Passing the Torch

Relatively few people are privileged to work at something in life they truly enjoy. For me, I have been blessed to practice a craft and work in a profession-periodontal dentistry-that I genuinely love. As both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Dental Surgery, treating patients and collaborating with so many wonderful practitioners over the past 50 years has been immensely gratifying.

I have also had another source of tremendous professional satisfaction during the latter years of my career-serving as this publication's Editor-in-Chief. After taking the reins of Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry in January 2008, I have proudly served to enhance this publication's vital role in the advancement of continuing dental education.

Dental education has long been a top priority of mine. My medical training allowed me to expand the horizons of how I taught during my extensive career as a professor at Penn Dental School and visiting professor at both Harvard and New York University Dental Schools and when lecturing worldwide. I believe my robust background has enabled me to bring a unique perspective to dental education and provide a richer experience for the readers of Compendium.

Thus, it is with pride leavened with a measure of sadness that I will be stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of Compendium and moving into an Editor Emeritus role. As EIC, and prior to that while serving more than three decades on the Advisory Board, my goal has been to maintain and enhance Compendium's tradition of excellence, which started with the publication's founder, the late Dr. D. Walter Cohen. Along with the staff of Compendium, we have strived to consistently garner and publish outstanding editorial contributions from top authors worldwide, and the numerous exceptional manuscripts we receive on a regular basis are a testament to this peer-review journal's considerable influence in the profession.

I am excited that Dr. Markus B. Blatz will be moving into the Editor-in-Chief role. A longtime colleague of mine, Dr. Blatz is a world-renowned dental practitioner and educator and has been a contributor and advisor to Compendium for many years. He shares my and Walter's vision of excellence in dental education publishing, and I am confident he will skillfully carry on the journal's mission and work hard to ensure its success.

So, although my signature will no longer appear on the "From the Editor" page each month, know that I will still be serving Compendium readers-and, in effect, the dental community-through my continued input to the journal. I would like to thank you, our readers, for all your support over these past 13 years and hope your lives and careers have been enriched by this publication. I look forward to continuing to have an influence in your practice of dentistry.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Blatz as the next Editor-in-Chief of Compendium. And here's to the journal continuing to flourish for years to come!

Sincerely,

Louis F. Rose, DDS, MD
Editor Emeritus
lrose@aegiscomm.com