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Thomson Reuters recently counted five faculty members from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as among the most influential contemporary scientists in the world. Professors James Giovannoni, Maria J. Harrison, Johannes Lehmann, Rui Hai Liu, and Jocelyn Rose made the 2016 Thomson Reuters list of most highly-cited researchers.

Reuters and Clarivate Analytics assembled the list by identifying the scientists whose publications are in the top 1 percent in their fields for journal citations from 2004-14. The honor highlights the extent to which scientists have supported, inspired, or challenged other researchers, according to Reuters.

Top researchers were identified by examining the citations of over 128,000 peer-reviewed papers found in journals, and distinguising those with the highest impact in 22 fields of sciences and social sciences.

A total of sixteen scientists from Cornell made the prestigious list. The CALS professors and their specialties include:

  • James Giovannoni, School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology: Giovannoni researches the molecular and genetic control of fruit ripening. His lab investigates the regulation of ripening using tomato as a model system. Giovannoni is a research molecular biologist and director of the U.S.D.A. Agriculture Research Service lab on the Cornell campus.
  • Maria J. Harrison, School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology: Harrison’s research uses legumes and fungi as models to understand symbiotic relationships that exist between such plants and fungi and how this relationship influences plant phosphorus and nitrogen nutrition. Harrison is the William H. Crocker Professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute.
  • Johannes Lehmann, School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Soil and Crop Sciences: Lehmann’s research and teaching centers on soil biogeochemistry and soil fertility management, with a specialization in soil organic matter and nutrient studies of managed and natural ecosystems.
  • Rui Hai Liu, Department of Food Science: Liu’s research program is focused on diet and cancer. He studies the effects of foods on chronic diseases as well as compounds in natural products and herbal remedies for anti-cancer activities.
  • Jocelyn Rose, School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology: The Rose lab studies the biosynthesis, organization, and function of plant structural polymers, including those of the cell wall and cuticle, and their roles in organ development and environmental interactions.

Giovannoni, Lehmann, and Liu have all made the list in previous years. Look through the current list using Reuters’ searchable database and read more about the methodology used in creating it here.

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