University Distinguished Professors make unique and highly impactful contributions to OSU, the nation, and the world through their scholarship, creative work, teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students.
2026 University Distinguished Professors
John (Jack) Barth, University Distinguished Professor of Oceanography
Dr. Jack Barth is a professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and an internationally recognized oceanographer and leader in ocean observing and marine policy. Since arriving at OSU in 1987, he has advanced theory, modeling, and observations of coastal upwelling and its bio-physical impacts, and has served as chief scientist on 20+ expeditions. A global pioneer in using autonomous profiling gliders, he has helped quantify nutrient and larval transport and coastal hazards such as hypoxia. He has published 140+ peer reviewed articles and is a Fellow of The Oceanography Society and the American Meteorological Society. He co-founded NANOOS and co-led the NSF OOI Endurance Array.
Lecture: Dr. Cox's University Distinguished Professor Lecture was held on Thursday, April 23
40,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Much of what we have learned about the ocean comes from making challenging observations at sea. For years these were made from ships by lowering sampling bottles and sensors over the side and down into the ocean depths. We now use autonomous underwater vehicles to explore the ocean, mapping subsurface distributions of temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, among a growing list of ocean parameters. I will describe how we got to this point, what these measurements are telling us about the ocean, and how this knowledge helps us to chart a sustainable path forward to benefit from all the ocean has to offer.
Daniel Cox, University Distinguished Professor of Civil and Construction Engineering
Dr. Daniel Cox is a professor of in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering in the College of Engineering and an international leader in resilient coastal infrastructure and risk reduction. Over nearly three decades at OSU, he has combined large-scale experiments, advanced numerical modeling, and probabilistic risk assessment to shape engineering practice, including leadership on ASCE 7 flood and tsunami load provisions. He has published 200+ peer reviewed journal papers and led or co-led more than $40M in funded research from agencies including NSF, USACE, NIST, DHS, NOAA, and others. Cox is also a prominent public and policy voice, testifying before the U.S. Senate and House on tsunami and coastal preparedness and reaching global audiences through widely shared science communication, including an Instagram reel on coastal processes viewed 93 million times.
Lecture: Dr. Cox's University Distinguished Professor Lecture was held on Thursday, April 23
Making Waves: Reflections on the Transformation of the Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory into a National Shared-Use Facility for Coastal Research, Education, and Outreach
I will share highlights of key moments, decisions, people, and collaborations that shaped the evolution of the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory from a university lab into a nationally recognized, shared-use facility. I will discuss how, through the support of two decade-long NSF programs, we accelerated access to large-scale facilities, fostered data sharing, and created opportunities for multi-investigator, multi-institutional research aimed at understanding and reducing societal risks from tsunamis and hurricanes. I will also explore how expanding access to the lab for OSU undergraduates, K–12 students, and the broader public has strengthened our impact, fostered a new generations of coastal researchers, and increase awareness of and solutions for coastal risk. By sharing these experiences, I hope to provide insight into the opportunities, challenges, and unexpected rewards of building a collaborative research environment.