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November 13, 2026
A total of 194 current and former University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers rank among the world’s most influential scientists, according to the 2026 Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists list.
The annual publication identifies researchers whose published work has had significant influence in their fields, as measured by citations from other scholars. Inclusion indicates that a researcher’s work ranks among the most frequently cited in their discipline worldwide.
Current and former Nebraska researchers and affiliates on the 2026 ranking include 73 from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; 59 from the College of Arts and Sciences; 40 from the College of Engineering; 16 from the College of Education and Human Sciences; three from the College of Business; two from the College of Architecture; and one from the College of Law.
The complete list, organized by college, is available below. Because researchers’ institutional affiliations in the database can vary, some Nebraska researchers may not be listed under the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Researchers included in the Elsevier rankings but not on the list below should contact Troy Fedderson at tfedderson@unl.edu or 402-472-8515.
The rankings draw on publication and citation data from Scopus, an international research database. The 2026 update includes career-long research impact through 2025, as well as citations received in 2025.
The analysis considers several measures, including total citations, h-index, co-authorship-adjusted impact and researchers’ positions on published papers. These measures are combined into a composite indicator, known as the c-score, to assess research influence.
Researchers are classified across 20 scientific fields and 174 subfields. The database includes the top 100,000 scientists by composite score, as well as researchers who rank in the top 2% of their respective subfields. The 2026 edition is based on an Aug. 1, 2026, snapshot of Scopus data.
Citation rankings provide one measure of research influence but do not capture every aspect of research quality or impact. Nebraska researchers also contribute to advances in agriculture, health, engineering, technology and other areas that affect communities in Nebraska and beyond.
Stanford University and Elsevier, a Netherlands-based information and analytics company, collaborate on the annual database. The project is led by Stanford professor John P.A. Ioannidis and uses Scopus data to compile standardized citation indicators for researchers worldwide.
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