The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) celebrated the achievements of six individuals for their invaluable contributions to SSP and scholarly communication at our much-anticipated 48th Annual Meeting, held in Chula Vista, California, at the end of May. As part of the awards ceremony, Heather Staines, SSP 2024-2025 Past President and Chair of the Nominating and Awards Committee, emphasized the thoughtfulness, care, and in-depth consideration that led SSP to recognize the following members for their time, leadership, and expertise.
Appreciation Award
The SSP Appreciation Award acknowledges the noteworthy contributions of one or more members who have significantly benefited SSP and the scholarly communication field within a short period of fewer than three years.
Meredith Adinolfi is the Vice President of Publishing Operations for Cell Press in Cambridge, MA. She oversees submission, production, and print and online publishing processes for a growing portfolio of scientific and medical journals. Meredith also works on Cell Press’s strategic vision and, with a Six Sigma green belt certification, focuses on workflow optimization and evolution. One of her professional passions is developing people, and she has loved helping launch and manage SSP’s Mentorship Program and co-hosting SSP’s podcast for early-career professionals in the industry.
Michael Di Natale is the Director of Journal Production and Platforms at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), overseeing all aspects of the AACR’s scientific journal publication process, from immediate post-acceptance through to online/digital delivery, managing internal teams, technology, and workflows. Previously, Michael has worked for Science/AAAS and BioOne, where he led platform migration projects for both organizations’ journal content. An active participant in the scholarly publishing community, he has been an SSP member and volunteer since 2014, during which time he has chaired SSP’s communications, membership, and community engagement committees and served a term as an at-large member of the Board of Directors.
Dianndra Roberts is a publishing professional, writer, and public speaker who is passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion. As well as how we can make a change in our sphere of influence, Dianndra is The Scholarly Kitchen DEIA Associate Editor and a member of SSP’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee. Dianndra was honored with the SSP’s Emerging Leader Award in 2023 and was featured in The Bookseller’s Rising Star Class of 2022. She was the co-chair of the inaugural ISMTE DEI Advisory Council from 2021 to 2023 and founded the RCPsych African and Caribbean Forum in 2019.
Emerging Leader Award
Established in 2012, the Emerging Leader Award recognizes an SSP member working in scholarly communication for ten years or less. The award celebrates individuals who demonstrate service through contributions to an SSP committee or task force and innovative contributions to their respective fields. The following emerging leaders were recognized:
Jamie Devereaux serves as a Publishing Editor with Sage, overseeing a portfolio of top-tier clinical, medical, and public health Journals. She collaborates closely with editors and society partners to uphold excellence in peer review and ensure the timely publication of high‑quality research grounded in sound science. Jamie is deeply engaged with global publishing trends, including open-access models, peer-review best practices, and the growing role of AI. She is an active volunteer with SSP’s Education Committee and serves as Co-Lead of the 2026 New Directions Seminar.
Maryam Sayab is Executive Director, Communications & Global Engagement at the Asian Council of Science Editors, where she leads initiatives that strengthen global collaboration and community engagement in scholarly publishing. Her work focuses on advancing research integrity, peer review, and open access, with a particular emphasis on fostering more inclusive and globally representative scholarly communication. She is a Chef at The Scholarly Kitchen and contributes to the Charleston Hub through Katina magazine, supporting cross-regional dialogue across the publishing ecosystem.
Distinguished Service Award
This award is given to a member for their extended work on behalf of SSP and scholarly communication.
Angela Cochran is the Vice President of Publishing for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Previously, she was Managing Director and Publisher at the American Society of Civil Engineers. She has served as Associate Publisher, Journals Director, Production Director, and Journals Production Manager for ASCE. She was a Managing Editor at the American Cancer Society and a Production Editor for Appleton & Lange and Pearson Education. She is a past president of the Society for Scholarly Publishing and the Council of Science Editors, and a regular contributor to The Scholarly Kitchen.
During the awards ceremony, SSP also recognized the winner of the 2026 Rosenblum Award for Scholarly Publishing Impact, Digital Preservation of the Scholarly Record. This award, co-sponsored by SSP, celebrates past innovations that have transformed the scholarly publishing ecosystem, focusing on technologies, standards, or practices that have become indispensable to its operation.
A special service award was presented to Melanie Dolechek, SSP’s Executive Director, in recognition of her exemplary leadership over the past decade. Since 2015, Melanie has skillfully guided SSP’s transformation into a robust and dedicated team committed to advancing scholarly publishing. Under her stewardship, SSP has broadened its programming horizons, launched several innovative initiatives that address community needs, and managed the organization’s operations with care.
Additional congratulations to both LibLynx and Pub2Post for winning the Previews Presentation People’s Choice Award for Best Innovation!
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2026 SSP award recipients and express profound gratitude for their unwavering commitment to SSP and the advancement of scholarly publishing.
