The Department of Geography and Environment has once again proven its academic prowess with ten of its researchers ranked among the world’s most cited scientists in the 2023 Stanford/Elsevier list. Now in its seventh year, the prestigious ranking identifies the top 2% of scientists globally, based on their scholarly impact.
In a year that has seen heightened competition and increased scrutiny of academic influence, the Department’s stellar performance stands out. LSE had 135 researchers included in the 2023 list, with Geography and Environment continuing from last year’s success and contributing an impressive 8.1% of that total.
Notably, Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Eric Neumayer, Vernon Henderson, Michael Storper, Neil Lee, Riccardo Crescenzi, Stephen Gibbons, Hyun Bang Shin, Simon Dietz, Liz Robinson and the late Sylvia Chant all secured their places among the most cited scholars worldwide.
Leading the pack at LSE
The 2023 ranking, which focuses on citations for the year, confirmed Andrés Rodríguez-Pose as LSE’s top researcher and the institution’s only representative in the top 1,000 scientists globally. His work in Urban and Regional Planning continues to set the global benchmark, as he also ranks as the top scholar in this field worldwide.
Within LSE, the Department’s academics feature prominently among the institution’s highest-ranked researchers. Eric Neumayer, Vernon Henderson, and Michael Storper all joined Rodríguez-Pose in the top 10 of LSE’s internal ranking.
Lifetime contributions recognised
In the career-long citation rankings, which account for the entirety of a researcher’s academic contributions, Eric Neumayer takes the top spot at LSE. His long-standing research in environmental economics, politics and policy remains extremely influential and has earned him this distinguished recognition. Michael Storper and Andrés Rodríguez-Pose follow closely behind, ranked third and fourth respectively, highlighting the depth of academic talent within the Department.
Global impact and ongoing excellence
The annual Stanford/Elsevier list, which uses data from the Scopus database and is curated by Elsevier’s ICSR Lab, evaluates researchers based on a variety of metrics, including citation counts and h-indexes, to measure academic influence. The 2023 rankings provide further evidence of LSE's Department of Geography and Environment as a global leader in cutting-edge research.
The inclusion of ten of its members in this prestigious list —and their high standing within LSE’s internal rankings— underlines the Department's continued commitment to research excellence. The strong presence of academics from the Department in both year-specific and career-long rankings underscores the lasting and current impact of their work on global scholarship.