On Aug. 8, The Ohio State University awarded Q-NEXT Director David Awschalom an Honorary Doctor of Science.

The university confers the honorary degree to individuals who have made contributions far beyond the expected high standards of their profession and who exemplify the purposes and ideals of the university.

Awschalom received the degree for his pioneering research in quantum information science, specifically for “transformative research at the center of quantum technologies, creating knowledge at the convergence of several fields of expertise, and discovering some of the most fundamental aspects of our world at the subatomic level.”

“I’m grateful to receive this honor from The Ohio State University, an esteemed research institution and leader in science,” said Awschalom, who is also the University of Chicago Liew Family professor in molecular engineering and physics and the vice dean for research and infrastructure at the university’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. “Ohio State’s contributions to quantum science and engineering, especially in helping build the nation’s quantum workforce, will be transformative for science and society. This degree recognizes many contributions from the outstanding students with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with over the years.”

Awschalom is also the director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, which recently partnered with Ohio State on quantum research. He is on the faculty of QuSTEAM, a quantum science education initiative that is part of the NSF Convergence Accelerator program. QuSTEAM consists of faculty from five universities, including the University of Chicago and The Ohio State University.

Other recipients of this year’s Honorary Doctor of Science include Moderna founder Robert Langer of MIT and former astronaut and former Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa.

Q-NEXT is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.