As of January 2025, Dr. Sean S. Downey has been appointed Co-Editor-in-Chief of Human Ecology, a leading journal dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of human-environment interactions. Published by Springer Nature, Human Ecology has an impact factor of 1.8 (2023) and is distributed to over 8,000 institutions worldwide.

The theoretical orientation of Human Ecology emphasizes the problem-solving significance of human culture and behavior, from food procurement to systems defining kinship not to mention political and religious life. The perspective generally embraced here is that human ecology is part and parcel of the larger field of ecology and not simply analogous to it. Contributions to Human Ecology emphasize the complex ways in which humans shape and in turn are shaped by their environment.

The journal publishes six issues per year, featuring 12–15 original articles, research reports, brief communications based on empirical research, and book reviews in each issue. Founded in 1972 by Peter Vayda, the journal was edited by Daniel Bates for the past 50 years. Readers can find Dr. Bates’s note on this editorial transition in the December 2024 issue.

In his new role, Dr. Downey will collaborate with co-Editor-in-Chief Ludomir Lozny to uphold high scholarly standards. Together, they will ensure that Human Ecology remains an essential platform for impactful, interdisciplinary research while streamlining the publication process for authors and readers alike. Moving forward, the journal will be hosted by the Department of Anthropology at Ohio State University.

Congratulations Dr. Downey!