Announcements

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Jianhua Chen has been appointed Associate Editor of the “Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications” Section of Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) as of May 2025.

Prof. Dr. Jianhua Chen is currently a professor at Guangxi University, China. He has long been engaged in research on mineral crystal chemistry, interfacial structures, and the theory and application of mineral flotation. He obtained his Ph.D. in mineral processing from Central South University, and subsequently joined Guangxi University to conduct scientific research.

His primary theoretical contribution consists of applying advanced Density Functional Theory (DFT) to traditional flotation research, through investigating the microscopic structures and properties of mineral crystals and surfaces/interfaces and their impact on flotation. His work in this area has deepened our understanding of how mineral crystal structures, lattice defects, and interfacial structures influence the flotation process. Another significant theoretical contribution by Prof. Dr. Chen is his successful introduction of coordination chemistry principles into the field of mineral processing through establishing the theory of flotation coordination chemistry. This theory breaks away from the traditional paradigm focused on free metal ions. Instead, it proposes the surface metal ion confinement theory, resolving the long-standing challenge of understanding how reagent molecules interact with minerals. Prof. Dr. Chen has published 11 monographs in Chinese, English, and Russian, including Coordination Principle of Mineral Flotation and Electronic Structure and Surface of Sulfide Minerals: Density Functional Theory and Application. Overall, he has published over 400 academic papers, which have received over 6,000 citations, resulting in an h-index of 42. In 2024, he was honored as the first foreign scholar to receive the Russian Mineralogical Society Koksharov Medal.

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

1. What inspired you to take on the role of Associate Editor for this journal?

I believe the exchange and dissemination of academic ideas and theories require efficient platforms to achieve their impact. Minerals serves as such a platform—boasting rapid publication cycles and significant influence within mineral processing—making it an ideal venue for sharing significant research findings and novel academic ideas. As Associate Editor, I aim to actively promote international exchange in fundamental research through this role, while creating more accessible publishing pathways for early-career scholars.

2. What is your vision for the journal?

My short-term goal is to advance Minerals into an influential platform for academic exchange on mineral processing theory and practice, establishing it as the premier journal where researchers publish and access cutting-edge developments in the field. Long-term, I envision that through Minerals, we will foster interdisciplinary convergence and deep integration among mineralogy, environmental science, mineral processing, advanced mineral materials, and artificial intelligence—ultimately building a knowledge ecosystem capable of addressing global challenges in mineral resource sustainability.

3. How do you see the future of this research field evolving?

I foresee that “environmental sustainability” and “AI-driven transformation” will emerge as the core evolutionary trends in this field. Mounting environmental pressures are creating an imperative demand for green, non-toxic technologies, while artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape traditional research paradigms—shifting the focus from phenomenon interpretation toward precision prediction. Realizing this dual-pronged transformation will hinge on interdisciplinary collaborative synergy.

4. What are your thoughts on the development of open access in academic publishing?

The open access (OA) model demolishes traditional publishing paywalls, enabling global barrier-free access to scholarly outputs. This significantly amplifies article downloads, citation rates, and social media dissemination, effectively bridging the knowledge access gap. Yet, while dismantling information barriers, we must remain vigilant about publishing costs potentially exacerbating academic inequality. An ideal OA framework should transcend mere economic operations and pioneer multi-stakeholder sustainability mechanisms. As an editor, I will steadfastly adhere to academic quality as the paramount criterion—ensuring rigorous peer review to maintain high scholarly standards without compromising openness.

We wish Prof. Dr. Jianhua Chen every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.

We are pleased to announce Dr. Elisa Laita and Dr. Chongchong Qi as the winners of the Minerals 2025 Travel Award. The Minerals Travel Award was launched in 2016, and it is awarded every year to encourage young scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in the fields of mineralogy, mineral geochemistry and geochronology, economic mineral resources, mineral exploration, innovative mining techniques, and advances in mineral processing. The winners of this award will receive CHF 800 each and a certificate. The winners were chosen by the journal’s award committee—Prof. Dr. Leonid Dubrovinsky, Prof. Hyunjung Kim, Dr. Alexandra Guedes, Dr. Jianxi Zhu, Dr. Alexander R Cruden, and Dr. Paul Alexandre.

Dr. Elisa Laita received a bachelor’s degree in geology in 2015 at the University of Zaragoza (Spain), where she also completed an M.Sc. in geology and an M.Sc. in Secondary Education in 2016 and 2017, respectively. She defended her Ph.D. at the same university in 2022, and she was awarded the extraordinary Ph.D. award. Her research has focused on the mineralogical and geochemical characterization of clay-rich materials, both from paleoclimatic and industrial perspectives. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Geology Department of the University of Jaén (Spain). She has published 16 scientific articles in JCR-indexed journals, participated in five research projects, and completed both predoctoral and postdoctoral research stays at the Institute of Analytical and Physical Chemistry for the Environment and Materials (Pau, France). She has presented her work at seven international conferences and more than ten national ones and has taken part in numerous seminars and webinars. In addition, she actively collaborates in science outreach activities related to geology, aiming to make earth sciences more accessible to the public.

Dr. Chongchong Qi received a B.Sc. in mining engineering from the China University of Mining and Technology (2016) and a Ph.D. in mining engineering from The University of Western Australia (2019), where his thesis, “Machine-Learning Aided Design for Cemented Paste Backfill”, pioneered innovative approaches to mineral-based materials. Since 2019, he has led transformative research in cemented paste backfill (CPB), green mining, and heavy metal remediation—areas central to mineral sciences. He has also published several papers in Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X), with one of them being recognized as the Most Cited & Viewed Paper in Minerals in 2020. Dr. Qi also actively participates in the editorial process of Minerals, having joined the Editorial Board of Minerals and led several Special Issues.

We were honored to interview Dr. Elisa Laita and Dr. Chongchong Qi. The interview is summarized below:

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your field of research?
Dr. Elisa Laita: My name is Elisa Laita, and I am currently a postdoc researcher at the Geology Department of the University of Jaén (Spain). My main research line is focused on the mineralogical and geochemical analysis of clay minerals included in palaeosols and clay-rich rocks with both palaeoclimatic and industrial perspectives. 
Dr. Chongchong Qi: My name is Chongchong Qi, and I am an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia. My work focuses on mitigating the environmental impacts of mineral extraction and use, including tailings recycling via cemented paste backfill technology, identification of mining-induced heavy metal pollution, pollution remediation, etc.

2. In your previous collaborations with MDPI, what impressed you the most?
Dr. Elisa Laita: In my previous collaborations with MDPI (as an author, reviewer, and currently as a Guest Editor), I have been most impressed by the efficiency of the editorial process, and I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the scientific community.
Dr. Chongchong Qi: One of MDPI’s major advantages is its fast peer-review process, made possible by the dedication of both the Editorial Office and the reviewers. When timely publication is crucial—such as supporting students’ graduations—MDPI is among the top choices.

3. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
Dr. Elisa Laita: I think that mineralogy will continue to be central for addressing global challenges in the coming years. The role of certain critical raw materials in green technologies will gain importance. I also think that advances in analytical techniques will open new avenues for exploring minerals at micro- and nanoscale levels.
Dr. Chongchong Qi: Today, AI is revolutionizing every stage of research—from idea generation and experimental design to data analysis and manuscript writing. I am confident the minerals community will experience the same transformation, with AI-supported minerals exploration, extraction, utilization, and recycling.

4. As the winner of this award, would you like to take a moment to share your thoughts with our readers or express gratitude to those who have played a significant role in your research accomplishments?
Dr. Elisa Laita: I am very grateful for this award, and I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have supported me through my academic journey. Thank you to my colleagues and mentors at the University of Zaragoza (Spain), as well as to my colleagues from the University of Jaén (Spain) and IPREM (Pau, France) for their guidance, dedication, and support.
Dr. Chongchong Qi: This award means a lot to me, as it offers an invaluable opportunity to present my research at such a prestigious conference. I am deeply grateful to the many wonderful people who have supported me along the way—especially my wife and sons, my supervisors at the University of Western Australia and Central South University, and my friends for their encouragement and assistance.

We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Richard DiMarchi Indiana University, USA	Prof. Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University, USA. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. DiMarchi is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He is recognized for his contributions to the discovery and development of rDNA-derived Humulin®, Humalog®, rGlucagon®, and Forteo®. His academic research has broadened the understanding of glucagon and incretin physiology and pioneered the discovery of single-molecule multi-mechanism agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The central element to success has been the chemical vision and technology to install within single molecules simultaneous agonism at related G-protein coupled receptors, coupled to the counter-intuitive discovery that glucagon and GIP agonism could synergize the therapeutic efficacy of GLP-1. These peptides and their conceptual approach have transformed the management of excessive body weight to a condition comparable to how hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, and excess cholesterol are medicinally managed.
“Professor DiMarchi was recognized by the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members as being an exceptional leader in the medicinal chemistry of peptides and proteins of natural origin, and as a pioneer in the field of chemical biotechnology. His very important discoveries have led to breakthroughs in new drugs related to the therapy of diabetes and obesity. He has been named as an inventor on a very large number of patents, and he has had initially a highly successful scientific and administrative career in industry, which was followed by over two decades in academia as a distinguished professor.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee
Rolf Müller Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Infections Research (HZI), Germany; Saarland University, Germany	Prof. Rolf Müller is the Founding and Managing Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University, Germany. Having received his training from the University of Bonn, he held research positions at the University of Washington, USA, and Braunschweig University of Technology, Germany, prior to his appointment as professor to Saarland University. His laboratory has dedicated itself to the exploration of bacterial natural-product biosynthetic pathways for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in working with myxobacteria and other microbial producer strains. Starting from the isolation and characterization of new microorganisms, the scope of work includes microbiology-, biotechnology-, bioinformatics-, and chemistry-based approaches to exploit these isolates as sources of new drugs with a special focus on novel anti-infectives. Müller and his team apply a variety of state-of-the-art analytical methods and biological assays to perform biological and chemical characterizations of the identified compounds. Prof. Müller has received several awards, including the prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the PHOENIX Pharmacy Research Award, the DECHEMA Prize, and the Inhoffen Medal, as well as being an elected member of acatech, Leopoldina, and the German Academy of Sciences and Literature.
“The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members were highly impressed by the truly outstanding past and ongoing contributions of Professor Müller in both microbial natural products isolation chemistry and in biosynthesis, as well as in the development of lead compounds for their potential in treating human diseases, through his global connections with various major funding agencies. He is also a dedicated teacher who has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and he has lectured on his research in countries all over the world.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee

The achievements of Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller highlight the transformative impact of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. We congratulate them and invite the global academic community and public to join us in celebrating their significant contributions.

2024 Award Committee
Committee Chair:

• Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ohio State University, USA.
  

Committee Members (listed in alphabetical order):

• Prof. Angelo Fontana, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy;
• Prof. Binghe Wang, Georgia State University, USA;
• Dr. Diana Pinto, University of Aveiro, Portugal;
• Prof. Hideaki Kakeya, Kyoto University, Japan;
• Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel, University of Strathclyde, UK;
• Prof. Thomas Prisinzano, University of Kentucky, USA
• Prof. Wei Li, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA.

About the Tu Youyou Award:
The 2024 Tu Youyou Award includes a total monetary prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs and a medal for each recipient. Established in 2016 to honor the pioneering spirit of Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, the Tu Youyou Award is an international award honoring exceptional scholars dedicated to the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website.

MDPI will be attending the Goldschmidt2025 Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, which will take place from 6 to 11 July 2025. The conference will focus on geochemistry and related subjects. The annual meeting is held by the European Association of Geochemistry and the Geochemical Society. The meeting will bring together more than 3,500 researchers to discuss groundbreaking science. Goldschmidt2025 will provide a fantastic networking opportunity for sponsors and exhibitors, with access to leading geochemists, key academic purchasers, and graduate students in both a professional and vibrant social setting. If you are attending the conference, please visit booth #42; our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Geosciences (leading);
• Minerals (leading);
• Geographies;
• Energies;
• Hydrology;
• Earth;
• Atmosphere;
• Quaternary;
• Nitrogen.

We are pleased to share that Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has received an increased CiteScore of 4.4 in June 2025. The CiteScore ranks the journal 75 out of 330 titles (Q1) in the “Geology” category, an impressive achievement for a journal running in Volume 15.

You can find more statistics on https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/stats.

The current CiteScores measure the average number of citations within a journal over a four-year window (2021–2024). The Scopus database provides a comprehensive suite of metrics that support informed publishing strategies, research evaluation and enable benchmarking of journal performance.

This achievement reflects the collective efforts of our authors, reviewers, and editors. Together we will continue to track the progress of Minerals and its growing impact in mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, and economic geology.

From 27 April to 2 May 2025, MDPI joined the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly in Vienna, Austria, welcoming over 20,984 attendees from 120+ countries at booth 02 in the Entrance Hall. This landmark event featured 18,934 presentations across 1,102 sessions, with 56% of abstracts contributed by Early Career Scientists (ECSs)—a testament to the vibrant future of geosciences.

Academic Engagement: Dialogue and Collaboration

Meet the Editors-in-Chief
We hosted two insightful sessions with editorial leaders from top journals:

• April 28: Prof. Dr. Stephen Macko (Editor-in-Chief of Nitrogen) and Prof. Dr. Zhong Lu (Editor-in-Chief of GeoHazards);
• April 29: Dr. Tommaso Caloiero (Section Editor-in-Chief of Hydrology) and Prof. Dr. Rui A. P. Perdigão (Section Editor-in-Chief of Climate).

These discussions fostered meaningful connections between attendees and editors, strengthening our commitment to supporting scholarly exchange.

Environmental and Earth Sciences Journals Editorial Board Meeting

Award Ceremonies: Honoring Innovation

Remote Sensing Travel Award
On April 30, Dr. Nicola Nocentini (University of Padua and University of Florence) received the award from Associate Editor Prof. Dr. Fabio Tosti. Following the ceremony, Dr. Nocentini shared insights into an exclusive booth interview.

Geosciences Best Paper Award

Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe (Section Editor-in-Chief of Geosciences) presented the award for the paper “Improving the Estimation of the Occurrence Time of an Impending Major Earthquake Using the Entropy Change of Seismicity in Natural Time Analysis”—a groundbreaking study on earthquake prediction.

Interactive Highlights: Fun and Engagement

Raffle Games
Attendees enjoyed lively prize draws, with customized gifts adding a playful touch to scientific networking.

Quick Q&A Sessions
Topic-based quizzes sparked friendly competition, turning academic curiosity into interactive fun—even hesitant scholars joined the excitement!

Looking Ahead: Advancing Open Science

Participating in the EGU General Assembly constituted a profoundly enriching experience. Through this engagement, we engaged in profound dialogues not only with authors, reviewers, and members of the Editorial Boards associated with MDPI, but also were afforded the invaluable opportunity to disseminate our institutional mission to emerging scholars.
As an entity steadfastly committed to fostering open scientific exchange across all academic disciplines, MDPI reaffirms its unwavering dedication to advancing global scholarship. We earnestly look forward to prospects of connecting with researchers from around the world, collaborating in unison to expand the frontiers of knowledge and advocate for the practices of open science.

We are thrilled to share the updated Exceptional Reviewers List 2025. This program was designed to recognize and honor scholars who have delivered consistently exceptional review reports to our journal. Committed to fostering rigorous research and promoting knowledge exchange, Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) recognizes the significant role our reviewers play in maintaining the quality and integrity of the articles we publish. According to surveys conducted in 2024, 92% 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 Minerals’ 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 April 2025. Each quarter, we will be selecting a group of outstanding reviewers and will introduce them here.

Q1
Name: Dr. Anna Chiara Tangari
Affiliation: University of Calabria, Italy

Name: Dr. Liuhua Yang
Affiliation: Affiliation: Henan Polytechnic University, China

Name: Dr. Andrzej Kozłowski
Affiliation: University of Warsaw, Poland          

Name: Dr. Mauro Cesar Geraldes
Affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Name: Dr. Alanielson Ferreira
Affiliation: University of Brasília, Brazil

Name: Dr. Rodrigo Magalhães De Carvalho
Affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Name: Dr. Caibin Wu
Affiliation: Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, China

Name: Dr. Srecko Stopic
Affiliation: RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Name: Dr. Igor S. Peretyazhko
Affiliation: Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Russia           

Name: Dr. Xue-Ming Yang
Affiliation: Manitoba Geological Survey, Canada

Name: Dr. Huawen Cao
Affiliation: Kunming University of Science and Technology, China          

Name: Dr. Xiyao Li
Affiliation: Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Name: Dr. John Puffer
Affiliation: Rutgers University, NJ, USA              

Name: Dr. Agata Duczmal-Czernikiewicz
Affiliation: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza, Poland
“Reviews are usually a challenge for me, because of the variety of research topics and modern research methods used by the authors. I appreciate the good cooperation with the editorial team.”

Name: Dr. Marc A. Vallée
Affiliation: Geo Data Solutions GDS Inc., Canada
“Reviewing is a learning experience”.

Name: Dr. Vladimir N. Kuleshov
Affiliation: Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
“Reviewing for Minerals is a rewarding experience that allows me to support high-quality research and stay up to date with the latest advances in various areas of geological science. My goal is to support authors in refining their work to meet the high standards of the journal and to promote the dissemination of high-quality scientific knowledge.”

MDPI is excited to collaborate with Toronto Metropolitan University to host an engaging Scientific Publishing Workshop aimed at empowering scholars with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in academic publishing. This workshop will delve into the key aspects of MDPI’s open access publishing framework, offering an in-depth exploration of journal selection, the editorial workflow, and the essentials of publication ethics. Participants will also gain practical advice on improving their scientific writing and effectively addressing reviewer comments, with guidance from an experienced professional. This session promises to equip attendees with valuable skills to elevate their publishing journey.

Workshop Highlights:

• Learn How to Better Write and Structure a Research Article;
• How to Choose Where to Publish Academic Work;
• How to Respond to Reviewer Comments;
• Reasons for Rejection During Pre-Check;
• How to Navigate Through Ethics and AI Use.

Date: 15 May 2025
Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Venue: Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

MDPI will be attending the Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2025 in Chiba, Japan, which will take place from 25 to 30 May 2025. The conference will focus on the theme of “Earth and planetary sciences”.

The annual meeting held in May is a major event related to Earth and planetary sciences in Japan. It is a valuable opportunity to develop various fields in Earth and planetary sciences through presentations and discussions, and to promote interdisciplinary and inter-researcher exchanges. The hybrid format is a mechanism that allows for diverse forms of convention participation. The conference will continue with the hybrid format this year with some revisions. International research exchanges, which had been temporarily stagnant, have become much more active, and the number of overseas participants in the JPGU Meeting has been increasing. If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth; our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Quaternary (leading);
• Geotechnics;
• Geomatics;
• Geographies;
• Atmosphere;
• Climate;
• Geosciences;
• GeoHazards;
• Remote Sensing;
• Mining;
• Land;
• Earth;
• Minerals;
• IJGI;
• Fossil Studies.