Advances in Optics and Photonics (AOP) is a relatively new journal. The Optical Society (OSA) launched it in 2009 under the leadership of the founding Editor-in-Chief, Bahaa Saleh. The objective of AOP is to publish top-quality reviews and tutorials in any area of optics and photonics. Over the first five years of its existence, AOP has published a large number of such reviews. They cover topics that are of potential interest to most members of the OSA, especially its student members, who are primary beneficiaries of in-depth reviews. I have the honor of being chosen as the next Editor-in-Chief of AOP and am really excited to have been given the wonderful opportunity and privilege to serve the optics community in this role.

Under the superb leadership of Bahaa Saleh, AOP has developed a well-deserved reputation of publishing high-quality reviews and tutorials. I take this opportunity to thank Bahaa for his time and effort and hope that he will always be there for occasional advice as I take the helm from him. I am just beginning to realize that the editorship of a review journal such as AOP is a time-consuming undertaking that requires attention to many details.

AOP is reaching a new stage in its life. Its contents are now being indexed by the Web of Science, and the journal is likely to receive its first impact factor this year. A high impact factor is important for our authors, and we are hoping for that. I invite all established scientists with a good topic for a review or a tutorial to contact me with a proposal and make every effort to write such an article in a timely fashion. I should stress that AOP is not intended to be a by-invitation-only journal. Any prospective author can make a proposal by contacting me in person or by sending an email to the editorial staff using the address aopmss@osa.org. My intention is to grow the journal while maintaining its quality and high standards. With your help, I look forward to establishing AOP as a premier journal that is admired by our readers as well as authors while serving the entire optics community.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the time and effort of the AOP reviewers. Reviewing a long article is a time-consuming job with no immediate benefits to the person undertaking it. However, one must do it as a service to our professional society, OSA, and to the broad optics community. It is my hope that all members of the optics community will continue to take this responsibility seriously and will be willing to review AOP articles. Your peer review feedback enhances the quality and usefulness of the reviews and tutorials published in AOP.

I wish to thank the OSA publications staff for producing a top-quality publication and for helping me during the transition period by providing relevant information in a timely fashion. I know I can count on them during the entire period of AOP editorship. I am also grateful to Michael Duncan, recent Chair of the OSA Board of Editors, for his encouragement and support.