2018 Distinguished University Professor

The Distinguished University Professor title is awarded permanently to no more than three exceptional faculty per year.
Barbara L. Andersen, PhD profile picture

Barbara L. Andersen, PhD

Distinguished University Professor
Distinguished Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
                               Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
                               College of Medicine


Dr. Barbara Andersen conducts research related to health psychology and behavioral medicine. Her innovative work has made her among the first scientists to study the psychological aspects of cancer.

She joined Ohio State's faculty in 1989 and, as already mentioned is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology. By the way, the Department of Psychology was recently ranked as the number 13 department of psychology in the world, according to the 2018 Shanghai University rankings.

Dr. Andersen is also a professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program in the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Her research has been continuously funded since 1985, and the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Cancer Society and the Department of the Army, among others, have supported her research on the biobehavioral aspects of cancer.

In 1995, she was one of 50 women scientists invited to the White House to attend a briefing on the Clinton Administration's initiatives in science and technology. In 2000, she received Ohio State's Distinguished Scholar Award and, in 2003, the American Psychological Association's Oustanding Contributions in Health Psychology Award.

Dr. Andersen earned a BS, magna cum laude, and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois. During a postdoctoral research year at the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA, she began her research in cancer. She has authored or co-authored five books and more than 150 research articles on behavioral medicine topics.

Steven A. Ringel, PhD profile picture

Steven A. Ringel, PhD

Distinguished University Professor
Neal A. Smith Chair in Electrical Engineering
Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering
                               Associate Vice President for Research and Executive Director
                               Institute for Materials Research
                               Office of Research


Dr. Steven Ringel is known as "a visible, national and international leader in electronic materials and devices, and every year continues to contribute to the field, even in his growing leadership position at [Ohio State]."

In addition, he "studies global innovation and translational research between academia and industry." He has played an "important role in building larger cross-cutting communities in the university, considered important elements of university evolution and competitiveness."

He is currently the principal or co-principal investigator of 10 externally funded research programs from government sources, industry and foundations. His annual individual expenditures average more than $1.3 million a year for more than 15 years. His work is widely published, including 158 archival journal articles, three books edited, four invited book chapters and two patients.

Among his many honors, he is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a recipient of Ohio State's Distinguished Scholar Award, the College of Engineering's Scott Award, a four-time recipient of the College of Engineering's Lumley Research Award, and a National Science Foundation National Young Investigator Award.

Dr. Ringel earned a BS in electrical engineering and an MS in engineering science from Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He joined Ohio State's faculty in 1991.

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