“Significant Contributions to Learning:” Baylor Faculty Among Most-Cited Researchers

It’s a measure of pride for Baylor that 44 current or retired faculty appear in a prestigious Stanford database highlighting the world’s most-cited researchers, recognizing the top 2% of scholars whose work has been cited by other researchers. While clearly a positive statistic, what exactly does it mean in practice? In short, the list is a measure of impact and a sign of positive contributions to further knowledge.

“Inclusion on this list says to a scholar, ‘Hey, other people are taking your ideas seriously and engaging with your work,’” said Peter Klein, Ph.D., W. W. Caruth Endowed Chair, professor of entrepreneurship and chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation. “We’re all building on ideas of people who have come before us, and if someone comes and builds on our ideas, that means we’ve contributed something — like bricks to a building, you’ve added something foundational to what comes next.”

Baylor faculty on the list represent the STEM fields, business, humanities, religion, nursing and beyond, meaning students throughout Baylor learn from elite faculty and researchers — and even contribute to their success.

“One of my highly cited papers actually springboarded out of a class I teach here at Baylor on electric and hybrid vehicles,” said Annette von Jouanne, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering. “One of my students chose to write a paper on Li-Ion Battery Technologies, and it ended up being very good. After the semester, we expanded it into a journal paper, and the resulting paper was awarded the journal’s ‘paper of the year’ with more than 770 citations. This process was very meaningful to me both in seeking to create great opportunities for students as well as providing insights that researchers around the world found to be helpful.”

Klein and von Jouanne are just two of the 44 Baylor faculty recognized, a number that demonstrates far-ranging impact as a byproduct of Baylor’s continued growth as a preeminent Christian research university.

“It’s a recognition of Baylor’s continuing ascension into the ranks of elite research institutions,” Klein says. “Baylor faculty are making deep and significant contributions to learning, and having so many faculty on this list shows our scholars are playing in the big leagues.”