HWS News
21 April 2026 • Research Perkins Earns Global Scholar Recognition
One of just seven scholars worldwide — and in the top 0.05% — Professor Emeritus of Sociology H. Wesley Perkins recognized for lifetime impact in alcohol abuse research.
In January, Professor Emeritus of Sociology H. Wesley Perkins received notice that he was once again internationally recognized as one of the few scholars receiving the 2025 designation of “Highly Ranked Scholar - Lifetime” by ScholarGPS® in the specialty of alcohol abuse.
Since 2022, ScholarGPS has ranked scholars and institutions worldwide based on their publications across fields of study and specializations. Perkins has received the Lifetime Highly Ranked Scholar honor in alcohol abuse each consecutive year from 2022 through 2025. The recognition cites his “exceptional productivity, noteworthy impact and quality of scholarly work,” placing him in the top 0.05% of scholars in the specialty worldwide.
In 2025, only seven scholars were selected from more than 16,000 peers globally who have authored multiple publications on alcohol abuse. The rankings are based on publicly available data and a composite metric that considers publication output, citation impact (excluding self-citations), and overall scholarly quality as measured by the h-index.
On March 3, 2026, Perkins was also invited to speak as a guest in a national webinar, in conversation with Patty Ferssizidis, Ph.D., of ADAPT. Titled “‘Normalizing’ the Sharing of Positive Youth Norms: Activating a Community-Level Approach,” the event drew more than 900 participants from across the United States. Perkins provided an overview of the social norms approach to prevention and answered questions on how community-wide strategies can expand the reach and impact of media campaigns aimed at reducing youth substance use.
The webinar was sponsored by ADAPT (A Division for Advancing Prevention & Treatment) within the Center for Drug Policy and Prevention at the University of Baltimore, along with the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
