César Terrer, TianFu Group Career Development Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named to the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list from Clarivate.

The annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research. Each researcher selected has authored multiple Highly Cited Papers which rank in the top 1% by citations for their field(s) and publication year in the Web of Science Core Collection over the past eleven years.

Terrer’s work address major challenges in Earth system science and climate-change research, employing a holistic view of Earth’s global dynamics with a particular focus on plant–soil interactions. By synthesizing field observations and satellite data, researchers in the Terrer Lab work toward two coupled goals: advancing carbon ecology by improving scientific understanding of the processes that regulate terrestrial ecosystems’ capacity to store carbon amid rising CO₂, warming, nitrogen deposition, and shifting water regimes; and developing data-driven strategies to enhance carbon uptake in natural systems. Together, these efforts aim to reduce key uncertainties in climate models and support solutions that can help slow global warming.

“I’m honored to be included in this year’s Highly Cited Researchers list,” says Terrer. “Because this distinction is based on citation metrics, it highlights the relevance of our work in understanding how ecosystems respond to global change. I hope this recognition underscores the importance of advancing rigorous science to inform climate solutions.”

While citation activity plays a role in the selection process, it is not the sole selection indicator. This list, based on citation data, is then refined using other quantitative metrics, as well as qualitative analysis and expert judgment.

Of the world’s population of scientists and social scientists, Highly Cited Researchers are 1 in 1,000.