Prof. Dr. Zac Schultz

Prof. Dr. Zachary D. Schultz is a distinguished physical chemist specializing in analytical spectroscopy and nanoscale imaging. He is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The Ohio State University (OSU), where he also serves as the Vice Chair for Graduate Studies. Additionally, he is affiliated with OSU's Biophysics Graduate Program and the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Prof. Schultz earned his B.S. in Chemistry from OSU in 2000 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005, where he conducted research under the supervision of Prof. Andrew A. Gewirth. He then completed postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (2005–2007) and the National Institutes of Health (2007–2009).​

Prof. Schultz began his independent academic career at the University of Notre Dame, joining as an Assistant Professor in 2009. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015. In 2018, he returned to OSU as an Associate Professor and achieved the rank of Full Professor in 2022.​

His research focuses on developing advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to probe biochemical interactions at the molecular level. His lab specializes in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), and plasmonic-based imaging, aiming to detect and characterize biomolecules within complex biological systems. ​

Prof. Schultz has authored numerous publications in high-impact journals and is recognized for his contributions to the field of analytical chemistry. His work has significant implications for cancer diagnostics, molecular biology, and the development of novel analytical tools. ​

In 2019, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his contributions to the field of chemistry.