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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES:

Kate Lavallee

Editor, Wiley

 

Please tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. hometown, current locale, course of study).

I live in the greater Boston area, where I moved after graduating from the University of Tampa with an English degree. I found an Editorial Assistant position at Wiley, and have been working there ever since! I am now an Editor and manage a portfolio of Health Sciences journals. 

Describe some of your current responsibilities and what type of organization you belong to.

Wiley publishes academic books, journals, and online technologies to support research, education, and professional development. I started there over three years ago as an Editorial Assistant where I provided administrative-level support for a variety of Health Sciences journals. Now, I have my own portfolio that I manage. I work with both Wiley-appointed editors and society partners to manage the day-to-day tasks of publishing journals and collaborate on strategic and portfolio development. 

What was your first scholarly publishing role? How did you get that job? What path led to your current position?

When I graduated with my English degree, I knew I wanted to work in Publishing, and I wanted to be in the Boston area. I then landed the Editorial Assistant position at Wiley and loved it! I assisted on a variety of Health Sciences journals for a while. When an Editor position opened up with the opportunity to manage a list, I knew this was the field and company I wanted to be in, so I applied! 

If there was a pivotal moment or key person in your career development, please describe briefly.

A key achievement in my scholarly communications career is landing my current role. It was the first non-entry role I’d applied to, so it was very nerve wracking, and I realized there was still so much I didn’t know about journals publishing! However, I have found that asking questions is essential to my job as well as reaching out to both give and receive support. I think those in my network helped me gain the knowledge and confidence to apply for the role, and they help me to this day when a new problem or question comes across my inbox!

What tools, websites, and organizations do you find most valuable for your career development?

SSP has been an extremely valuable resource for me. I read The Scholarly Kitchen regularly to stay up-to-date on industry topics. I have been able to attend in-person events and webinars through SSP. I have also learned so much through working with my more senior colleagues at Wiley who have been in this field longer. They are always open to my seemingly never-ending questions and have helped me a lot throughout the beginning of my career. 

What are some of the surprises/obstacles that you’ve encountered during your career?

The biggest surprise I constantly find is just how much there is to the world of journals publishing! I learn or come across something new every single day. I’ve also learned that nobody knows all the answers, even people that have been in the field for decades. I think that makes this work both challenging and interesting.

What advice would you give to people interested in a career in scholarly communications?

Definitely jump right in, ask questions, reach out to people, and don’t be afraid! I was intimidated when I first started working in the field because I knew nothing about it, but I made sure to ask questions and say yes to every opportunity or project I could. While I love participating in company projects, I think that organizations like SSP are great to get involved with also. They allow you to expand your view and understand how much is out there when it comes to the field of scholarly communications. Finally, be open to opportunities you might not have originally considered because they can lead to some really amazing things.