Psychology Professors Named Editors-in-Chief of Two Peer-Reviewed Journals

Melanie Domenech Rodríguez and Tyler Renshaw, faculty members, mentors, and researchers in the Psychology Department in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, have been named editors-in-chief of two peer-reviewed scholarly journals for the next five years.

“In academia, the journal article is the ‘coin of the realm,’” said Scott Bates, head of the Department of Psychology. “Journal editors are vital in establishing and upholding high scholarly standards while also steering research into new directions. Drs. Domenech Rodríguez and Renshaw, in their roles as editors, significantly enhance our department’s academic stature. They serve as both facilitators and gatekeepers of scientific inquiry, inspiring our students to engage more deeply with the world of research.”

Family Process Editor Melanie Domenech Rodríguez

Currently, Domenech Rodríguez serves as the eighth editor of Family Process. Established in 1962, the peer-reviewed journal is committed to clinical research and training of couple and family therapy, family interaction, and family relationships. Family Process is a premier family journal in family studies.

Domenech Rodríguez has a long history of involvement with Family Process. She started with a submission about 20 years ago. “The editor reached out about my article and encouraged me to revise and resubmit my work, which led to becoming a regular contributor.” Domenech Rodríguez said the editor “took an interest” in her. She became a regular reviewer and, eventually, and advisory editorial board member. Domenech Rodríguez “was mentored,” something she hopes to continue to do for others as editor-in-chief.

Prior to taking on her role as editor, Domenech Rodríguez took a year’s sabbatical to prepare for her new responsibilities. “I went to Northern Spain and hiked for 12 days to prepare myself for the rigors of the editor role,” shares Domenech Rodríguez. “I carried my backpack. It weighed 13 pounds, and 3 pounds were my tablet, keyboard, and writing essentials. I can’t put down the journal.”

The process is rigorous, explains Domenech Rodríguez. “I screen articles, call for revisions, check on our peer reviewers, consult with the editorial team, and handle last-minute APA-style edits. I am involved in the editorial process at every level.”

Since January of 2024, more than 460 submissions have come across Domenech Rodríguez’s desk. She has six associate editors who work with many peer reviewers. She rejects about 90 percent of the first submissions. Those not rejected are sent to the associate editors for review and assignment to peer reviewers.

One of the associate editors at the journal, Xiang Zhou said, “I have been working with Melanie as an editorial fellow/associate editor and have greatly appreciated the mentorship she has provided in helping me understand how Family Process functions. I’ve also found the equity lens she brings to the journal and the discussions around increasing transparency to be particularly valuable.”

“I have become a better scholar, a better researcher, and a better mentor. . . I am able to guide my students much better in the publication production—not just at the level of knowledge production but what you do with this knowledge,” said Domenech Rodríguez. “The ethical standard is high. I am a gatekeeper for the field, ensuring that we are moving in the direction of scientific progress in a manner that adheres to the prevailing standards of ethical conduct within the profession.”

School Psychology Review Editor Tyler Renshaw

Prior to taking on the role of editor-in-chief at School Psychology Review (SPR), Renshaw worked as a peer reviewer, an associate editor, and was editor-in-chief for Assessment for Effective Intervention, a smaller peer-reviewed journal. The 2025 year is Renshaw’s editor-elect year for SPR. After which, in 2026, he will take the reins as editor of one of the largest peer-reviewed journals in the field of school psychology.

SPR is the flagship journal of the National Association of School Psychologists. Its primary purpose is to provide a means of communicating scholarly advances in research, training, and practice related to psychology and education, and specifically to school psychology. Of particular interest are articles presenting original, data-based research that can contribute to the development of innovative intervention and prevention strategies and the evaluation of these approaches. 

Previously published quarterly, the journal now produces six print issues every year, and online access allows articles to be published on the website immediately. SPR often publishes special sections that have themes for certain relevant topics. As editor, “every article that has been submitted must have a first pass across my desk,” says Renshaw. “A few questions that I often ask when I am reviewing a submission are: What is most relevant to school psychologists, how does this journal advance the profession forward, and how can science inform practice?”

Renshaw has worked at SPR for the past five years as an associate editor. He also spent several years as a peer reviewer. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, he has worked in the trenches for two years as a full-time school psychologist in a variety of schools and currently serves as a supervisor to doctoral and specialist students, who are in the schools completing their practicum work.

Keeping current with what is happening out in the schools is highly important to Renshaw. One of his goals when he begins his editorship is to continue to have “open calls” that solicit feedback from the SPR community. This is a format where everyone who contributes to the journal—peer-reviewers, associate editors, and authors—are invited to submit their ideas. “It’s a way to accumulate the voice of all of the professionals the journal is serving by helping us to identify the important themes and topics to the journal’s audience,” notes Renshaw.

“I am confident in the direction the journal is heading,” he said. “There will not be huge changes. I am interested, though, in including more articles that bring science to the practitioner. How can we make the research more useful? One of the complaints we sometimes experience is that school psychologists can access the journal article, but it can be hard to follow or is too obscure. We want to create meaningful take-home messages for school psychologists and clinicians who are working in the field.”

Renshaw has a few ideas he would like to see in SPR during his time as editor. One is “more promotion of positive aspects of youth development. Sometimes as psychologists, we focus on the negative, the problems, deficits, disabilities, and disorders.” His area of research is focusing on students’ well-being, their positive psychological functioning in a school context. “Much of the focus is on prevention,” he said. “This is important, but it is also crucial to focus on positive aspects to help develop positive pro-social relationships.”

“I really value mentoring graduate students. At the journal, there is a student editorial board where students are mentored by faculty and they do peer reviews,” said Renshaw. “The editor provides the training for the graduate students and provides a culture to introduce them into this scholarly process. I was here early on in my career, as a grad student reviewing submissions, and others took a chance on me. I value paying it forward for future graduates because so many people did it for me when I was starting out.”