title: Is there a glass ceiling for highly cited scientists at the top of research universities?
abstract: University leaders aim to protect, shape, and promote the missions of their institutions. I evaluated whether top highly cited scientists are likely to occupy these positions. Of the current leaders of 96 U.S. high research activity universities, only 6 presidents or chancellors were found among the 4009 U.S. scientists listed in the ISIHighlyCited.com database. Of the current leaders of 77 UK universities, only 2 vice-chancellors were found among the 483 UK scientists listed in the same database. In a sample of 100 top-cited clinical medicine scientists and 100 top-cited biology and biochemistry scientists, only 1 and 1, respectively, had served at any time as president of a university. Among the leaders of 25 U.S. universities with the highest citation volumes, only 12 had doctoral degrees in life, natural, physical or computer sciences, and 5 of these 12 had a Hirsch citation index m < 1.0. The participation of highly cited scientists in the top leadership of universities is limited. This could have consequences for the research and overall mission of universities.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, 45110, Greece. jioannid@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: John P A
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ioannidis
mesh_terms: D007857:Leadership; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*