Call for Senior Editor, Special Issues – CBE—Life Sciences Education (LSE)

CBE—Life Sciences Education (LSE), the education journal of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), is seeking applications for a volunteer Senior Editor for Special Issues. This leadership role offers an opportunity to help shape the direction of life sciences education research by guiding the development of LSE’s annual special issues and mentoring guest editors.

Application deadline: April 30, 2026

Position Overview

LSE invites applications for a volunteer Senior Editor for Special Issues. This editor will provide strategic intellectual leadership, editorial continuity, and mentorship for LSE’s annual Special Issues, working closely with the Editor-in-Chief and overseeing rotating teams of 3-5 Guest Editors each year.

The Senior Editor for Special Issues ensures that issues are conceptually coherent, methodologically rigorous, and well aligned with the journal’s mission, audience, and standards, while also allowing flexibility and innovation in annual themes. This position emphasizes collaboration, mentoring, and thoughtful editorial judgment, rather than day-to-day manuscript handling alone. This is a volunteer editorial leader for the journal, and no stipend or honorarium is associated with the role.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Editor for Special Issues will:

• Provide editorial oversight and continuity across annual special issues.
• In collaboration with the Editor-in-Chief, identify, recruit, and mentor a team of 3-5 Guest Editors for each special issue cycle.
• Lead the development and refinement of annual calls for papers, ensuring clarity, scope, and alignment with journal priorities and with emergent and impactful issues in life science education research.
• Serve as a consultative editor for Guest Editors throughout the lifecycle of each special issue, including clarifying:
  • Roles and expectations
  • Scope and framing of the special issue
  • Editorial workflows and timelines
• Monitor progress across all special issue submissions to ensure:
  • Timely review and decision-making
  • Consistent application of editorial criteria
  • High scholarly and ethical standards
• Partner with Guest Editors to:
  • Resolve complex editorial decisions
  • Curate accepted manuscripts into a cohesive issue

Term: 3 years (renewable)

Time Commitment: Moderate, year-round; concentrated during the development of the call for papers and the manuscript decision phases.

Desired Qualifications

We seek candidates who demonstrate:

• Prior experience as a journal editor, associate editor, or guest editor
• A strong professional network and a demonstrated record of proactive leadership, alongside relevant scholarly expertise.
• A strong understanding of scholarly publishing practices and peer review
• Demonstrated commitment to mentoring editors and authors
• Demonstrated ability to manage collaborative, high-performing teams
• Excellent judgment in peer review, including navigating complex or interdisciplinary submissions
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and transparency in scholarly publishing
• Strong organizational and communication skills

Term and Evaluation

• The appointment is for a three-year term, renewable by mutual agreement
• Performance will be reviewed annually by the Editor-in-Chief based on:
  • Effectiveness of editorial oversight
  • Quality and coherence of special issues
  • Timeliness and professionalism of processes

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit:

• A brief statement of interest (1–2 pages) describing:
  • Relevant editorial and proactive leadership experience
  • Up to three proposed topics for future special issues
  • Vision for the role of special issues in advancing the journal’s mission
  • Approach to mentoring Guest Editors
  • Experience managing high-performing, outcomes-based academic teams
  • Examples that showcase the applicant’s ability to multitask
• A current CV

Submit applications to msegura@ung.edu by April 30, 2026

About CBE-Life Sciences Education (LSE)

LSE, an online journal, is owned and published by ASCB. LSE is written by and to serve professionals engaged in biology teaching in all environments, including faculty at large research universities who teach but do not view teaching as their primary mission, as well as those whose teaching is the major focus of their careers, in primarily undergraduate institutions, museums and outreach programs, junior and community colleges, and K–12 schools.