We are thrilled to share the updated Remote Sensing Exceptional Reviewers List 2024. This program was designed to recognize and honor scholars who have consistently delivered exceptional review reports to our journal. Committed to fostering rigorous research and promoting knowledge exchange, Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292) recognizes the significant role that our reviewers play in maintaining the quality and integrity of the articles we publish. According to surveys conducted in 2023, 91% of our authors rate the peer review as good or excellent, thanks to our pool of excellent reviewers.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all the reviewers who have generously volunteered their time and expertise to assist in Remote Sensing’s peer-review process. Their dedication and attention to detail in evaluating manuscripts, offering valuable feedback, and contributing to academic rigor are truly commendable.

The Exceptional Reviewers List was introduced in March 2024. Each quarter, we will select a group of outstanding reviewers and introduce them here.

Q1:

• Name: Dr. Petri Räisänen
  Affiliation: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
  Interests: radiative transfer in the atmosphere and in snow; climate modeling
  “Reviewers have an important role not only in trying to ensure that papers are scientifically valid, but also in helping the authors to make their work more easily readable.”

• Name: Dr. Javier Fernández Calleja
  Affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Oviedo, Spain
  Interests: albedo; snow mapping; snow temperature; surface reflectance; cryosphere
  “The main feature of reviewing for Remote Sensing is the high speed of the process while maintaining the highest standards. The time between revisions is short and the process is transparent.”

• Name: Dr. Prasanjit Dash
  Affiliation: NOAA Center for Satellite Applications & Research, Cooperative Institute for Research in Atmosphere (CIRA), Colorado State University, College Park, USA
  Interests: remote sensing; SST; statistical analysis; sea surface temperature; radiative transfer modeling; land surface temperature and emissivity; modern visualization; long-term trend characterization; coastal studies
  “Reviewing journal articles fosters a reciprocal learning process. The greatest reward for reviewers, however, is when one can help authors succeed with constructive critique when their paper is on the edge.”

• Name: Dr. Marc Naeije
  Affiliation: Department of Space Engineering, FAC Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Netherlands
  Interests: data; sea level; satellites; oceans; synthetic aperture radar

• Name: Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Hicke
  Affiliation: Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, USA
  Interests: climate change; global environmental change; forest disturbances

Q2:

• Name: Prof. Dr. Geraint Vaughan
  Affiliation: The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
  Interests: active remote sensing; atmospheric physics; meteorology
  “Reviewing allows me to see what is new in my field and helps to guide manuscripts to a high standard of publication.”

• Name: Dr. Edward A. King
  Affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Hobart, Australia
  Interests: ocean; radiometry data; remote sensing
  “In my experience: Reviewing is most rewarding when authors are able to improve the communication of their science in response to reviewer feedback.”

• Name: Dr. Randolph Kirk
  Affiliation: United States Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
  Interests: planetary mapping; photogrammetry; geophysics; planetary cartography

Q3:

• Name: Robert McGaughey
  Affiliation: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, Oregon, United States
  Interests: forestry; remote sensing lidar; improved data collection methods; measurement tools; semi-automated measurement of individual tree characteristics
  “The role of reviewer for Remote Sensing is particularly rewarding when working on student papers. In many cases, the paper may be the first attempt at publication for the student so constructive criticism is essential to ensure the paper is scientifically sound and well written. The fast turnaround time common with Remote Sensing encourages authors to submit their work knowing that they won't wait months for reviewer's comments.”

• Name: Dr. Lei Zhong
  Affiliation: University of Science and Technology of China, China
  Interests: application of remote sensing; energy and water cycle; land–atmosphere interaction; hydrometeorology; atmospheric boundary layer process
  “High-quality peer review comments are essential for ensuring the quality of papers and the sustainable development of academic journals.”

• Name: Dr. James Voogt
  Affiliation: Western University, London, Canada
  Interests: thermal remote sensing; urban climatology; urban heat islands; surface temperatures