By Peying Fong, Kansas State Univeristy, College of Veterinary Medicine, @PeyingFong
As a graduate student, I often consulted the bound volumes of journals shelved in the department seminar room, that served also as a small library. Among these volumes a special series stood out: The Journal of Physiology. At the time, the idea that one day I would be serving as a member of its Editorial Board, much less a CrossTalk and Senior Editor, was inconceivable. Yet, here I am. It admittedly still feels unreal.
In retrospect, for this first-generation, immigrant child of uneducated parents who left China in the mid-twentieth century, undertaking graduate studies also felt unreal at the time, as did undergraduate studies. As for migrations in present times, war and political upheavals presented both risk and opportunity for people at that time in history as well. Lacking a compelling reason to stay in their home country, pulling up roots presented the best option. When they arrived in the United States, first my father alone, and then my mother with two children, including a newborn (me) in tow, they indeed found a place to improve their lot in life. And instead of a wall, they found a welcoming nation.
It’s all about our choices. While our financial situation did not afford my parents the luxury of becoming fully integrated in western society, they made sure their offspring did. Their clearest message, that reverberates to this day was: recognize opportunities, seize them, and do your very best to realize their potential. Nowadays, there is the recognized phenomena of the helicopter parent and the Tiger Mom. Not so the case for me: instead, I owned the power of self-determination pretty much as soon as I began grammar school. There are stories. But those can be for some other time, maybe when we can all have a pint or two together again.
Choices involving place: Now let’s fast forward to how I became interested in physiology. One possible outcome of a liberal arts education is competency in many topics, but lack of expertise in any specific one. Such was my own. Lacking a clear direction and any resources to dabble further, I made the decision to seek employment in biology-related disciplines. Two possibilities emerged at Yale School of Medicine, and I was offered a technician position by a new assistant professor in the Department of Physiology.
Opportunity presented. In the cauldron of a laboratory fighting to establish itself, my path was established, and the decision to undertake graduate studies in physiology took root. In addition, not only did this experience provide transferable skills, but many contacts made during this period continue to inform critical decisions, including where to apply to graduate school. The standards set during this critical period led to an academic path involving twists, turns, surprises, and re-locations that could fill volumes. Again, that is a story for a different time. In the meantime, just remember that your path will present a landscape populated by unique opportunities. Take them.
Choices involving our responsibility to our field and society at large: Throughout all—and perhaps now in these times of isolation—I firmly believe the key to remaining connected with science rests in reading and communicating discoveries. One senior colleague reminded me often of the golden rule, as applied to manuscript peer review. Here it is, paraphrased: “review manuscripts the way you would like your own reviewed”. This same colleague (an editor on a non-Physiological Society journal) also was fond of routing assignments my direction. Another great opportunity presented: I could stay informed of the directions specific fields were taking, and refine my skills in assessing manuscripts.
And yet another opportunity: So how did service on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Physiology come to be? Someone must have taken note of my reviewing contributions. I will never know for sure who dropped my name and to whom. The reasons I can share are only those facts apparent from my side. I was invited to join the Editorial Board of Experimental Physiology, when David Paterson was Editor-in=Chief. When he assumed this role at The Journal of Physiology, he invited me to join as a Reviewing Editor. This was a remarkable opportunity to keep informed of progress in many different, but related, branches of physiology. Stepping outside one’s comfort zone and handling manuscripts that are a bit beyond my own research area is a great way to keep learning! As an editor, it is a privilege to catalyze and facilitate the dialogue between referees and authors. And of course, there is the personal satisfaction in knowing that I can contribute to shaping progress in the discipline of Physiology. So one thing led to another, and here I am answering through recollection, that oft-sung question, “Well, how did I get here?”