KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 1, 2024 – Distinguished professors Renee Hobbs, Ed.D, communication studies, Brett Lucht, Ph.D, chemistry, and Brian Krueger, Ph.D, political science and associate dean to the College of Arts and Sciences, were recently recognized as Top Scholars based on ScholarGPS, the world’s most comprehensive scholarly analytics platform. This ranking places them in the top 0.5% of scholars in their area worldwide.
“This achievement made by faculty members of the College of Arts and Sciences exemplifies their outstanding research and commitment to their areas of expertise. It’s imperative to have faculty research of this caliber in the classroom to inspire students to push boundaries and think big,” said Jeannette E. Riley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Hobbs is a trailblazing educator, author, and media literacy advocate who has dedicated her life to empowering individuals of all ages to navigate the complex landscape of information, entertainment, and persuasion. She has published more than 150 scholarly and professional publications on digital and media literacy education, digital learning, contemporary propaganda, and copyright and fair use. Hobbs is the author of 12 books on media literacy education.
She is also founder and director of the Media Education Lab, whose mission is to improve the quality of media literacy education through research and community service.
“I am thrilled to be recognized as a Highly Ranked Scholar and am proud to have made a contribution to the development of media literacy as an interdisciplinary subfield that contributes to the disciplines of both communication and education,” said Hobbs.
Lucht is a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society (2022) and a pioneer with his research on the chemistry of lithium-ion batteries. Lucht has published over 170 manuscripts, two book chapters and holds nine patents. He has been an invited or keynote speaker at over 100 companies, universities, national laboratories, and international conferences. He has also mentored more than 100 students including over 40 graduate students, 30 undergraduate students, 20 postdoctoral fellows, along with several visiting students.
Krueger’s work began in the late 1990s when he chose to study the internet’s influence on U.S. political behavior. Over the years he has authored or co-authored several books and articles dealing with political participation, political mobilization, the impact of new technologies on political behavior, survey research, government domestic monitoring, and emotions. His work has been funded by various agencies including the National Science Foundation, and he has won multiple national research awards through the American Political Science Association. Based on the ScholarGPS data, Krueger is in the top 99.9% of scholars working in the internet and politics.