Mark McClure and Tim Jull at the Parthenon
I began working for Radiocarbon as Kim Elliott’s assistant editor in January 2003. Now, 14 years later, Kim returns to take my place as I leave. It took a very good job opportunity for me to part with Radiocarbon, so when I received an offer to work for the World Health Organization, I had to make the difficult decision of leaving family and friends and of course, the journal. Having lived the first 8 years of my life in Guatemala, the chance to contribute (even in the small supporting role of Editor!) to the work of WHO for health in Guatemala and elsewhere was an opportunity I could not pass up. Even though I now live in Washington, DC, Tucson and Radiocarbon will always feel like home.
For the past 14 years, I marked my time in “14C time,” which for me meant the production schedule of special issues and articles, conferences and workshops, trips to interesting destinations, and the thrill of receiving each package from the printer containing the first-bound copy of the latest issue. These memories are intertwined with personal milestones—as newlyweds my wife and I went to Wellington in 2003 for my first Radiocarbon conference; years later my toddler son accompanied us to Hawaii for the 2009 Radiocarbon conference. In between and since, I was lucky to visit colleagues and make new friends around the world.
There are too many of you to thank, so I will have to do that individually over time, but for now allow me to single out my colleagues at the University of Arizona. In addition to volunteering their time to serve on the editorial board of Radiocarbon, Greg Hodgins, George Burr, and Warren Beck taught me much about 14C. They took me on tours of the Arizona lab, showing me the instruments and the inside of the accelerator while explaining the challenges in dating different materials. The knowledge they shared was invaluable. I also thank Susan McDonald and Agnieszka Baier for their friendship and for making the trips to the office so enjoyable. And last but certainly not least, I’m grateful to Tim Jull for his trust and support. From 2003 to 2016, we worked together to make the journal as accessible and relevant as we could, with your invaluable contributions. It’s reassuring to know that the journal is in good hands with Tim and Kim at the helm once again. So farewell, colleagues and friends. I wish you continued success in your own work and thank you for your continuing support of the journal!
