Howley Researchers Among World's 'Most Cited' in Newest Stanford List

by Jeff Martin

Fifty-three current and emeriti faculty members from across Drexel's Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing appear in the latest edition of a Stanford University database that identifies the top 2% of scientists in their fields. The group spans the School of Engineering, the School of Computer and Information Sciences, and the School of Biomedical Engineering and Science.

Stanford researchers compile the database each year using standardized citation metrics. It includes two lists: a single-year list that measures the impact of citations received in 2025, and a career list that measures impact across a researcher's full body of work. Scientists are classified into 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields, and ranked both overall and within their primary subfield.

Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Distinguished University and Charles T. and Ruth M. Bach Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, ranked second in the world in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology on the 2025 single-year list and 25th among all scientists across all disciplines. On the career list, he ranked fourth in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Gogotsi co-discovered MXenes, a family of two-dimensional carbides and nitrides, in 2011. His group also develops nanomaterials for energy storage devices, including electrochemical capacitors, and pioneered methods for synthesizing and modifying carbon nanotubes and nanodiamonds.

Michel W. Barsoum, PhD, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, ranked fifth in the world in Materials on the single-year list and 159th among all scientists. On the career list, he ranked fourth in Materials. Barsoum is known internationally for his work on MAX phases, a class of layered materials, and on MXenes, the two-dimensional materials derived from them. He also discovered ripplocations, a mechanism by which layered solids deform.

Chaomei Chen, PhD, professor of Information Science in the School of Computer and Information Sciences, ranked first in the world in Information and Library Sciences on the single-year list and 329th among all scientists. On the career list, he ranked third in Information and Library Sciences. Chen studies information visualization, visual analytics and the mapping of scientific knowledge. He developed CiteSpace, a widely used tool for detecting emerging trends in scientific literature, and is the author of Mapping Scientific Frontiers .

Steven M. Kurtz, PhD, research professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering and Science and director of the Implant Research Core, ranked fourth in the world in Orthopedics on the single-year list. On the career list, he ranked ninth in Orthopedics. Kurtz studies how orthopedic, spine and cardiovascular implants perform in patients, drawing on retrieved implants and national health care databases. His work also covers the mechanics of joint replacement materials and how implants interact with bone.

“A citation means that another researcher is engaging with and building on our work,” said Aleksandra Sarcevic, PhD, associate dean for research strategy. “With 53 of our faculty among the most cited researchers in the world, it is clear that the knowledge created here is informing research across many fields and helping move that work forward.”

Other Howley College researchers featured on the 2025 career or single-year list are listed below with their primary Stanford subfield and the list or lists on which they appear.

Biomedical Engineering and Science (BIOMED)

Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (CAEE)

Computer Science (CS)

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)

Information Science (IS)

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (MEM)