He has published close to 200 scientific peer-reviewed articles and led/participated in more than 20 Polish national and European-level projects. He is also a member of Interfacial Processes in (Photo-) Electrochemistry in Reduced Gravitational Environments (IPERG) sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA). His research primarily deals with interfaces and coating materials, with a large portion of his career devoted to hybrid  coatings/films, nanoindentation, and energy production.

Dr. Emerson Coy is a valuable and trustworthy Editorial Board Member of Coatings. He has been supporting the Editorial Office since 2019 as the Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Surface Engineering for Energy Harvesting, Conversion, and Storage”.

The following is a short Q&A with Dr. Emerson Coy, who shared his vision for the journal, as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as its Editor-in-Chief?
Several factors drew me to accept the role of Editor-in-Chief for this journal. Firstly, my longstanding involvement with the journal as a Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Energy Materials” Section has given me a deep understanding of its operations, audience, and potential areas for improvement, both for the field and for the journal. Additionally, earning a journal reviewer award in 2017 underscores my commitment to maintaining the journal's quality standards.
However, beyond personal achievements, what truly appealed to me about this opportunity is the journal's compromise with publishing a high-quality, open, broad audience and novel research in the field. I believe Coatings has a longstanding commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and disseminating it effectively and broadly, and this is a unique opportunity for me to continue the development of the journal further.
Moreover, I am particularly impressed by Dr. Lavacchi 's stewardship of the journal over the past decade. His efforts to shape the journal's scope and maintain its ethical standards have laid a strong foundation and difficult shoes to fill. As the incoming Editor-in-Chief, I am eager to build upon this foundation by enhancing the journal's ethical standards, fostering competitiveness, and upholding scientific rigor.
Overall, my decision to accept the role of Editor-in-Chief is driven by a desire to contribute to the continued success and growth of the journal. I am committed to upholding its reputation for excellence while striving to innovate and improve in the ever-evolving landscape of academic publishing.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
My vision for the journal encompasses a multifaceted approach to fortify and establish its position as an ideal venue for coatings and interface science publications. Leveraging the extensive support that the journal has from esteemed Chief Editors and academics in the field of coatings and interface science, I intend to cultivate a vibrant community around Coatings by fostering collaborative relationships and promoting knowledge dissemination and high standards of scientific communication.
Additionally, I am committed to building upon the groundwork laid by Dr. Lavacchi by further engaging with professional associations, societies, and industry stakeholders. By serving as a platform for highlighting industry developments and facilitating dialogue between academia and the private sector, Coatings hopefully will emerge as a catalyst for innovation and progress in the field for all the sectors interested in these topics.
Ultimately, my vision is to position Coatings as a trusted source of scholarly research and a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary exchange, of course by seeking impactful contributions to the coatings and interface science community, with an ethical and rigorous peer review process.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
The future of the coatings and functional interfaces/surfaces field promises a dynamic landscape shaped by advancements in multidisciplinary research and technological innovation. Building upon pioneering studies, the field embraces novel characterization techniques and experimental methodologies, facilitating the development of applications combining high-tribological performance, mechanical robustness, and resilience across various domains, including biomedicine, environmental science, catalysis, and energy.
Moreover, continuous improvement in in-situ and in-operando methods signifies a shift towards deeper insights into complex phenomena, paving the way for breakthroughs in understanding and optimizing material behavior. Additionally, the impact that methods such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, offer in the near future opens the door for unprecedented opportunities for data-driven discovery and optimization processes. Furthermore, the ever-evolving field of computational modeling holds immense promise, enabling researchers to explore complex phenomena with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency. As such, in the next decade, we are bound to witness a radical paradigm shift towards computational methods-assisted research, fostering collaboration across disciplines and driving innovation in coatings and interface science.
Overall, it's an exhilarating time for the community with many new materials, methods and applications for exploration and discovery, profiting from cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary approaches for the materials science and engineering community.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
The development of open access in the publishing field signifies a transformative shift towards democratizing access to scientific knowledge, particularly benefiting individuals and institutions in emerging economies and research institutions without access to traditional subscription models. This model promotes inclusivity and facilitates broader dissemination of research findings but also enables enhanced scrutiny and engagement within the scientific community, for example, by allowing communities like Pubpeer to thrive.
However, while open access holds immense potential, I believe it has yet to fully reach its ultimate form or maturity. Challenges such as ethical misconduct and sustainability persist, necessitating ongoing innovation and adaptation within the publishing industry. Nevertheless, this period of evolution presents an opportunity for the industry to listen to the researchers and draw inspiration from other successful models in other sectors. For example, just as Napster pushed the music industry's evolution towards platforms like iTunes and Netflix, dramatically changing how we consume entertainment, the open access model can potentially revolutionize how we approach scientific publishing. Ultimately, the future of open access will be shaped by the collective efforts of the scientific community and market dynamics, which, hopefully, will lead to a more accessible, ethical, transparent, and equitable dissemination of scientific knowledge.

We warmly welcome Dr. Emerson Coy as our Editor-in-Chief and look forward to his insightful guidance for the continued success of Coatings.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Dr. Allesandro Lavacchi for his leadership and hard work as Editor-in-Chief of Coatings since 2013! We wish Dr. Lavacchi great success in his future pursuits and express our appreciation for his outstanding contribution, which will surely benefit our research community for years to come.