Retirement of Dr John Zdysiewicz - An Appreciation

Abstract

After 25 years with the Australian Journal of Chemistry, our editor, Dr Jan R. Zdysiewicz (known far and wide as John Z.), has recently retired. During his initial ten year period with the journal, John served as assistant editor under Bob Schoenfeld who, like John, was also very widely known throughout the Australian and New Zealand chemistry community. In 1985, John took up the editorship and under his editorial management the journal has continued to prosper. John has been an exceptionally talented editor who, despite increasing pressures over more recent times, has managed to maintain the journal’s very high editorial standard – a task aided by his wide understanding of chemistry and his truly exceptional knowledge of English usage.

John had an eventful early life – details of which may be of interest to his many friends and acquaintances. He was born in Laukischken in East Prussia to parents from Mosty in eastern Poland. His parents had been taken to Germany during World War II for forced labour. After the war, the family was transferred, endlessly it seemed, from DP (displaced persons) camp to DP camp in Germany, until final acceptance for migration to Australia. After a long sea voyage on the Skaugum, the family arrived at Port Melbourne in December 1950. Then followed being shuffled between widely spread immigration holding centres in South-East Australia, finally ending up in Adelaide, where the family settled. After some difficulty in gaining enrolment, John attended Adelaide Boys High School. In 1962 at age 19, he lost his alien status and became an Australian citizen.

Even during this early period, John Z. made a name for himself. He became somewhat of a celebrity for his virtuosity in playing the accordion. In 1961, he became Grand Australian Accordion Champion. On occasions, he still plays for friends and private audiences.

John Z. obtained his tertiary education at the University of Adelaide. His Ph.D. research in the Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry was concerned with physical chemical studies on naturally occurring and synthetic polymers. He then held Post Doctoral appointments in England at the University of Lancaster (preparation and e.s.r. characterisation of radical anions), Australia at the Division of Protein Chemistry, CSIRO, Parkville (on the interactions of fluorescent compounds with protein components by photophysical techniques) and Canada at the University of Western Ontario (construction of a microsecond flash photolysis apparatus in connection with photochemical reactions involving radical ions). In 1975 he returned to Australia as the assistant editor of Aust. J. Chem.

John Z. has served as the national representative on IUPAC’s Commission III.2 (on Physical Organic Chemistry) and is currently an associate member of this commission. In 1998, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute awarded him a citation for his contributions to the promotion of Australian chemistry nationally and internationally, principally through his role as editor of the journal.

Finally, John is of a distinctly independent nature – perhaps a reflection of his Polish antecedents? While his management style might be said to be unique, it has always been characterised by an overriding commitment to quality. Clearly, John Zdysiewicz ranks as an exceptional individual.

On behalf of my fellow advisory committee members and, indeed, also for the wider chemistry community, I thank John for a job exceedingly well done. We wish him well in his retirement.