19 researchers working at the laboratories of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) are among the 5 best in Spain in their respective disciplines, according to the ranking prepared by the Grupo para la Difusión del Índice h (DIH) using data from the ISI Web of Knowledge scientific publications database.
This ranking is built upon the h-index, a system for measuring the scientific quality of researchers based on how many times their articles have been quoted. The h-index, suggested by Jorge Hirsch (University of California, San Diego), establishes that a scientist has an index of h if he/she has published h papers with at least h quotations each.
The ranking provides a specific classification for each of the seven areas of knowledge in which it is divided (biology, health sciences, earth sciences, physics, mathematics, chemistry and technology, and engineering and applied sciences), indicating both each researcher’s h-index and his/her h-factor (i.e., the ratio between the scientist’s h value and the average h value of those researchers included in the ranking corresponding the field to which he/she belongs).
Javier Martí, Rubén Ruiz, Avelino Corma and Sebastián Martorell, leaders in Spain
Thus, four UPV researchers rank first in their respective disciplines. Javier Martí, who is the director of the Nanophotonics Technology Centre, tops the ranking in the field of electrical and electronic engineering, with an h-index of 31 and an h-factor of 1.55. Rubén Ruiz, who works at the Computer Technology Institute, leads the operational research and management ranking, with an h-index of 20 and an h-factor of 1.54. Avelino Corma, a CSIC research professor at the UPV-CSIC Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), is the Spanish scientist with the highest h-index (111) and the highest h-factor (2.27), and leads the physical chemistry ranking. And finally, Sebastián Martorell, a researcher at the Environment and Industrial Safety Group, ranks first in industrial engineering (with an h-index of 18 and an h-factor of 1), and also ranks fourth in operational research and management.
Seven more researchers, all connected to the UPV, on the podium
Three more UPV researchers have ranked second: Raúl Payri, from the CMT-Heat Engines Institute, in mechanical engineering (18 and 1.29); Jordi Payá, from the Concrete Science and Technology Institute (ICITECH), in building and construction technologies (24 and 1.14); and also Antonio Monforte, who is a scientist at the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP), a UPV-CSIC joint centre (25 and 1.19).
In addition, four other researchers also connected to the UPV ranked third: Hermenegildo García (ITQ), in the discipline of physical chemistry (h-index 69, h-factor 1.41); Mª Victoria Borrachero (ICITECH), in building and construction technologies (21, 1); Jaime Lloret, from the UPV Gandia Campus, in telecommunications (10, 0.91); and Jaime Gómez, a researcher at the Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering, in water resources (16, 1.22).
CMT-Heat Engines, IBMCP and ICITECH stand out
In the field of mechanical engineering, Francisco Javier Salvador, from the CMT-Heat Engines Institute, ranks fourth (16, 1.14); also fourth are Francisco Bosca, a CSIC research scientist at the ITQ, in biophysics (93, 1), and Sebastián Martorell, in operational research and management, as we noted earlier.
Finally, six other UPV scientists have ranked fifth in their respective disciplines: José Duato, from the Parallel Architectures Group, in computer science – theory and methods (0.94, 16); Ramón Serrano (IBMCP), in biochemistry and molecular biology (60, 1.22); Santiago Elena, a CSIC research professor at the IBMCP, in virology (40, 0.95); José María Monzó (ICITECH), in building and construction technologies (18, 0.86); and José Mª Desantes and José Ramón Serrano, both from the CMT-Heat Engines Institute, in mechanical engineering (14, 1).
30 UPV scientists are among Spain’s top 10 in their respective disciplines
If one takes into account the top 10 in each discipline, 11 additional UPV scientists (all ranking between sixth and tenth) can also be found in the list. Thus, Ramón Martínez Máñez, the director of the Research Centre for Molecular Recognition and Technological Development, and José Ramón Serrano, from the CMT-Heat Engines Institute, rank sixth in multidisciplinary chemistry and thermodynamics, respectively.
Moreover, Jaime Gimeno and Francisco Payri, both also from the CMT-Heat Engines Institute, rank seventh in mechanical engineering. And Agustín Blasco (from the Institute for Animal Science and Technology, in animal science – dairy products), Pedro Albertos (ai2 Institute, in automation and control) and Santiago Elena (IBMCP, in genetics and heredity) all rank eighth.
Alberto Ferrer (a researcher at the Multivariate Statistical Engineering Group), Ricardo Flores (a CSIC research professor at the IBMCP) and Vicente Fornés (a CSIC research professor at the ITQ) rank ninth in statistics and probability, virology, and physical chemistry, respectively. And finally, closing the ranking of Spain’s UPV-connected scientific elite, Daniel Pastor, from the Institute for Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications, is tenth in electrical and electronic engineering.
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