors in 2022.

Authenticity as Ethos: Why Diversity Alone Won’t Build Integrity in Publishing

Liliann Albelbaisi, Publicity Representative, Stirred Stories

Kelsea Johnson, Co-Founder, Stirred Stories

In this presentation, we will make the case that the publishing industry’s diversity problem is rooted in its systemic superficiality. We will contextualize this startling reality within industry DEI priorities and data over the last ten years and present the Stirred Stories method as an alternative to inequitable norms. We will examine publishing DEI growth 2015 to date at the author, editorial, and executive levels, and discuss the Stirred Stories approach to equity in our publishing practices, profit-sharing model, and approach to equity in the workplace, building a seventy-five percent BIPOC team and publishing house that’s majority owned by women of color.

Kelsea Johnson is the co-founder of indie publishing house Stirred Stories, which has been recognized by the Children’s Book Council, Reading is Fundamental, and the Washington Post for its diverse collection of books and refreshing approach to publishing. Prior to Stirred Stories, Kelsea worked as a communications and advocacy professional for marginalized communities at local and national levels. A native and current resident of Washington, DC, Kelsea is committed to using storytelling as a tool for positive social change.

Liliann Albelbaisi works as the Publicity Representative at Stirred Stories. Liliann graduated in May 2023 with her MPS in Publishing from George Washington’s College of Professional Studies. Throughout her career, she has worked with a wide range of publications including local magazines, children’s publishers, and public policy periodicals. Liliann believes that an effective storyteller will be able to pass along some of the most important morals, no matter the kind of story.

Redefining the Future of Peer Review: Black Stripe’s Community-Centered Practices and Their Impact on Open Access and Diverse Submissions

Mikayla Lee, MPS Publishing student, George Washington University

This presentation will start by discussing the ethical responsibilities of scholarly journals in promoting and fairly representing marginalized voices. I will go on to examine how community-centered peer review practices can support the publication of work by Black and LGBTQ+ scholars, based on Black Stripe’s philanthropic grant funding approach. Finally, I will explore practical strategies for making scholarly and literary content by Black and LGBTQ+ scholars accessible to diverse audiences while also building a sustainable model, drawing from Black Stripe’s collaboration with the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing and other open access industry trends.

Mikayla Lee is a former high school English teacher who is in their final year of the MPS Publishing program at George Washington University. She is also the E-Publishing Lead for the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing. Mikayla specializes in ethics, digital publishing, and user experience design and has a passion for evaluating diverse voices in modern multimedia with the goal of making the publishing industry more accessible and representative of Black, queer, and female-identifying populations.

4:30 pm – Closing Remarks – Day 1

5:30 pm - In-person Social Hour

Friday October 11, 2024 (online only) | 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

11:00 am – Opening Remarks

11:15 am – Rethinking Peer Review

Josephine E. Sciortino is Editorial Director at Canadian Science Publishing, where she manages a team of journal development specialists in the Life & Agricultural Sciences portfolio. She has also taught at GWU - a course called The Professional Editor. She has worked in scholarly publishing for over 20 years with various biomedical societies in the management of their specialty journals, including the Canadian Urological Association Journal (as the inaugural managing editor) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal. She is an active volunteer at her local library and literacy group in Montreal, Canada, where she lives with her husband and 2 daughters.

Openness and the Ethics of Peer Engagement

Rebecca Kennison, Digital Content Editor, Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Scholarly communication values the open exchange of ideas, apart from traditional peer review. Peer engagement happens throughout the research process, both before and after publication, through interactions among colleagues, lab members, and the scholarly community. I advocate for a more open and transparent review process, one that enables not only open dialog between author(s) and reviewer(s) but that also ensures that thoughtful and substantive reviews are properly recognized and rewarded. The traditional role of peer review, designed to limit the number of pieces published, should evolve into that of peer engagement, viewing peer review as collaboration rather than gatekeeping. Reviews that improve the quality of a work and thus help to advance the field should be considered as contributions to existing scholarship, rather than merely service to the community.

Rebecca Kennison is the Digital Content Editor at the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), responsible for delivering consistent and comprehensive digital content to the CUIMC community by leveraging the Health Sciences Library's expertise and technology. Past roles include that of executive director of the not-for-profit K|N Consultants and founding director of the Center for Digital Research and Scholarship, a division of the Columbia University Libraries, where she was responsible for developing programs to facilitate scholarly research and the communication of that research through technology solutions. Rebecca has worked primarily in the academic publishing industry, including production leadership roles at Cell Press, Blackwell Publishing (now Wiley), and the open-access publisher Public Library of Science (PLOS).

AI in the Academic Context: Intellectual Property, Peer-reviewing and Editors' challenges

Marco Giraldo Barreto, Editor in Chief, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano

AIs are evolving at the speed of light, but little has been said about what the role of these new tools represent to academic research and what this irruption has meant to intellectual property, peer reviewing and, how we trust knowledge-building. By demonstrating examples of how ChatGPT works for specific cases on research, attendees will learn about challenges related to AI for academic research, and what steps editors should take to protect intellectual property, enhance peer-reviewing, and make the best out of these tools instead of fighting against them.

Marco Giraldo Barreto (he/his/him) is Editor in Chief, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano. He has a BA in Modern Languages (Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia), Specialist in Intellectual Property Law (Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Bogotá, Colombia), and MA in Cultural Management and Production (Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia). He has worked with institutions such as Editorial Norma, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad Santo Tomás and Cinemateca de Bogotá. He is also Executive Director of Asociación de Editoriales Universitarias de Colombia (ASEUC), the Association of Colombian University Presses.

12:30 pm – Collaborative Publishing

Advancing HBCU Scholarship, Diversifying Digital Publishing

Sara Jo Cohen, Editorial Director, University of Michigan Press

Diona E. Layden, Special Collections Librarian, Fisk University

La Tanya L. Reese Rogers, Associate Professor of Literature and Drama, Fisk University

Publishing entities across humanities centers, libraries, and university presses are experimenting with new scholarly forms and collaborations that bring together diverse expertise to support open and innovative humanistic scholarship. This session offers a case study of a community-based collaboration focused on experimentation with new forms in the digital publishing environment. “Advancing HBCU Scholarship, Diversifying Digital Publishing” is a collaboration among the HBCU Library Alliance, Brown University Digital Publications (BUDP), and the University of Michigan Press (UMP) to build capacity for developing enhanced digital monographs. Librarians at three HBCUs, mentored by BUDP and UMP, will obtain the necessary skill set to support a member of their faculty in authoring a born-digital publication. The resulting works will be published via an open access publishing model that disseminates the digital publications to the broadest possible audience for the greatest possible impact. The participants will discuss this collaboration’s impact on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts within the digital publishing landscape, as well as their approach to collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Sara Jo Cohen is Editorial Director at University of Michigan Press, where she handles acquisitions in theater and performance studies, music, dance, and American studies.

Diona E. Layden is the Special Collections Librarian at Fisk University. She is an Alumna of Spelman College and The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and has worked in Special Collections since 2022.

La Tanya L. Reese Rogers is an Associate Professor of Literature and Drama, and director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Honors Program at Fisk University. She holds a doctorate degree in literature and drama from Howard University and two bachelor’s degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, where she held a Mellon Mays Fellowship. Dr. Rogers is a co-founder of the Edward Alexander Bouchét National Graduate Honor Society, which has chapters at Yale, Stanford, and other prominent universities across the nation. She has published on subjects ranging from contemporary playwrights in the United States to economic racism in Brazil. Her most recent article appears in the Black Theatre Review. She is currently participating in the Mellon-funded Afro PWW2 Program.

Launched in 2020 to celebrate, document, and encourage new innovations in the publication of digital humanistic scholarship, Adventures in Digital Publishing has completed five episodes. This panel will give a broad overview of the genesis of the Emory, Brown, and AUPresses partnership, what they have learned about the challenges and opportunities in these collaborations, and what trends they see ahead for this genre of scholarly work and how it has impacted the scholarly ecosystem. The series has brought to light the many kinds of relationships forged and tested by publishing born-digital projects and it has also showcased the wide range of forms engaged and responsible scholarship can take, such as multimodal/multimedia, album, podcast, etc. Finally, the panelists will turn to the impact these publications have made in the field, for academic publishing, in the careers of the scholars who participated, and what they anticipate will be the conversation moving forward.

Ana Maria Jimenez-Moreno is Acquisitions Editor at The Ohio State University Press. She oversees the literary and cultural studies lists ranging from Classics to contemporary Black Performance. She served as a committee member and then chair of AUPresses’ Library Relations Committee.

Mae Velloso-Lyons is Associate Director of the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University. She coordinates the Mellon-funded Digital Publishing in the Humanities initiative, which supports the development of digital and open access monographs by faculty at Emory and partner institutions in metro-Atlanta. Prior to joining Emory, Velloso-Lyons managed digital humanities research and training programs at Stanford University’s Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis. She received her PhD in Comparative Literature in 2022.

Why Publishers Should Invest in Libraries to Cultivate Lifelong Readers

Rachel Kahn, MPS, George Washington University; Co-founder, Words for Libraries

Leo Postovoit; Co-founder, Words for Libraries

Libraries face unprecedented challenges today, from budget cuts and book bans to community mental health crises. In this landscape, publishers have a unique ethical responsibility and opportunity to strengthen libraries and cultivate a vibrant community of engaged readers. This presentation will explore how publishers can make a lasting impact through advocacy efforts that combat book bans and secure necessary funding; sponsored programs, author events, and initiatives that create lifelong readers; and underwriting comfortable reading spaces, learning labs, and technology access for all community members. This research will delve into a survey of California libraries and highlight successful sponsored efforts, providing a roadmap for publishers to identify and address the most pressing needs.

Rachel Kahn is a 2024 MPS in Publishing graduate, George Washington University, with the current goal to work with children’s literature and libraries to inspire the next generation of readers to love books as much as she does. She is co-founder, with Leo Postovoit, of the Words for Libraries project. Over the past decade, she has worked in many roles around retail—covering visual merchandising and marketing to management and logistics, including 7 years at the Disneyland Resort. Her publishing efforts thus far include work with The Odyssey, Red Hen Press, and Take 3 Presents. Beyond her passions around literature, literacy, and libraries, Rachel is passionate about improving the lives of the dogs (and their human “pawrents”) of her corner of Southern California.

Leo Postovoit is co-founder of the Words for Libraries projectis, a lover of libraries, and seasoned media professional with roles spanning design, marketing, and software engineering. His 15 years of agency, in-house, and freelance work has touched many organizations, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Lowrider Magazine, and Google. With recent certifications in AI, cybersecurity, and marketing, Leo’s main priorities today focus on product management—where he helps organizations champion the user against the always-changing media landscape. Leo published his first book as a senior in high school and is a graduate of San Jose State University’s journalism and anthropology programs.

2:30 pm – Building an Inclusive Scholarly Publishing Workforce

Building an Inclusive Scholarly Publishing Workforce: What we are learning from the Workplace Equity Survey

Maribel Gomez, MPS in Publishing Graduate, George Washington University, Publishing Inventory Associate, CCC

Camille Lemieux, Manager, Data Projects, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Springer Nature

Paige Wooden, Director of Publications, American Geophysical Union (AGU)

This presentation will highlight top-line findings from the C4DISC Workplace Equity Survey 2023 and discuss the lived experience of inclusivity in our industry and organizations. Building on discussions at the Council of Science Editors, Society for Scholarly Publishing, and ISMTE, we want to inspire individuals to take actions in their daily work. Benefiting from the lived experience of the presenters, we will also explore pathways to create career opportunities and the role of mentorship to advance careers for everyone. Results from the 2023 global workplace equity survey indicate most respondents are satisfied with their jobs in scholarly publishing. Compared to results from the 2018 benchmark survey, there have been gains in awareness of employer commitments to equitable opportunities in scholarly publishing. Yet, there are differences in perspective of how well employers’ words translate into action.

Maribel Gomez is a dedicated professional with a MPS in Publishing from The George Washington University. Drawing on a decade of experience in education, she is passionate about advancing underrepresented voices and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Maribel specializes in intellectual property and copyright clearances, striving to excel through a blend of rigorous academic study and hands-on experience. Currently, she works as a Publishing Inventory Associate at the Copyright Clearance Center, where she makes contributions to the scholarly publishing sector. As a recent SSP Fellowship winner, Maribel had the opportunity to conduct research on "Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Open Access: Insights in Latin America," exploring critical issues related to inclusivity and equitable access in Latin American countries. Additionally, Maribel is involved with the STM Committee, SSP DEI, and The Scholarly Kitchen Cabinet, further demonstrating her commitment to the field.

Camille Lemieux leads data projects as a Manager of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Springer Nature. Leveraging her specializations in program evaluation and data-driven decision-making, she helps teams track progress on their DEI goals. In this role she also leads the company's annual DEI employee survey, which helps senior leaders use feedback from thousands of employees to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture. She holds a master's degree in learning sciences from the University of Iowa. Camille was recognized by SSP with a 2024 Emerging Leader Award.

Paige Wooden serves as Director of Publications at the American Geophysical Union (AGU). She oversees the department budget management process, editor relations, and department - and enterprise-wide data projects and strategy. Paige has held positions in the AGU Publications Department over 16 years, including peer review management. She holds a Master of English Literature from University of Maryland, College Park and a BA in English from University of California, Berkeley. Paige is an avid cyclist and runner.

4:00 pm – Closing Remarks

John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Publishing, George Washington University

Conference Co-Organizers

Puja Telikicherla is the Licensing & Subsidiary Rights Manager for American Psychiatric Association Publishing, and a part-time professor in the GW Graduate Program in Publishing. She has over two decades of experience in scholarly publishing, with primary responsibilities in digital and print content licensing, rights management, and intellectual property at Georgetown University Press, University of Washington Press, Dorling Kindersley/Penguin, NYU Press, and the Brookings Institution Press. She attends the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and various national publishing meetings throughout the year. She has contributed to events offered by the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), and the Association of University Presses (AUPresses), where she served as Chair of the Intellectual Property & Copyright Committee. She holds two degrees from NYU and is a D.C. area native.

John W. Warren is Director and Associate Professor, Graduate Program in Publishing, College of Professional Studies, at The George Washington University. He launched and directed the George Mason University Press; and was Marketing & Sales Director, Georgetown University Press; Director of Marketing, Publications, RAND Corporation; and Marketing Manager at Sage Publications and Fondo de Cultura Económica. He has a master’s degree in international management from the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, a frequent speaker at international publishing conferences, and author of several articles about the evolution of eBooks. He is a classical guitarist and composer, and a contributor to Classical Guitar and Acoustic Guitar magazines. He is founder and publisher of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, co-organizer of the GW Ethics in Publishing Conference, and founder and co-organizer of the Student Journal Symposium for Literary and Research Publications.

Conference Assistant

Taylor Dent is the Department Administrator for the English Department at The George Washington University, a role she has held for the past two years. Taylor is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Publishing from the College of Professional Studies, which she began in Summer 2024. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Ceramics from Marymount University, reflecting her dual interests in the intricacies of human behavior and the creative arts.

HOSTED BY:

The Graduate Program in Publishing, College of Professional Studies, George Washington University

SPONSORED BY:

• Association of American Publishers (AAP)
• Association of University Presses (AUPresses)
• Book Industry Study Group (BISG)
• Council of Science Editors (CSE)
• International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE)
• Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP)

• Additional support from Scholastica