Thirteen distinguished faculty members from Georgia Southern University were ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists. This list, published annually by Elsevier and Stanford University, recognizes the world’s top scientific researchers. The featured faculty are conducting cutting-edge research in disciplines ranging from glass science to cybercrime prevention.

Georgia Southern’s research enterprise has grown tremendously in the last few years, even setting an institutional record for total research expenditures of over $43 million in FY ‘24. Bolstered by an unwavering commitment to discovery, creativity and innovation, the University is on track to achieve R1 status, the highest level of research activity, in the next three to four years.

Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Weindorf, Ph.D., P.G. is among the faculty recognized and is humbled to be included. He sees his colleagues’ inclusion as indicative of an already prosperous research culture with ample opportunities for growth. 

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to work alongside some of the best and brightest at Georgia Southern,” said Weindorf. “I’m delighted our diligent efforts have resulted in such esteemed and well-deserved recognition. While I am grateful to be included in this list, I want to thank all those faculty who inspire me every day and continue to push us forward as we strive to elevate our University and the larger community.”

The Georgia Southern faculty included on the 2024 list are: 

Arda Yenipazarli, Ph.D., Professor of Operations Management, Parker College of Business

Yenipazarli’s research navigates the intersection of sustainable operations and strategic business practices. Through integrated marketing-operations and finance-operations models, he examines how investments in green technology and sustainable practices can go beyond regulatory compliance to drive profitability and strengthen competitive positioning. 

His work encompasses consumer behavior, eco-labeling, remanufacturing, and the broader economic impacts of sustainability, demonstrating how companies—whether traditional profit-maximizing firms or dual-purpose corporations like B-Corps—can transform environmental commitments from obligations into strategic advantages. He also investigates the role of government policies in promoting a ‘geo-green’ strategy that enhances energy efficiency and clean-tech innovation, addressing environmental challenges while fostering economic growth.

Read more about Yenipazarli’s research interests.

Allen Amason, Ph.D., Dean, Parker College of Business

With more than 30 years of research experience, Amason is a well-respected figure in academia, particularly in the fields of business management and strategy. He is the author of the popular book Strategic Management: From Theory to Practice and has published more than 40 articles, monographs and chapters in various scholarly outlets.  Read more about Dr. Amason’s research interests.

Adam Bossler, Ph.D., Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Bossler teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in cybercrime, policing, and criminal behavior. His research focuses on applying traditional criminological theories to cybercrime offending and victimization and the law enforcement response to cybercrime.  Some of his work has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Bureau of Justice Assistance, UK Home Office, and the City of Savannah.  In addition to over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, he has co-authored three books, as well as a popular cybercrime textbook. Read more about Bossler’s research interests.

Xiao-jun Wang, Ph.D., Professor of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics 

Wang’s current research focuses on the optical properties and dynamic behaviors of excited states in phosphor materials doped with rare earth and transition metals. These materials have diverse applications, including lighting, display, medical imaging, and optical sensing. He is also deeply committed to his students’ success and enjoys collaborating closely with them on research projects. 

Read more about Wang’s research interests.

Bryan Riemann, Ph.D., Professor of Sports Medicine, Waters College of Health Professions 

Riemann’s research focuses on sports medicine and clinical biomechanics. Much of his work has centered on exercise and rehabilitation biomechanics, muscle dynamometry, and how various exercise modes can mitigate age-related declines in muscle performance and balance.  Currently, he is working on several research projects hoping to help military members improve training and performance while lowering injury risk.

Read more about Riemann’s research interests.

Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health

Fung is an infectious disease epidemiologist with experience in mathematical modeling, data analysis, and digital health. His biggest passion is assisting public health agencies during public health emergencies. Especially active during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was an author on 20+ papers on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and interventions targeting COVID-19. Read more about Fung’s research interests.

Biswanath Samanta, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing 

Samanta is a mechanical engineer whose research covers mechatronics, robotics, control, and artificial intelligence (AI) with applications in engineering and biomedicine. He is the author of two books: Introduction to Mechatronics – An Integrated Approach, Springer, 2023 and Introduction to Digital Control – An Integrated Approach, Springer, 2024. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed research articles that are widely cited. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He currently serves as an Associate Editor of three international journals: ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control, Neuroimaging and Neuromodulation (a specialty section of Frontiers in Neuroimaging), and Sensors. Read more about  Samanta’s research interests.

Dmitry Apanaskevich, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Entomology, College of Science and Mathematics

In addition to being a professor of biology and entomology, Apanaskevich is also an Assistant Curator of the U.S. National Tick Collection housed on Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro Campus. His research focuses on the systematics of hard ticks with particular emphasis on the most taxonomically complex groups of species occurring in America, Africa, Asia and Australia. He has described numerous novel tick species collected all over the globe and published his findings in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. Read more about Apanaskevich’s research interests. 

Mete Akcaoglu, Ph.D., Professor of Instructional Technology, College of Education 

Akcaoglu is recognized for his influential research in designing technology-rich educational environments that promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills in K-12 students. His work, widely cited across educational technology and STEM education, focuses on leveraging game-design and computational thinking to inspire engagement and achievement in STEM. Supported by National Science Foundation grants, Dr. Akcaoglu’s projects have developed innovative curricula that empower both students and teachers to integrate technology into learning in meaningful ways.

Read more about Akcaoglu’s research interests.

Haijun Gong, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing

Gong is a creative researcher and problem solver who aims to maximize efficiency and sustainability in manufacturing. He is particularly interested in 3D printing technologies and their integration into the manufacturing process. 

Read more about Gong’s research interests.

David C. Weindorf, P.h.D, P.G., Vice President for Research and Economic Development, College of Science and Mathematics

Weindorf has worked in more than 30 countries and published more than 200 peer-reviewed research papers in top international journals related to soil/water/compost science, environmental quality assessment, and international translational soil taxonomy. His research team provided emergency responses to the Deepwater Horizon oil and Gold King Mine spills. Read more about Weindorf’s research interests.

José A. Jiménez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physical and Materials Chemistry, College of Science and Mathematics 

Jiménez research interests are mainly in glass science, thin films, inorganic coatings, nanomaterials, optical materials, and energy-relevant materials (e.g. solar cells, Li-ion batteries). His efforts have led to over 130 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and several patent applications. He currently serves as Editorial Board Member for the open-access journals Scientific Reports (Physical Chemistry Division) from the Springer-Nature publishing group and Applied Sciences (Materials Section) from the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI).   

Read more about Jiminez’s research interests. 

Masoud Davari, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing

As an electrical engineer by trade, Davari’s research centers around electric power and electrical energy. Dr. Davari’s technical contributions include devising advanced controls, including adaptive dynamic programming methodologies that deploy various reinforcement learning algorithms in artificial intelligence and resilient-by-design controllers to deal with cybersecurity-related problems and cyberattacks’ impacts, to integrate power electronics and advanced technologies to future/current power and energy systems (smart grids and the grid edge) with different AC/DC architectures. He has developed advanced controls for power electronic converters to address demanding control designs for challenging and problem-causing dynamics, e.g., those in weak grids. Additionally, he has developed and devised many algorithms for state-of-the-art testing based on power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) and control hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) simulations of power apparatuses and controls for power and energy systems in terrestrial and non-terrestrial power networks (e.g., aircraft electrical power systems and shipboard power systems). Davai is the Principal Investigators of four (4) projects worth over $1.17M funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) through the core program of the Energy, Power, Control, and Networks (EPCN) in the U.S. NSF’s Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS) and the U.S. NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE). He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and has published numerous journal articles in different IEEE Transactions/Journals with high impact factors.

Read more about Davari’s research interests.