Scientific Excellence: CRMR Honored Among the World’s Top 2% Scientists!
We are proud to announce that five researchers from the Renewable Materials Research Centre (CRMR) have been recognized in the prestigious World’s Top 2% Scientists list. They appear in the Stanford/Elsevier ranking, which identifies scientists whose publications have had the most significant impact in their respective fields in 2024. This recognition highlights the excellence of their research and their scientific influence on an international scale.
Established by Stanford University in collaboration with the scientific publisher Elsevier, this ranking showcases the most influential researchers within their respective disciplines. Professors Alexis Achim, Ahmed Koubaa, Denis Rodrigue, and Roger Hernández are listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists, while Pierre Blanchet is particularly distinguished, appearing in the Career Top 2%, reflecting the lasting impact and global influence of his entire scientific career.
Pierre Blanchet (Université Laval), holder of the Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Building, director of the graduate programs in Wood Engineering and Bio-based Materials, and regular member of the CRMR, has been listed for the fifth consecutive year among the Career Top 2% of the World’s Top 2% Scientists, highlighting the significance and lasting impact of his work. His research focuses on wood processing, sustainable construction, eco-design, and the durability of materials and buildings. His work actively contributes to innovation in the responsible construction sector by combining scientific expertise with practical applications for a more sustainable future. He is also involved in several research centers (CRMR, CIRODD, CERIEC, CERMA) and participates in the development of policies in forestry and ecological construction.
Alexis Achim (Université Laval) holds the Canada Research Chair in Silviculture Adapted to Climate Change, has been recognized for the second consecutive year in the World’s Top 2% Scientists ranking. He is the scientific director of the Montmorency Forest and a regular member of the CRMR, which he led from 2017 to 2022. Known for his ability to build strategic partnerships with government, industry, and community sectors, he has led innovative projects, including a remote sensing laboratory dedicated to climate-adaptive silviculture and the pan-Canadian Silva21 initiative. He is distinguished by his expertise in enhancing the value of wood fibres for the development of innovative materials, thereby strengthening the position of Université Laval and the CRMR as leaders in wood and forest science.
Ahmed Koubaa (Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue), holder of a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), co-holder of the CorePAN – Bois Consortium, and an associate member of the CRMR, is a recognized expert in wood characterization, biomaterials, and biocomposites. He has distinguished himself by developing innovative materials with properties comparable to structural wood products, notably from wood–polymer composites and agricultural residues. He has also established state-of-the-art facilities for the manufacturing and 3D printing of biocomposites.
Roger Hernández (Université Laval), Associate Member of the CRMR and of the NSERC Strategic Network on Forest Management for Value-Added Products, has been listed for the sixth consecutive year among the World’s Top 2% Scientists. A world-renowned expert in wood science, he has distinguished himself through innovative research on eco-responsible machining, extending the service life of cutting tools, the physico-mechanical behavior of tropical woods, secondary processing of wood products, and the valorization of boreal, temperate, and tropical species. His work directly contributes to industrial innovation and the sustainability of wood processing operations worldwide, exemplifying the excellence and international impact of research at Université Laval.
Denis Rodrigue: full professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and associate researcher at CRMR, has been recognized for the second consecutive year in the World’s Top 2% Scientists ranking. He is known for his significant contributions to materials science and polymer engineering. His research focuses on the development of eco-friendly and sustainable polymers, the recycling of agricultural and flexible plastics, and the valorization of used tire fibers. He is also interested in producing carbon fibers from recycled or bio-based materials, offering innovative solutions to reduce ecological impact while maintaining high performance.
This international recognition is a source of great pride for the entire university community. It highlights our researchers’ ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge in renewable materials and their significant contribution to society through high-impact discoveries.
Congratulations to Professors Alexis Achim, Pierre Blanchet, Ahmed Koubaa, Denis Rodrigue and Roger Hernández for this outstanding distinction, which reflects the excellence and international impact of research at the CRMR. We warmly thank you for your valuable and inspiring contributions.
Source: 𝘌𝘭𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 2024
By: Besma Bouslimi