“If you think about being a patient-oriented researcher, what’s the highest achievement? It is if something you found out changes how that condition or disease is cared for,” said Zadnik, professor of optometry at The Ohio State University and former dean of the College of Optometry.

That career highlight is now matched by one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine: Zadnik’s election this year to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).

Zadnik is being recognized for her pioneering and exemplary contributions in vision science – in particular, identifying the major risk factors for nearsightedness (myopia) onset in children and defining the protective nature of outdoor time on the development of myopia in kids, as well as for her exceptional mentorship and leadership.

“I am really flattered, deeply honored and humbled,” said Zadnik, who holds the Glenn A. Fry Professorship in Optometry and Physiological Optics. “I also love that this brings attention to the area of research and study around this idea that we could treat and possibly even prevent nearsightedness in kids, which occurred during my career development.

“The reason that’s important isn’t so you or I could wear thinner eyeglasses. The tissues in the elongated myopic eye are stretched and fragile, and as we age, we are at more risk for retinal detachment and other sight-threatening conditions late in life. If myopia detection and treatment can slow that elongation, those risks could be decreased.”

The NAM was founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine and is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in the United States. The academies are private, nonprofit institutions that work outside of government to provide objective advice on matters of science, technology and health.

Zadnik is one of 11 current Ohio State faculty members who have been elected to the academy. New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health.

“As a patient-oriented researcher, Dr. Zadnik has transformed the field of optometry and vision science through groundbreaking work to better understand and manage myopia in children,” said John M. Horack, vice president for research at Ohio State. “Her research has improved the eye health of countless young patients, while her extraordinary mentorship and leadership have helped shape the next generation of scientists and clinicians. Her induction into the National Academy of Medicine is a well-deserved recognition of the contributions she has made to science and patient care.”

As the first optometrist elected to NAM, Zadnik said she sees an opportunity to be an ambassador for preventive vision science research in an organization comprising medical doctors, including pediatricians.

“I like to think that on this larger non-optometric stage, I might have opportunities to talk to policymakers, decision-makers and people who take care of children every day,” she said.

The NAM citation also recognizes Zadnik’s leadership in describing the natural history of the ocular disease keratoconus. Early in her career, she led an eight-year study following over 1,200 people with the corneal disorder, which causes the clear “window” at the front of the eye to become conical in shape. The study focused on understanding the trajectory of a disease with an average onset in people who are in their 20s.

“We mapped the course of this rare disease,” she said. “I think the data we gathered and published about the disease and how it progresses, including the risk factors for progression, laid the groundwork for much of what we know about the disease today.”

Zadnik launched her research career while pursuing her PhD in physiological optics at the University of California, Berkeley, and practicing as a clinician-researcher at the University of California, Davis. She joined the Ohio State faculty as an assistant professor in 1996, bringing two significant National Institutes of Health grants with her. One of those, an investigation of risk factors for myopia in children that began at Berkeley but eventually grew into a multicenter study, was funded by the National Eye Institute for 20 years.

Thirty years into her Ohio State career, there’s still plenty of work to do with that study’s findings along with efforts in the College of Optometry and for the university.

“We’re still analyzing data and still publishing papers because we followed 5,000 kids from first grade to eighth grade,” she said. “I’m still teaching, I’m still chairing the Biomedical Sciences Institutional Review Board.”

Zadnik was dean of Ohio State’s College of Optometry from 2014 until June of this year, and held the posts of interim executive vice president and provost and interim dean of the College of Public Health in recent years, as well. She was president of the American Academy of Optometry, the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, and the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. More recently, she was inducted into her high school hall of fame in science and technology – an honor that was more meaningful than she had imagined it would be.

Originally from Kent, Ohio, Zadnik lived and was educated in California for 20 years before moving back to join Ohio State. She recalls an optometry colleague from northeast Ohio who sent an email at that time that said, “It’s time to come home.”

And that is how she continues to think of Ohio and its flagship university.

“Ohio means a lot to me. Ohio State means a lot to me,” she said. “Ohio State and Ohio State Optometry made an academic home for me at a time when that was exactly what my work and career needed, where I could thrive and train graduate students.

“And for the College of Optometry to be right in the center of the health sciences campus – I knew that was going to be good. I just didn’t know how good and how enriching having other health science colleagues and collaborations a stone’s throw away would be. It’s meant the world to me.”

Anant Agarwal, a professor in electrical and computer engineering, Alan Luo, a professor in materials science and engineering and integrated systems engineering, and Dehua Pei, a professor in chemistry and biochemistry, are among the 169 fellows named this year. Their addition brings the number of Ohio State Fellows in the academy to 24.

Being elected to the NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. The 2025 class of fellows represents 127 universities, government agencies and research institutions across 40 U.S. states.

“The research done by Ohio State’s newest National Academy of Inventors fellows underscores our researchers’ role as a beacon of collaboration and progress, while also driving discoveries that directly impact people’s lives,” said John M. Horack, vice president for research. “Their recognition highlights the tangible impact of their innovations, from life-saving medical advances to transformative solutions that shape our future, and we are proud to support their groundbreaking work.”

Anant Agarwal 

Agarwal joined Ohio State in 2017. Previously, he served as the technical adviser for the Wide Bandgap Initiative in the U.S. Department of Energy. Agarwal’s research focuses on developing semiconductor technologies to create more efficient power electronics.

Today, wide band-gap semiconductors have the potential to improve efficiency and reduce energy losses consumption in high-power systems, but Agarwal’s lifelong goal has been to commercialize these technologies to resurrect the domestic power electronics industry.

“This technology is very important for high-power applications, like electric vehicles, power supplies, windmills and grid-level connectivity,” said Agarwal. “I’m excited and passionate about this technology because it will make a difference in people’s lives.”

One of Agarwal’s key inventions is the development of SiC-based MOSFET power devices, a type of transistor that is widely used in power electronic circuits. These devices help steer energy in power converters in systems such as in an electric vehicle.

Although Agarwal has worked to advance semiconductor research since the late ’80s, he said that the U.S. is only beginning to catch up to world leaders in the growing sector. Ohio State is currently one of three universities in the country actively teaching and conducting research in this area, he said.

“This technology will allow a lot of renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind, to transmit energy and electricity over long distances,” said Agarwal. “It’s the perfect technology to change the world.”

Agarwal jointly holds more than 90 patents and has co-authored more than 400 research papers. In 2012, he was elected an IEEE Fellow for his lifetime contributions to Wide Band Gap technologies.

Alan Luo 

Luo joined Ohio State in 2013 after working for 15 years with General Motors Global Research and Development Center. He now leads the Lightweight Materials and Manufacturing Research Laboratory and is Director of the Advanced Casting Research Center at Ohio State.

His research involves developing alternatives to steel by designing lightweight materials, like aluminum, magnesium and titanium alloys for the automotive industry. The core of his work stems from a desire to use science to make real-world impacts, as better transportation benefits all of society. 

“By changing a light metal’s microstructure through adding alloying elements to make it as strong as steel, you can reduce the weight of a transportation product,” he said. “Significantly lighter cars consume less energy, making them more efficient and easier to build.” This applies to both gas and electric cars, as more energy-efficient vehicles mean they could last longer without refueling, and reduced emissions could help lessen the burden on the environment. 

Luo also contributed several new manufacturing processes and developed tools used in  integrated computational materials engineering for vehicle development. He hopes his membership to the NAI inspires the next generation of scientists to continue pushing the envelope in the field. 

Additional recognitions include an R&D 100 Award for his role in developing a lightweight truck engine with General Motors, receiving the USCAR (United States Council for Automotive Research) Special Recognition Award and being an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). To date, Luo has 28 patents and more than 400 technical publications in advanced materials, manufacturing and applications. 

Dehua Pei

Pei joined Ohio State in 1995.  His scientific contributions are centered around combating human diseases with novel therapeutic agents. His research aims to understand the mechanisms behind natural biological processes and then use those discoveries to develop new therapeutic strategies. 

“People have been studying viruses and bacteria for quite some time, but there is still much to learn about how they enter the human cell and cause diseases,” said Pei. Now, Pei’s team has discovered a previously unrecognized and potentially universal cell entry mechanism, a fundamental discovery that has enabled the design of artificial systems that could help with previously untreatable diseases and conditions.  

“Our work is extremely important in terms of practical applications, because if we know how large biomolecules get into the cell, we might be able to take advantage of that mechanism and design cell-permeable biomolecules that could be useful as human therapeutics,” said Pei. “That’s something that the pharmaceutical industry has only dreamed about in the past.” 

Pei’s lab is currently investigating how widely applicable the newfound cell entry mechanism is, and leveraging the mechanism to develop a brand new class of drugs.

“It takes many, many years to make a very important discovery,” said Pei. “One needs to have patience, be ready to work hard and endure the frustrations that come along with it, and if you keep working on it, you can make a difference.” 

His notable recognitions include receiving the Ohio State Innovator of the Year award in 2017, the American Chemical Society Columbus Section Award in 2018, and the Ohio State Distinguished Scholar Award in 2025. He founded or co-founded several biotech companies including Entrada Therapeutics in 2016, where Pei served as its chief scientific advisor between 2016 and 2021. Pei holds 33 U.S. patents.  

The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. This class of Fellows will be honored at the NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4, 2026, in Los Angeles.

NASA’s Human Lander Challenge is an annual competition that invites university groups to explore innovative solutions to help support future astronaut missions to the moon and Mars. This year, participants created solutions for super-cold liquid propellant storage and transfer technologies, critical apparatuses vital to spacecraft propulsion and human life support systems.

Among all entrants, 12 student teams were chosen as finalists and brought to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to showcase their projects. After presenting their prototypes to a panel of NASA and industry experts, the agency announced that the Ohio State group who began their work in March with their project, the autonomous magnetized cryo-couplers with active alignment control (AMCC-AAC), was named Best Prototype. 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott was the overall winner and recipient of a $10,000 award. The second place team, Old Dominion University was awarded $5,000, while the third place team, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, received $3,000.

“Our project is unique in the sense that we want to future-proof the system,” said Max Heil, the team’s project manager and an undergraduate student in aerospace engineering at Ohio State. “If you’re going to colonize Mars, you’re going to need technology that is pretty universal.”

While current technologies allow cryogenic liquids to be stored for short periods, scientists are looking for ways to improve the efficiency and reliability of these systems because long-term human spaceflight will require them to function effectively for weeks or even months.

Unlike other propellant transfer technologies, the AMCC-AAC is designed to eliminate the need for constant human interaction when performing refueling missions in space, said Heil. In space, safely transferring liquid propellant between two spacecraft can be challenging, but this team’s prototype suggests such issues could be solved by using AI to fully automate the process. 

“AI is so adaptable, it can do just about anything,” said Heil. “The beauty of the system is there are different ways that we could utilize it, so that’s why we're really excited about it.” 

Using a combination of LIDAR distance measurements, cameras, onboard human landing system sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms, their system would achieve autonomous coupling via robotic cooling rods. In this way, the Ohio State team’s solution would work to mitigate misalignment during cryogenic docking and reduce opportunities for potential propellant leakage, said Heil.   

Although implementation of these promising technologies may be years away, if adopted, the AMCC-AAC would also benefit NASA’s Artemis Program in its push to return humans to the moon as well as the agency’s planned operation of Gateway, an outpost in lunar orbit that will act as both a scientific hub and fuel outpost for sustained deep space exploration. 

After the event, participants also had the opportunity to connect with other subject matter experts working on NASA’s Human Landing System capabilities. Some reflected on how the chance to polish unique ideas for future spaceflight risks inspired new interest in the field.

“This started as more of a small hobby for me, but Ohio State’s support for space technology and research has turned it into a real passion,” said Zafar Shaik, another member of the team and an undergraduate student in aerospace engineering at Ohio State. “I don’t know if I would have gotten this far without the university’s big push into space.”

Overall, many in the group hope that the experience opens doors for upcoming Ohio State students to get involved in NASA’s Human Lander Challenge and, more widely, helps them jump-start fulfilling careers in the emerging commercial space sector. 

“Ohio State has invested quite a bit into the space industry, and the rise in the amount of people that want to work in it is growing so rapidly,” said Heil. “So to imagine our project could be implemented on future mission systems is really rewarding for our whole team.”

The group was advised by Ohio State’s John Horack, a professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Other engineering members of the team include Rahul Ravishankar, Will Rueter, Kevin Subin, Nishanth Kunchala, Anastasia Anikina, Ryan Endicott, Artur Leonel Machado Ulsenheimer, Shiv Amin and Tejdeep Somi Reddy.

Diaz’s research focuses on using geochemical techniques to investigate the role of ice and glacier meltwater in delivering nutrients to coastal ecosystems, which are critical for local fisheries, and to understand how chemicals are stored in ice as analogs for extraterrestrial environments. Her research, which has allowed her to study geological processes in Antarctica, Greenland and urban systems, and on other planets, bridges the physical, biological and social sciences, with implications for both Earth and faraway planetary systems. 

The CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, recognizes exceptional early-career scientists and scholars from around the globe. This year’s cohort was selected from a highly competitive pool of 232 applicants representing leading institutions across Canada, the United States, Germany, Ireland and Israel. This award recognizes Diaz’s groundbreaking research in polar geochemistry and celebrates her leadership in connecting science to pressing issues. Scholars will participate in four interdisciplinary CIFAR research programs, working alongside internationally renowned experts to explore fundamental questions across science and society.

Diaz’s selection places her among a distinguished group of researchers who will contribute to CIFAR’s Earth 4D: Subsurface Science & Exploration program. It is one of 5 distinct Impact Clusters that address significant global issues. This program’s multidisciplinary team will seek to expand understanding of how life interacts with Earth’s resources, water cycle and climate. They will also study the co-evolution of the planet and life and the implications for planetary exploration and astrobiology.

The CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program is made possible by support from the Azrieli Foundation. Each scholar receives 100,000 in Canadian dollars. The award goes toward unrestricted research funding and access to international collaboration and leadership development opportunities. As equal members of CIFAR’s global research community, the scholars are expected to forge new interdisciplinary paths and contribute to high-impact discoveries.

Diaz earned her PhD from Ohio State in 2020 as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Afterward, she also received a prestigious award for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Postdoctoral Scholar program and later returned to Ohio State with a named professorship as a Provost’s Early Career Scholar Assistant Professor.