“It started with teaching”: Maggie Hudson, chief editor of PRX Energy, on her path into publishing

Maggie Hudson, a chemist by training, was initially drawn to science by a novel she read in high school.

In People of the Book, “the main character did this in-depth chemical materials analysis of an old manuscript to understand where it came from and all the different people that it touched,” she recalls. “I loved the connection between people, their experiences, and the material world.”

Later, during a summer program in college, Hudson performed her own chemical analyses of paintings and photographs to understand their histories — a full-circle moment fit for its own novel. Eventually, her interests shifted from mysteries of the past to what lies ahead.

“I became interested in where the future of materials science would lead us, and how materials could impact society, which led me into the energy side of things,” she says.

After studying semiconductor quantum dots in grad school, then photocatalysis for a postdoc, Hudson joined the PRX Energy team when the journal launched in 2021. With several years of editing experience under her belt, Hudson has taken the helm as chief editor for PRX Energy, APS’ open access journal for energy and sustainability research.

We sat down with Hudson to learn more about her career, interest in science communication, and ideas for the journal.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

How did you land in scientific publishing?

It started with teaching. I was enthusiastic about teaching in grad school, and loved mentorship. But my postdoc began as the pandemic hit, and in-person teaching wasn't an option. In searching for opportunities, I did a scientific writing internship for the University of Chicago, which exposed me to the idea of working in science communication. It hadn't come across my table before, but it aligned with my interests in communicating scientific knowledge and staying connected to current research.

When my postdoc ended, the American Physical Society was creating PRX Energy and looking to expand their staff at a couple of journals. I applied, then transitioned from my postdoc into an associate editor position at APS. I started simultaneously at three journals, my time equally split between PRX Energy, Physical Review Materials, and Physical Review Applied.

Three journals at once! Was that a lot to handle?

It was a fantastic way to start. I got exposure to more ideas on how to handle papers, and I think it accelerated my understanding of the editorial process. As I move into this new role at PRX Energy, I'm taking with me a lot of experience gained from working at the other journals.

For example, both Physical Review Materials and Physical Review Applied have weekly briefings where we discuss decisions on papers. Seeing that process every week among two editorial teams has really strengthened my approach to manuscripts.

As you’ve shifted more of your time to PRX Energy, what have you been focused on?

I've been focusing more on the energy research and technology community. I go to six or seven energy conferences a year, and as I listen to talks and chat with researchers in the field, I hear more about how we can serve their needs as a journal. The more I've gotten to know the community, the more time I’ve wanted to devote to improving the journal to serve the community.

What’s your favorite part of working with researchers?

I love seeing researchers in the audience get excited about stuff they haven't seen before, and I love hearing their questions. As an editor, I get to see the cutting edge of the field. That's a cool aspect of my job.

My second-favorite thing is connecting with early-career researchers. I mentioned that my focus was teaching and mentorship for much of my education, and you can do that at conferences. As part of the APS community, part of my role has been teaching peer review workshops. I do this at smaller conferences and the Global Physics Summit every year.

Is there an outreach effort you supported that you’re particularly proud of?

The biggest is a collaboration I did with the marketing team at APS, where we developed an online peer review training program. We took the materials we use in our author and reviewer training and adapted them to an online course that's now open to anyone. I wrote all the content for that, and we shared it publicly at the end of 2025.

Which research trends are you watching for PRX Energy?

First is the explosion of artificial intelligence and machine learning. It touches all areas of research, and it intersects with PRX Energy because the computing uses so much energy. Do AI’s benefits to society make up for the energy cost? I don't know, and I'm excited to see the research that figures it out.

Second, I've seen cool recent research on new computing methods that save energy. Researchers are going back to the fundamentals to see where energy is wasted and how paradigm shifts in programming and hardware can reveal more efficient pathways.

I'm also excited about practical energy research, like the newest solar cells and batteries, but I get most excited when advanced energy technology intersects with nitty-gritty physics concepts. PRX Energy’s unique position at that intersection helps these approaches shine.

What do you want prospective authors for PRX Energy to know?

As part of APS, we are, by definition, a physics journal, but we publish the entire scope of energy and sustainability research. A paper for the journal doesn't necessarily have to have physics in it — that's not an expectation when the paper shows up on my desk. But your readers will include more physicists than a typical energy journal. I like to think of PRX Energy as a place to publish energy research that physicists should see.

When you’re not editing or attending conferences, what are you up to?

I work remotely in Portland, Oregon, so you can usually find me outside. I ran in the Portland marathon this year, and I love hiking all over Oregon and western Washington. I also enjoy crocheting gifts for people — that's what I do when it's raining, which is a lot of the year.