Purdue scientists make top
100 list
By Terra Dassau
Staff
Writer
Four Purdue scientists are among the top 100 in
engineering and chemistry, according to the Institute for Scientific
Information's most highly cited lists.
These lists define a researcher's success in terms
of how often other scientists reference a particular scientific paper
that the researcher wrote.
The institute assembled these lists based on the
number of citations a particular scientist had from 1981 through 1999.
The Web site of all highly cited scientists and their biographical information
can be found at http://isihighlycited.com.
The four Purdue researchers who qualified for this
honor are P. Suresh Chandra Rao, professor of civil engineering; Raymond
Viskanta, professor of mechanical engineering; and Michael Weaver and
Graham Cooks, professors of chemistry. Each of these scientists is considered
to be within the top one-half percent of researchers worldwide.
Aside from the researchers, Purdue and the departments
of engineering and chemistry also benefit from this award. Viskanta
said, "It reflects well on Purdue."
In fact, Purdue has more highly cited chemists
and engineers than any other public institution in the Big Ten Conference.
Indiana University, for example, has only two representatives, one chemist
and one engineer.
According to Weaver, a scientist's presence on
the list shows that his or her work is influential on the scientific
community.
Cooks agreed and said the listing is important
because it is quantitative, not just a measure of who the researcher
knows. All four of Purdue's representatives are well-established in
their respective fields and have hundreds of publications to prove this.
Rao came to Purdue in 1999 after being recruited
to "establish an interdisciplinary program in environmental engineering
and science." He has broad research interests that cover basic science,
applications and service, including water quality issues and industrial
waste remediation.
"I believe in the translation of academic work
to real things," said Rao.
Viskanta has been at Purdue since 1962. His main
research focus is radiation/heat transfer and applied thermodynamics.
One of his papers has been cited over 700 times. Viskanta said papers
such as this are often highly cited because they concern "research and
development driven by the needs of society."
Weaver has been a member of the chemistry faculty
since 1982. He said, "Being on the citations list means what you're
doing is being picked up by people."
He attributes his presence on the list to his hardworking,
enthusiastic graduate students who have done all of the work that has
been cited. His research interests include fundamental studies on electrochemical
surfaces.
Cooks has been at Purdue for 30 years and studies
mass spectrometry. He believes his research is highly cited because
"mass spectrometry is a peculiar combination of a tool and a fundamental
science wrapped into one. It is an exponentially growing subject."
Cooks said he believes Purdue's presence on the
list is good for the University and the analytical chemistry program.
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