USF Sarasota-Manatee Faculty Member Named Highly Cited Researcher 

December 13, 2023 – Sarasota

 Faizan Ali, an associate professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, has been named to the annual Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list. Those on the list are among the top 0.1% cited researchers in the world.

Ali, whose research interests are in the areas of customer experience, human-computer interaction in hospitality and tourism and vulnerable tourists, has published over 175 conference papers and articles in international refereed journals that have received more than 10,500 citations. He is the recipient of several Best Paper awards from international conferences and is a three-time recipient of the Emerald Literati Awards, which recognize the outstanding contributions of authors and reviewers.

Currently, Ali serves on the editorial boards of numerous journals and as the associate editor for the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology and The Service Industries Journal, as well as coordinating editor for the International Journal of Hospitality Management.

“It’s a humbling recognition,” Ali said. “This achievement is not a solo journey. It’s woven with threads of support from amazing friends and mentors in the research community. A heartfelt thanks to my mentor Professor Cihan Cobanoglu for the constant guidance that makes this journey possible.”

Cobanoglu, dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, recruited Ali to USF after meeting him at a conference in Thailand in 2013.

“The USF School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is proud of what Faizan Ali has been doing in the field of research,” Cobanoglu said. “He not only publishes high impact articles in high impact journals, but he also shares his love of research with USF students, faculty and the academic community around the world.”

Also named to the Highly Cited Researchers list was Fred Mannering, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering on the Tampa campus.

David Pendlebury, head of research analysis at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate, said the Highly Cited Researchers list “identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers at the University of South Florida whose significant and broad influence in their fields translates to impact in their research community and innovations that make the world healthier, more sustainable and more secure. Their contributions resonate far beyond their individual achievements, strengthening the foundation of excellence and innovation in research.”

Since 2001, the Highly Cited Researchers list has identified global research scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field or fields of research. However, citation activity is not the sole selection indicator. A preliminary list based on citation activity is then refined using qualitative analysis and expert judgement.