10 UNO Faculty Rank Among World’s Top Researchers

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is home to some of the world’s leading researchers in biomechanics, criminal justice, industrial/organizational psychology, and more.

➡️ What’s new: Ten current and emeritus faculty members from UNO have been recognized among the top two percent of cited researchers worldwide, according to an ongoing study from Stanford University and Elsevier.

💡 Why it matters: The prestigious list ranks 100,000 of the world’s leading researchers who have made a substantial impact on their respective fields through their citation influence across 22 scientific fields and 174 sub-fields in 2024.

🎤 What they’re saying:

• Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA: “This global recognition speaks volumes about the caliber of scholarship at UNO and about our mission to transform lives through impactful, community-engaged research. Congratulations to this year’s class of Top 2% researchers and thank you for commitment to excellence in education and innovation.”
• Phil He, Ph.D., Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: What inspires me the most about this year’s class of scholars is how these individuals are cultivating a new, empowered generation of scholars. Their mentorship raises the bar, fuels our competitive spirit, and adds to our momentum as a growing research institution. We’re grateful for the vision, creativity, and commitment they bring to our university and its mission.
• Sara Myers, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity: “This recognition sends a powerful message to the academic world: world-class research happens here in Omaha. What stands out this year is how many of these honorees are driving community-engaged research that defines UNO’s research identity. Our scholars are addressing real-world challenges and producing knowledge that impacts people in our community in direct, meaningful ways.”

Top 2% Faculty

Career impact:

• John C. Price, Ph.D., English professor.
• *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.
• *John “Jack” Shroder, Ph.D., professor emeritus of geology and geography, as well as emeritus faculty for the Center for Afghanistan Studies.
• *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.
• L. LaReesa Wolfenbarger, Ph.D., professor emerita of biology.
• Qiuming Zhu, Ph.D., computer science professor.
• Zhenyuan Wang, Ph.D., professor emeritus in math.

*Also recognized for single-year impact

Single-year impact:

• Justin Nix, Ph.D., distinguished associate professor and Master of Arts program coordinator for the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
• Jorge M. Zuniga, Ph.D., associate professor of biomechanics.
• H. Andy Zhong, Ph.D., Ralph Wardle Diamond Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry