MDPI Reviewer Club 2025 | Environmental & Earth Sciences Session 1
the chair
Welcome to the MDPI Reviewer Club 2025 | Environmental and Earth Sciences Session 1.
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Date: 04 September 2025
Time: 9:00 am CEST | 3:00 pm CST Asia | 5:00 pm AEST
Webinar ID: 832 7869 9405
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Linas Balčiauskas
State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre / Laboratory of Mammalian Ecology;
Linas Balčiauskas: PhD in zoology/biology,1988, Dr Hab in biology, 2008. Current employment: leading researcher and the Head of the Laboratory of Mammalian Ecology in Nature Research Centre, Lithuania. Teaching as professor in Vilnius University. Research experience: hoofed, semi-aquatic, carnivore and small mammal ecology, threatened and invasive species, spatial distribution, habitat analysis, population management and computer modeling, biodiversity and ecological diversity, road ecology, human dimensions of mammals. Publication record: over 300 peer-reviewed publications, including 115 research papers in SCI/SCIE journals. Presentation record: over 200 presentations at national and international conferences. Reviewing record: from 2000, reviewed about 150 papers. Reviewing for MDPI: 106 finished reviews, 98 reviews decline. Editorial record: 2000–2025, Editor in Chief, Assistant editor, Managing Editor, member of Editorial board, member of Topical Advisor Panel, Guest Editor of 8 Special Issues.
Dr. Edgaras Linkevicius
Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology,, Department of Forest Sciences, Bioeconomy Research Institute;
Edgaras Linkevičius, a Doctor of Forestry Sciences from Dresden University of Technology, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles and conference papers focused on forest management, climate change adaptation, and sustainability. His research includes:
• Impact of Competition on Tree Growth: A study on how competition for space affects the growth of pine trees.
• Thinning Regimes: Research on how different thinning regimes influence the growth dynamics of Scots pine and Norway spruce stands in Lithuania.
• Climate Change & Tree Adaptability: Investigations into how climate change affects the growth of tree species like common juniper, beech, and Scots pine in Lithuanian forests.
• Sustainability & Biomass Production: Assessments of the sustainability of wood- and concrete-based building materials, as well as modeling biomass production in plantations.
• Forest Policy: A publication linking forest policy issues with decision support tools in Europe.
Dr. Vahdettin Demir
KTO Karatay University, Türkiye;
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vahdettin Demir is a faculty member at KTO Karatay University, Department of Civil Engineering. He completed dual bachelor's degrees in Civil and Geomatics Engineering at Gümüşhane University and received his MSc and PhD from Ondokuz Mayıs University. His research focuses on hydraulic modeling, drought and flood analysis, AI-based forecasting, and GIS-supported decision support systems. Dr. Demir has authored over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, which have received more than 1500 citations. He actively serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for various SCI/SCI-E indexed journals. He has participated in multiple national and international projects, including Horizon Europe and TÜBİTAK-funded programs, in roles such as coordinator and senior researcher. His interdisciplinary work addresses climate resilience, digital twin technologies, and nature-based solutions.
Sponsors and Partners
organizer
The webinar was hosted via Zoom and required registration to attend. The full recording can be found below. In order to learn about future webinars, you can sign up to our newsletter by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of the page.
Watch the full recording below:
|
Speaker |
Presentation Title |
Time in CEST |
Time in CST Asia |
|
Mr. Daniel Varga |
Introduction |
9:00–9:10 am | 3:00–3:10 pm |
|
Dr. Linas Balčiauskas |
Is reviewer a gatekeeper: who rejects, who accepts, and on what grounds? |
9:10–9:30 am |
3:10–3:30 pm |
| Dr. Edgaras Linkevičius |
How to make a good review? |
9:30–9:50 am |
3:30–3:50 pm |
|
Dr. Vahdettin Demir |
From Scale to Originality |
9:50–10:10 am |
3:50–4:10 pm |
|
Q&A |
10:10–10:30 am |
4:10–4:30 pm |
|
|
Mr. Daniel Varga |
Closing of Webinar |
10:30–10:40 am |
4:30–4:40 pm |