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Posted: 11/18/21

TAMIU Regents Professor Dr. Nereu Kock Recognized as one of Top 2% Researchers in the World in 2021 Stanford List

 

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A Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business faculty member has been recognized as one of the Top 2% Researchers in the World in a 2021 Stanford University research innovation center list.

TAMIU Regents Professor Dr. Nereu Kock was recognized in a publicly available database of over 100,000 top scientists compiled by a team led by Dr. John P.A. Ioannidis, Stanford University Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS) co-director.

The selection is based on the top 100,000 by C-score, with and without citations, or a percentile rank of 2% or above. In the list, scientists are classified into 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields. Metrics and selection criteria are listed here.

Dr. Kock said he is honored to have been included in the prestigious list.

"I feel much honored to have been included," he said, "I also feel that my inclusion is another reason for students to choose TAMIU, since clearly, we can do impactful research here, which is increasingly important for students at all levels – undergraduate, masters’ and doctoral."

 Dr. Nereu Kock

Dr. Nereu Kock

 

As a faculty member, Kock has been essential to the success of TAMIU's Ph.D. program in International Business since 2004.

A native of Brazil, his research has explored biological evolution as an influence on electronic communication and collaboration, and methods for multivariate data analyses. His interest in the former has led to his development of media naturalness theory, which has 1280 citations on Google Scholar.

His interest in the latter has led to his development of WarpPLS, a nonlinear multivariate data analysis software that has been used in such widely different fields as accounting, epidemiology, exercise physiology, finance, and global environmental change.

Most recently, a group of TAMIU business doctoral students published their academic paper utilizing the software Kock created. Details about their paper can be found.

The strong, research-oriented environment at TAMIU's Sanchez School of Business has encouraged faculty to engage in impactful research over the years, Dr. Kock said.

"The A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business has progressively become more research-oriented over the years, particularly so since the arrival of our current Dean, Dr. R. Stephen Sears," he said, "I arrived at TAMIU in 2003, and was deeply involved in the establishment of our Ph.D. Program in International Business Administration."

He continued, "The Program was officially approved soon after, in large part due to the tireless efforts of State Senator Dr. Judith Zaffirini. Having such a Program creates the type of environment that drives faculty involved in it to do impactful research."

Kock shared his thoughts on some of the characteristics of a competitive researcher.

"They try to emulate great scholars, creative thinkers, and creative artists, like: Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Vincent van Gogh," he said, "Impactful research, scholarship, and art are all about creativity."

He said he advises those who would like to become top world researchers to emulate great scholars and creative thinkers.

"They have tackled difficult and fundamental problems of major importance, as opposed to doing research for research's sake," he said, "Also, if you are successful, even moderately successful, be prepared for some unpleasant consequences."

He concluded, "For example, you will be plagiarized regularly, and competing researchers will criticize your work. You will need to have a thick skin. In the end things work out fine."

For more information, please contact TAMIU's Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu or visit offices located in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.

Registration for TAMIU's Wintermester 2021 and Spring 2022 courses is currently underway.

Detailed information is available here: https://www.tamiu.edu/newsinfo/2021/10/tamiu-spring-reg21.shtml

For more information, contact the Office of the University Registrar at 956.326.2250, email registrar@tamiu.edu or visit offices in the University Success Center, suite 121.