Zeadally named among world’s most highly cited researchers for 2022

Sherali Zeadally, professor in the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information’s School of Information Science and a 2016-2017 University Research Professor, has been named among the world’s most highly cited researchers in 2022 by Clarivate, an insights and analytics company focused on innovation.

The prestigious Highly Cited Researcher list is published annually with Zeadally making the list for the third year in a row. He is also the only researcher from the University of Kentucky who has appeared on the list in the past three years. Zeadally is one of 115 computer science researchers across the globe recognized this year and one of only 11 computer science researchers from the United States.

Clarivate’s list recognizes the world's most influential researchers for their exceptional performance in 21 fields of the sciences, social sciences and a cross disciplinary category. Honorees demonstrate significant and broad influence in their fields through publication of multiple, highly cited papers in the past 10 years. These highly cited papers rank in the top 1% by citations for a chosen field or publication year in the Web of Science.

Of the world’s population of scientists and social scientists, those named to the list are one in 1,000, meaning fewer than 0.1% of the world's researchers have earned this exclusive distinction.

“We continue to be proud of Dr. Zeadally for this exceptional achievement,” said Dean Jennifer Greer of the College of Communication and Information. “He is highly prolific, and this honor shows that he is among the elite researchers in his field making an impact worldwide.”

Zeadally’s expertise is in the areas of cybersecurity, privacy, the internet of things and computer networks. He has published more than 470 peer-reviewed publications out of which over 345 have appeared in peer-reviewed academic journals/magazines. He has received more than 60 awards, honors and prestigious fellowships for his research, teaching and service in his career.

“This award is an honor, not just for me but for all the hardworking, talented researchers around the world with whom I have collaborated with over the last two decades. I feel extremely lucky to work with these colleagues to produce very relevant and high-impact research results which other researchers in the field use in their research endeavors. For me, research quality and impact will always drive my research efforts. I thank my colleagues at the University of Kentucky and my family for all their support and encouragements in my research over the years which make such awards possible," Zeadally said.

David Pendlebury, Head of Research Analysis at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate, said, “Research fuels the race for knowledge and it is important that nations and institutions celebrate the individuals who drive the wheel of innovation. The Highly Cited Researchers list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers who are having a significant impact on the research community as evidenced by the rate at which their work is being cited by their peers. These individuals are helping to transform human ingenuity into our world’s greatest breakthroughs – and it is an honor to celebrate their achievements.”