A statistics educator at St Anthony”s College in Shillong, Meghalaya, Sanku Dey has been named to Stanford University“s list of the top 2% of scientists globally for the fifth consecutive year. With only three months remaining until his retirement, Dey”s achievement is a significant milestone in his career. Out of the 1.17 crore researchers assessed worldwide, approximately 2.34 lakh made it onto this prestigious list, which includes 23,549 statisticians. Dey secured the 54,006th position overall and ranked 267th among statisticians.
The recognition highlights his contributions in the fields of mathematics and statistics. Notably, he is the first individual from Northeast India to attain this distinction. His rankings have fluctuated over the years, starting at 1,04,260 in 2021, then moving to 1,07,863 in 2022. In 2023, he improved his position to 51,491 but experienced a slight decline to 57,410 in 2024.
The Stanford 2% list is a collaboration with Elsevier, a Dutch academic publishing house that specializes in scientific, technical, and medical information. The evaluation process utilizes standardized bibliometric metrics such as total citations and h-index scores, relying on data from the Scopus database. This list serves to identify researchers who have made substantial impacts in their fields, representing the top 2% of scientists globally.
Dey pursued his postgraduate studies in statistics at Gauhati University. Growing up as the youngest of five siblings in Kharupetia, a small town in Assam”s Darrang district, he developed a passion for statistics during his undergraduate studies. Reflecting on his love for the subject, he remarked, “It was only when I was doing my honours in the subject that I fell in love with it. I cannot tell you why I pursued my education in statistics. I just picked it. Now when I ask my students this question, even they cannot give me an answer.”
His teaching career, spanning three decades, includes positions at Kokrajhar College, Gauhati University, Banaras Hindu University, and King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. Dey has been at St Anthony”s College since 2000, where he currently leads the Department of Statistics.
As Dey approaches retirement, his continued recognition in the academic community underscores his dedication and influence in the field of statistics.
