Thursday, March 16, 2023

Dear OSU Community Members,

I am delighted to announce the selection of Drs. Emily Ho and Yanyun Zhao as Oregon State University’s 2023 University Distinguished Professor honorees.

Since 1988, the university has awarded the title of University Distinguished Professor to current OSU faculty members who have achieved national and international distinction for their contributions in research and creative work, teaching and mentoring, public engagement, and service. Professors Ho and Zhao are outstanding examples of OSU’s highest academic honor.

Please join me on Wednesday, May 24 as they deliver lectures on their scholarship. The lectures will be held on-campus at the Memorial Union with a livestreaming option.

Dr. Ho is a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences’ nutrition program and is the endowed chair and director of the Linus Pauling Institute. She is nationally and internationally recognized for her work on nutritional approaches to addressing chronic disease and preventing cancer. She has received over 25 federal and foundation grant awards totaling over $22 million and her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Zhao is a professor, value-added food product specialist, and associate dean for faculty affairs in the College of Agricultural Sciences. She is a pioneer in her field, leading research that has had a transformative impact on the environmental sustainability of food packaging. She has been recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and twice has been invited to serve as an international review panelist for the China National Natural Science Foundation Food Science competitive research grant program.

Please join me in congratulating University Distinguished Professors Ho and Zhao. 

Sincerely,

Edward Feser

Provost and Executive Vice President