A Tribute to Thomas W. Riggs, MD, PhD

Thomas W. Riggs, MD, PhD: Thomas W. Riggs, MD, PhDIt is with heartfelt gratitude that we pay tribute to Dr. Thomas W. Riggs, who retired from his post as Deputy Editor for Statistics at Obstetrics & Gynecology on December 31, 2024. Prior to his service at the Journal, Tom had a long and distinguished career as a pediatric cardiologist. During the course of his career, Tom was a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University and served as Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at William Beaumont Hospital. Tom has a natural curiosity and developed an interest in biostatistics. He went on to obtain a master's degree in biostatistics and a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Michigan. This was followed by postgraduate training in computer simulation and a postdoctoral fellowship in computational biology. After his “first retirement” from clinical medicine, Tom joined the Journal in 2013 and has served for more than a decade as our statistical editor. Tom's contributions to the Journal and the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology have been nothing short of exemplary. At the Journal, all quantitative studies undergo statistical review. At the time of this writing, Tom had completed an astounding 5,362 article reviews! Equally impressively, the median time for Tom to complete a review is 1 day. Tom sets the standard that our editors and reviewers strive to attain. During Tom's tenure at the Journal, there has been a remarkable evolution of the specialty, which is reflected in the science that we receive. There has been a greater understanding of genetics and molecular biology across the specialty, a proliferation of “big data” sources and studies using novel quasi-experimental methodology, development of more sophisticated methods to design and analyze randomized controlled trials, a renewed focus on qualitative research and patient-reported outcomes, and, most recently, the emergence of artificial intelligence. Tom is called upon to review it all. Tom has navigated these challenges and developed the Journal's guidelines for statistical analysis. Tom has the remarkable ability to navigate through complex analyses and hone in on the most salient details of a manuscript and to suggest practical ways to strengthen the work. We've heard time and again from authors that the statistical comments provided have strengthened their work. Not infrequently, Tom highlights issues that were not identified by other reviewers or editors. To know Tom is to know his quick wit and keen intellect. His amiable personality and good-natured sarcasm often bring levity to our weekly editors' conference calls. Tom frequently shares puzzles, logic questions, and problem-solving challenges with our team of editors. These are usually child's play for Tom but stump the rest of us until we can reason through to a solution. Tom is also a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. When Tom shares updates about his family, he beams with pride at the latest academic achievements and accomplishments of his grandchildren. Clearly the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. For all of us at the Journal, Tom has been not only a colleague but also a friend and a mentor. Over the past decade, Obstetrics & Gynecology has undoubtedly been a better journal because of Tom. His work has strengthened the science we have published and helped to advance women's health care and the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. As Tom begins his second retirement, we express our gratitude and wish him and his family all the best. Jason D. Wright, MD Editor-in-Chief