The rankings are based on the D-index (Discipline H-index), which measures discipline-specific research impact using bibliometric data from leading international databases, including OpenAlex and CrossRef.
Celebrating this achievement, Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, says: “We congratulate Profs Daryl Codron, Peter Taylor, and Emmanuel Carranza on their international recognition in the 2026 Research.com rankings, a reflection of the UFS’ commitment to research excellence, global impact, and the co-creation of responsible societal futures. This achievement reinforces our institutional vision of creating knowledge that matters through innovation, collaboration, and transformative postgraduate research. The work of our researchers in biodiversity, ecology, and earth science demonstrates how African scholarship can shape global scientific conversations and solutions.”
Recognition reflects international impact and collaboration
Prof Paul Oberholster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, says the recognition reflects the faculty’s growing international research profile and the sustained quality of its scholarly output.
“The University of the Free State continues to produce research that is globally visible, scientifically relevant, and internationally competitive across a wide range of disciplines,” he says.
Research advances biodiversity, conservation, and environmental understanding
Prof Peter Taylor, the Afromontane Research Unit’s (ARU) first Professor in Residence and a staff member of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, says the recognition serves as both a personal and professional affirmation of decades of research and collaboration.
“This is a nice surprise to me personally and a validation professionally, in that your passion for your subject pays, and that the sum is greater than the parts in terms of broad and strategic scientific collaboration and postgraduate student mentorship,” he says.
Prof Taylor's most influential research has focused on African mammalogy, including scientific reference works on bats and rodents, the economic value of bats to agriculture, and ecologically based approaches to managing pest rodents in Southern and East Africa.
He believes that advances in genomics, including DNA metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA), are transforming ecology and evolution research, with applications ranging from biodiversity monitoring and conservation to integrated pest management in agriculture.
Prof Daryl Codron from the Department of Zoology and Entomology says his focus has increasingly shifted towards mentoring the next generation of scientists.
“I am therefore motivated much more by my students’ awards, achievements, publications, and scientific discoveries than my own,” he says.
According to Prof Codron, research conducted in sub-Saharan Africa often contributes important perspectives to ecological and evolutionary theory, much of which has historically been developed from studies in North America and Europe. He says research in African ecosystems can reveal patterns and processes that might otherwise remain undiscovered.
Prof Codron emphasises that Ecology and Evolution research is essential for understanding and sustaining the natural processes that support life.
“Conservation means preserving not only life, but also the ecological and evolutionary processes that support life,” he says.
“At the UFS, we believe that impactful scholarship must serve society, deepen scientific understanding, and contribute to a more sustainable future for Africa and the world. We are especially proud of the strong culture of mentorship and student development reflected in this recognition, as we invest in the next generation of researchers and thought leaders. As a research-led university, the UFS remains committed to producing knowledge in service of humanity, environmental stewardship, and social progress,” remarks Prof Vasu Reddy.