Zadnik Named OSU Interim Executive Vice President and Provost
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Zadnik Named OSU Interim Executive Vice President and Provost
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees appointed Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD, as interim executive vice president and provost, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Dr. Zadnik, who became Dean of the College of Optometry in 2014, is the Glenn A. Fry Professor in Optometry and Physiological Optics. She will serve as Ohio State’s interim provost as well as remain in her position as interim dean of the College of Public Health. Jeffrey Walline, OD, MS, PhD, associate dean for research in optometry, will lead the College of Optometry as interim dean during Dr. Zadnik’s temporary time as interim provost.
As interim provost, Dr. Zadnik will lead the university’s education mission as the chief academic officer.
“Dr. Zadnik brings outstanding credentials and deep leadership experience to the role of the university’s chief academic officer,” said Peter Mohler, acting president and executive vice president for research, innovation, and knowledge. “We also welcome Dr. Walline, a highly talented scholar and established leader, to his new role. The university is grateful to both for their continued excellence in service to Ohio State.”
Dr. Zadnik is a prominent patient-oriented researcher in the field of optometry and vision science. She is an Ohio State Distinguished Scholar, serves as the lead dean for the university’s seven health science colleges, and chairs the Biomedical Sciences Institutional Review Board.
She received her OD and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry, and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame this year. She is a past president of the American Academy of Optometry and the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, and president of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. She served a four-year term on the National Advisory Eye Council for the National Eye Institute/National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Zadnik was the study chairman for the National Eye Institute-funded Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Ethnicity and Refractive Error Study for 20 years and chaired the first-ever NEI-funded multicenter study based in optometry, the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus Study.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to help steward and move forward the incredible work of our faculty, staff, and students – all of whom fuel Ohio State’s fundamental mission to teach, learn, and discover,” said Dr. Zadnik.
As interim dean of the College of Optometry, Dr. Walline will lead a student, faculty, and staff community focused on professional, residency, and continuing education programs, as well as research and graduate education in vision science. The college also provides optometric care to Ohioans and beyond through teaching clinics, externship sites, and residency programs.
Dr. Walline has led several pediatric contact lens studies. He is the study chair of the Bifocal Lenses In Nearsighted Kids Study and co-chair of the Delaying the Onset of Nearsightedness Until Treatment Study, both sponsored by the National Eye Institute. Dr. Walline is also the president-elect of the American Academy of Optometry, a national organization committed to promoting the art and science of vision care through lifelong learning.
