On April 30, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announced its newly elected members and international members in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Among the distinguished scholars elected this year is Professor Jizhong Zhou, a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Environment (SOE), Tsinghua University.

Professor Zhou is a world-renowned microbiologist who currently serves as the George Lynn Cross Research Professor and Director of the Institute for Environmental Genomics at the University of Oklahoma. Throughout his illustrious career, he has focused on microbial genomics, microbial ecology, and bioremediation. His pioneering work has earned him numerous prestigious international honors, including the ASM Award for Environmental Research from the American Academy of Microbiology and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

The election to the NAS is one of the highest honors a scientist can receive and follows a remarkable series of recent accolades for Professor Zhou. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023 and the Academia Europaea (The Academy of Europe) in 2024. His election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2025 further cements his status as a global leader in the environmental and biological sciences.

As a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua SOE, Professor Zhou has long contributed to the school’s academic excellence and international collaboration. He is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), and the Ecological Society of America (ESA). His continued success reflects the high level of global academic engagement and research leadership fostered within the School of Environment at Tsinghua University.