UMass Amherst Researchers Highlighted in Research.com’s 2023 Lists of Top Scientists

Nine UMass Amherst faculty members representing six disciplines have been named among the top 100 researchers and academics in their fields in Research.com’s 2023 lists of Best Scientists in the U.S. All received 2023 Leader Awards in their fields. 

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Two UMass Amherst researchers were ranked in the top 20. Baoshan Xing, professor and director of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, made two lists, ranked #15 in the U.S. and #25 in the world in Best Scientists in Environmental Sciences; and #96 in the U.S. and #181 in the world in Best Scientists in Chemistry.  

Joining Xing as a top 20 researcher was David Julian McClements, Distinguished Professor of Food Science, who was ranked #16 in the U.S. and #21 in the world on the Best Scientists in Chemistry list.  

Xing’s research focuses on protecting the environment through maintaining and improving soil and water quality. He and a team were the first to show that nanoplastics – known to pollute oceans, surface waters and soils – also are internalized by plants and reduce lipid digestion in a simulated human gastrointestinal system. Another line of his research involves the application of nanomaterials in sustainable agriculture.  

McClements, a prolific author whose most recent book, Meat Less: The Next Food Revolution, has just been published, is known globally for his pioneering work in food design and nanotechnology. He and a multidisciplinary team at UMass Amherst explore the science and technology – including protein chemistry, soft matter physics, food engineering, sensory science, gastrointestinal fate and gut microbiome effects – behind the design and fabrication of environmentally friendly, plant-based foods that are fortified with nutraceuticals, vitamins, minerals or probiotics to address malnutrition and combat chronic disease. 

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Research.com ranks scientists in various fields based on a transparent process that relies on multiple bibliometric data sources, among other metrics. Thousands of researchers are analyzed in every field. The rankings recognize researchers and academics who are significantly contributing to the advancements in their discipline, according to Research.com founder and chief data scientist Imed Bouchrika. 

Three UMass Amherst researchers in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences were named among the top 100 Best Computer Science Scientists. Donald Towsley, Distinguished Professor, whose wide-ranging research ranges from quantum and classical networking and secure communications to distributed learning and inference, was ranked #21 in the U.S. and #35 in the world. Andrew McCallum, Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Data Science, was ranked #76 in the U.S. and #121 in the world; and W. Bruce Croft, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, former dean and former director of the Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval, was ranked #97 in the U.S. and #154 in the world.  

Among the Best Materials Science Scientists, Thomas Russell – Distinguished Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering and director of Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Polymers – was ranked #28 in the U.S. and #53 in the world.  

Vincent Rotello, Distinguished Professor in Chemistry, was ranked #91 in the U.S. and #202 in the world. 

Muzzo Uysal, chair and professor of hospitality and tourism management at the Isenberg School of Management, was ranked #57 in the U.S. and #97 in the world among the Best Business and Management Scientists. 

Among the Best Scientists in Mathematics, Panayotis Kevrekidis, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, was ranked #90 in the U.S. and #159 in the world.