StFX physics professor Dr. Peter Marzlin has once again received international recognition for the excellence of his reviewing work. Dr. Marzlin has been awarded the 2021 Reviewer of the Year Award for Classical and Quantum Gravity in the 2021 IOP Outstanding Reviewer Awards.
Classical and Quantum Gravity is arguably the leading journal in general relativity and quantum physics in curved spacetime.
“Peer review forms the backbone of scholarly communication, and we really value and appreciate your support in helping IOP Publishing uphold the high scientific standards that we are known for,” IOP Publishing Reviewer Engagement Manager Tom Sharp wrote in the award announcement.
“Your commitment to scientific integrity deserves to be celebrated.”
This latest award builds on recognition Dr. Marzlin has received in two prior awards.
Last year, he was named a “Trusted Reviewer” by IOP Publishing, which is one of the top publishers of physics journals internationally.
IOP Trusted Reviewer status acknowledges that the recipient has demonstrated a high level of peer review competence, with the ability to critique scientific literature to an excellent standard.
Similarly, he was recognized by the American Physical Society (APS) a few years ago as an ‘Outstanding Referee.’ This lifetime achievement award celebrates exceptional contributions to refereeing papers for the APS. This means Dr. Marzlin assesses manuscripts for the most prestigious physics journals in the world for publication in the APS
“I was happy. It is nice to receive an acknowledgement for the work one puts into peer review,” Dr. Marzlin said then on his reaction to the news.
“APS and IOP are probably the two leading publishers who concentrate on physics. It is nice to be recognized by both for my contributions.”
The distinction indicates that both IOP and APS are very happy with Dr. Marzlin’s reports on their manuscripts.
“I read manuscripts carefully and try to give constructive feedback. And, as some students from my courses may tell you, I may be good at spotting mistakes.”
Dr. Marzlin says by reading manuscripts, he stays informed about current research trends, which benefits his teaching and research.
On the other hand, he said it takes away from his time for research projects and teaching. “I am still happy to do it because peer review is extremely important for the process of sharing scientific knowledge.”
Dr. Marzlin is much in demand to review papers. According to the metrics tracked at publons.com, he is in the 95th percentile of reviewers regarding the number of manuscripts reviewed.
Dr. Marzlin specializes in quantum optics, condensed matter, and relativity. He teaches general physics, electromagnetic theory, and quantum physics. He has also taught a course on the physics of music.
