Six associate professors were recently chosen to participate in the next cohort of Provost’s Midcareer Scholars: Scarlet and Gray Associate Professors. The program supports tenure-track faculty who have recently been appointed to the rank of associate professor with tenure and who have demonstrated exceptional excellence in scholarship, teaching and service. The honorees were notified of their awards through surprise announcements led by senior university leaders.
“I congratulate this year’s cohort of Midcareer Scholars for the distinction they have already demonstrated in scholarship, teaching and service,” said Ohio State Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Trevor Brown. “Their work drives discovery, enriches the student experience and strengthens Ohio State’s academic mission.”
Arya Ansari, Department of Human Sciences
Arya Ansari
Associate Professor
Department of Human Sciences
College of Education and Human Ecology
Advancing research on child development and early childhood education, Arya Ansari investigates how parenting, poverty and early learning environments shape children’s school readiness. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and contributes to national conversations on early childhood and chronic absenteeism. His honors include the 2025 Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award, the 2023 Association for Psychological Science Rising Star Award and the American Educational Research Association’s 2023 Early Education and Child Development Early Career Award.
Elizabeth Dillenburg, Department of History
Elizabeth Dillenburg
Associate Professor
Department of History
College of Arts and Sciences
A noted scholar of childhood, gender and empire, Elizabeth Dillenburg’s monograph, Empire’s Daughters: Girlhood, Whiteness and the Colonial Project, has earned international acclaim. At Ohio State Newark, she received the campus’ Scholarly Accomplishment Award and the Teaching Excellence Award in 2025, reflecting both her research contributions and commitment to developing a wide-ranging curriculum and student success. Her leadership in public history and national professional networks was further honored with the Ohio State Newark Faculty Service Award in 2022.
Beau D. Meyer, Division of Pediatric Dentistry
Beau D. Meyer
Associate Professor
Division of Pediatric Dentistry
College of Dentistry
Leading research in children’s oral health and health policy, Beau D. Meyer examines clinical approaches for childhood tooth decay. In this capacity, he serves as principal investigator on a $3.4 million National Institutes of Health grant focused on the use of silver diamine fluoride, a noninvasive treatment for childhood tooth decay, and on Medicaid policy. Celebrated for excellence in teaching, he was presented with the College of Dentistry’s Larry J. Peterson Young Educators Award and the Stazen Junior Faculty Award.
Steve Oghumu, Department of Pathology
Steve Oghumu
Associate Professor
Department of Pathology
College of Medicine
A cancer immunologist and translational scientist, Steve Oghumu is a National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award recipient whose work advances prevention and therapy for head and neck cancers. With more than $7.6 million in principal investigator funding and more than 90 scholarly publications, he also serves in major national leadership roles, including the NIH Cancer Prevention Study Section. He was selected for the Ohio State Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award in 2022 and the university’s Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award.
Alexander Sokolov, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Alexander Sokolov
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Arts and Sciences
Alexander Sokolov develops computational theories and open-source tools to study spectroscopy in molecules and materials relevant to catalysis and energy conversion. His work makes advanced simulations more practical, helping researchers better understand matter and design improved materials. He was awarded the 2024 Dirac Medal from the World Association of Theoretical and Computational Chemists, the 2023 OpenEye Outstanding Junior Faculty Award from the American Chemical Society’s Division of Computers in Chemistry and a 2021 National Science Foundation CAREER Award.
Jenessa Winston, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Jenessa Winston
Associate Professor
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
A leader in translational gastroenterology and infectious disease, Jenessa Winston spearheaded a groundbreaking collaboration with the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center to deliver personalized phage therapy for multidrug-resistant infections. She helped found the Comparative Hepatobiliary and Intestinal Research Program at Ohio State. She also contributed to curricular innovation, and her mentorship has guided students whose work has earned competitive national awards. She earned the college’s Charles Capen Teaching Excellence Award in 2023 and the Graduate Faculty Mentoring Award in 2023–24.
Scarlet and Gray Associate Professors hold their designation for three years and receive supplemental compensation and an annual stipend from the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) to advance their scholarship. Scarlet and Gray Associate Professors also receive a one-semester teaching exemption. The cohort will participate in social and professional development activities organized by OAA. Eligible faculty must be within three years of having been promoted to associate professor.