The Data Science and Engineering Journal (DSE) been created about two years ago as a forum for original results in research, design, development, and assessment of technologies that timely address relevant challenges in data and data-intensive applications. The journal has had an impressive start with several invited papers addressing fundamental challenges in data technologies and covering novel data-intensive applications. The journal has also hosted issues with best papers selected from renowned international conferences. During its first years, the journal has also received a large number of regularly submitted papers that were carefully reviewed by the editorial board in order to assess their suitability for publication in DSE. DSE has been very selective, and only the best papers among the submitted ones have been accepted for publication. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all volunteers that have been involved in various aspects of the development of DSE contents: the authors, the editors, and the DSE staff.

I am also very happy to announce some important changes in the DSE leadership. Professor X. Sean Wang has joined DSE as Editor-in-Chief. His strong research track and leadership experience will be instrumental in taking DSE forward. Professor Bin Cui, who was already serving as associated managing editor, has stepped up to take the role of managing editor. His managerial skills and research experience will ensure that all processes involved in the selection of papers for DSE be efficiently managed. Their bios are enclosed below. I would like also to extend special thanks to two key colleagues who have been involved in the creation of DSE and who have now stepped down from their roles in DSE: Professor Jianzhon Li, one of the two founding DSE Editors-in-Chief, and Professor Lizhu Zhou, the founding managing editor of DSE. Without their constant work, DSE would not have been possible. We hope that they will continue to be involved in DSE.

We are currently working on identifying novel exciting research topics for thematic special issues. We hope that you will consider submitting your research papers to DSE. Enjoy this issue and the forthcoming ones.

Elisa Bertino (Purdue University)

Editor-in-Chief

X. Sean Wang is Professor at the School of Computer Science, Fudan University. He received his PhD degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California in 1992. Before joining Fudan University in 2011, he was the Dorothean Chair Professor in Computer Science at the University of Vermont between 2003–2011 and Assistant/Associate Professor in the Department of Information and Software Engineering at George Mason University during 1992–2003. He has published widely in the general area of databases and information security, and was a recipient of the US National Science Foundation Research Initiation and CAREER awards. His research interests include database systems, data analytics, and information security.

figure a

Managing Editor

Bin Cui is a professor in the School of EECS, Peking University. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from National University of Singapore in 2004. His research interests include database system architectures, query and index techniques, big data management and analytics. He is serving as secretary general of China Computer Federation Technical Committee on Databases and Trustee Board Member of VLDB Endowment. He was awarded Microsoft Young Professorship award (2008), CCF Young Scientist award (2009), Second Prize of Natural Science Award of MOE China (2014), and appointed as Cheung Kong distinguished Professor by MOE China in 2016.

figure b