10 UNO Faculty Rank Among World’s Top Researchers

Ten current and former faculty members from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) have been recognized among the top two percent of cited researchers worldwide, according to an ongoing study from Stanford University and Elsevier.

UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, emphasized the alignment of these achievements with UNO's commitment to impactful research.

"This report underscores UNO's longstanding dedication to advancing knowledge that resonates locally and globally," Li said. “Our faculty’s remarkable impact on research highlights their commitment to generating insights that address complex topics and enhance our quality of life.”

The study, updated annually, assesses over six million scientists and ranks more than 195,000 based on citation metrics. Researchers are recognized for either their career-long impact or their single-year contributions in 2023.

The database ranks researchers across 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields, assessing their output, citation frequency, and other measures of research influence.

Seven UNO faculty members achieved high rankings in the single-year impact category, and seven were recognized distinguished for career-long impact. Three UNO faculty members were recognized in both categories.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity Sara Myers, Ph.D., also praised the faculty’s dedication.

“Our researchers exemplify a standard of excellence that reflects UNO’s spirit of research, discovery, and innovation,” Myers said. “This recognition is a testament to their hard work, innovative ideas, and enduring contributions to their fields.”

Faculty Members Recognized for 2023 Impact

Single-Year Impact

• Roni Reiter-Palmon, Ph.D., distinguished professor of industrial/organizational psychology, director of the graduate industrial/organizational psychology program, and director of innovation for the Center for Collaboration Science.

• Nick Stergiou, Ph.D., distinguished community research chair in biomechanics and professor and director of the Biomechanics Research Building and the Center for Research in Human Movement Variability.

• Justin Nix, Ph.D., distinguished associate professor and Master of Arts program coordinator for the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

• Tara Richards, Ph.D., David Scott Diamond professor, and professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

• Benjamin Steiner, Ph.D., former professor of criminology and criminal justice.

• Andrea Grover, Ph.D., associate professor of information systems and quantitative analysis.

• John P. McCarty, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biology and former director of environmental studies.

Career-Long Impact

• *Nick Stergiou, Ph.D., distinguished community research chair in biomechanics and professor and director of the Biomechanics Research Building and the Center for Research in Human Movement Variability.

• John “Jack” Shroder, Ph.D., professor emeritus of geology and geography, as well as emeritus faculty for the Center for Afghanistan Studies.

• *Roni Reiter-Palmon, Ph.D., Ph.D., distinguished professor of industrial/organizational psychology, director of the graduate industrial/organizational psychology program, and director of innovation for the Center for Collaboration Science.

• *John P. McCarty, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biology and former director of environmental studies.

• Zhu Quiming, Ph.D., computer science professor.

• Wang Zhenyuan, Ph.D., professor emeritus.

Last month, UNO announced Maverick investigators had secured more than $40 million for research and creative activity for the second consecutive year.