Meet the Elsevier Energy Books Team

The team

• Edward Payne - Renewable energy, solar energy, wind power, and energy storage

• Peter Adamson - Bioenergy, hydropower, ocean/marine renewable, hydrogen, fuel cells, and energy efficiency

• Rachel Pomery - Power engineering, power electronics, power systems, power markets

• Fran Kennedy-Ellis - Oil and gas in transition, geothermal and thermal engineering

• Megan Ball - Nuclear energy

I started at Elsevier in 2015 as an Editorial Project Manager, before joining the Materials Science and Engineering team as Acquisitions Editor in 2017. Here, I managed our Plastics Engineering / Polymer Science portfolio, growing a substantial and high-quality research-led program, and later took on additional responsibility for our Nanotechnology portfolio, as well as co-ordinating the team’s efforts to enhance their alignment with sustainability.

I am passionate about understanding and supporting sustainability, sustainable development, and the energy transition, and so I jumped at the opportunity to join the Energy team as a Senior Acquisitions Editor for Renewable Energy. It is wonderful to be able to partner with international leaders, organizations, and individuals who are involved in crucial research that supports the energy transition and shapes a hopeful future. I enjoy building rewarding relationships with potential authors and editors, helping them to develop a successful book concept and to make the most of the book publishing process, as part of our Renewable Energy program.

Beyond this, I am committed to inclusion and diversity, and particularly gender equity, as co-lead of an internal group looking to support increased gender balance and female representation in our author base. I am also actively involved in mentoring, both as a mentor and mentee, and support other internal activities that promote learning & development. Outside of work, my passions include languages (I am a French and Spanish speaker), running, tennis, and reading.

I joined Elsevier in 2018 as an editorial project manager and was responsible for developing upwards of 60 book titles each year while maintaining our international publishing partnership with ISTE Press. In addition, I was part of the Acquisition Editor apprenticeship scheme, have been actively involved in new Open Access initiatives, and identified and led improvement initiatives for multiple internal and external workflows. I quickly joined the Energy team in 2019 and began overseeing our alternative energy portfolio and manage growth and delivering publications to customers in a timely manner via print and electronic distribution. My specialties include contract negotiation, editorial development, and managing relationships with experts in the area. I graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a BS in geological and earth science/geoscience, a Master of Science in paleobiology from University of Bristol, and a PhD in paleobiology from the University of Cambridge.

I look forward to hearing from you on your book proposal ideas and how we can partner together!

I joined Elsevier’s Energy Team in 2022. I am excited to come to Elsevier at this pivotal time in energy – honored to be a part of a team dedicated to publishing with purpose, supporting our authors in leading the charge towards sustainability. Together, we can advance clean energy solutions to preserve planet earth for future generations.

My publishing experience includes serving as Editorial Assistant at Texas Tech University Press (TTUP), Technical Publications Manager for the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Assistant Director at The University of Texas’s Petroleum Extension Service (PETEX), and Director of Publishing Initiatives for the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC).

I hold a B.A. in Creative Writing and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University. When I am not being a word nerd, I’m nuts about nutrition and wellness. I enjoy spending time outdoors trail running, hiking, and at happy hour with my husband (a microelectricalmechanical engineer), or walking and bird watching with our son, who just graduated from high school and is navigating life as a neurodivergent adult on the Autism spectrum. We adore our pet budgerigar!

I believe in giving back to my community through volunteer service and charitable giving. I am half Spanish, grew up in a bilingual home, and am proud of my cultural heritage. As a woman, daughter of an immigrant, and parent of a young adult on the Autism spectrum, I am dedicated to DEI, human rights and disability advocacy. Sustainability matters to me – I recycle and compost, and find joy in supporting Food Bank Farm, which combats regional food insecurity by growing fresh veggies for area food banks.

I am passionate about people and building relationships. The most rewarding aspect of working in publishing is the opportunity to collaborate with brilliant subject matter experts the world over. It has been a great honor to work with energy industry leaders. This work is a source of sustaining joy for me.

I am eager to co-develop best-in-class content that supports Elsevier’s Energy with Purpose initiative. I look forward to receiving your book proposal ideas. Cheers!

I have been with Elsevier since 2019, starting as an Editorial Project Manager, before embarking on a secondment as an Acquisitions Editor on the Energy team in 2020. After a short stint in Textbooks, I returned to the Energy team to manage the Power Systems list. In all these roles I have hugely enjoyed getting to work with academics and professionals who are pushing the boundaries of research. The Energy list offers an opportunity to get real insight into our possible futures, and it never stops being exciting to me that I am supporting that process.

I graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge with a BA in English and an MPhil in Medieval Literature; I also published an article in Vol.43.2 of the Journal of Modern Literature in 2020. These experiences mean I have good insight into my authors’ pressures and priorities, and I always aim to be compassionate and flexible, with the ultimate focus on sharing your work with those it benefits. I still read voraciously and enjoy learning about anything I can. Elsewhere in my life, I spend as much time outside as possible, or curl up to knit with a cuppa and my trusty cats.

I am always delighted to hear from authors who have work to share; together we can help your research to make the impact on the future that it deserves.

Megan holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Journalism from Framingham State University and a Master of Science Degree in Interactive Communications from Quinnipiac University. Prior to Elsevier, Megan worked for the Focal Press imprint at Taylor and Francis and prior to that, at Jones and Bartlett Learning where she filled various editorial roles. Megan joined Elsevier in August 2015 as an Acquisitions Editor.  She was promoted to Senior Acquisitions Editor in June 2017 and to Executive Editor in June 2021, following a six-month secondment as acting Publisher for the Agricultural, Biological, and Food Sciences team. Most recently, Megan’s been appointed the Publisher for the Energy portfolio where she works alongside her acquisitions colleagues to commission strategic content for the scientific community.

When she’s not working or chasing her toddler, you’ll find Megan sipping a latte at a beloved coffee shop planning her family’s next adventure, vacation, or dinner party. Megan resides in Hudson, Massachusetts with her husband, Patrick, and their son, Jack.