Eight Lamar University faculty recognized among World’s Top 2% of Scientists

Eight Lamar University faculty and former faculty members have been named among the world's top 2% of scientists in their academic disciplines, according to the latest rankings released by Stanford University and Elsevier.

The 8th edition of the World's Top 2% of Scientists List, published on Sept. 19, 2025, identifies researchers whose work ranks in the top two percent globally based on citations and scholarly impact. The data include two categories: career-long impact through the end of 2024 and citations for the single most recent year, 2024.

For career-long impact, the following Lamar University faculty were recognized:

• David L. Cocke(retired, Chemical Engineering)
• Che Jen Lin(Civil and Environmental Engineering)
• Xuejun Fan(Mechanical Engineering)
• Marjan Goodarzi(formerly a student in Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University, not currently affiliated)
• Suying Wei(Chemistry)
• Carl L. Yaws(retired, Chemical Engineering)
• Abdelnasser Eldek(Electrical Engineering)
• Gene L. Theodori(Sociology)

For single-year citation impact in 2024, the following Lamar researchers were recognized:

• David L. Cocke(retired, Chemical Engineering)
• Xuejun Fan(Mechanical Engineering)
• Marjan Goodarzi(formerly a student in Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University)
• K.C. Manchaiah(formerly in Speech and Hearing Sciences, left Lamar in 2022)

"This prestigious recognition underscores the dedication of these researchers and the exceptional quality and impact of their work," Dr. Gene Theodori, associate provost for academic & research administration said.

The comprehensive database, compiled by Stanford University and published by Elsevier, analyzes standardized citation metrics across disciplines to identify researchers who have demonstrated consistent influence within their fields.

The full 2025 dataset can be accessed on Elsevier's Digital Commons website at https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/8.