Two scientists from Franklin College of Arts and Sciences have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors awarded to researchers in the United States. With the 2026 election, Franklin has had 13 faculty members, including past and emeritus faculty, elected to the academy.

Robert Schmitz, professor in the Department of Genetics, and Gerald Hart, emeritus professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar who served in the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (CCRC) and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology prior to his retirement, were recognized in the academy’s 2026 election. Hart was also recently named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Founded in 1863, the NAS recognizes individuals for distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Members are elected by their peers through a rigorous process, with a limited number selected each year.

Schmitz is a leader in plant epigenomics and chromatin biology, studying how the genome is organized and regulated to control gene activity. His work has advanced genome-wide methods to map and interpret regulatory features across plant species and has helped establish epigenomics as a central framework in plant biology. His research also informs strategies to improve crop resilience and performance.

Hart’s research focuses on glycosylation, the process by which carbohydrate molecules attach to proteins or lipids and influence cellular function. His work has expanded understanding of how these modifications affect gene expression and signaling pathways, with implications for diseases including diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders.

“There has never been a more important time to support fundamental scientific research,” Hart said. “We are on the precipice of great advances that will improve lives.”

The 2026 class also includes Jeff Ross-Ibarra, who earned his Ph.D. in genetics from Franklin in 2006. He is a professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology and a faculty member in the Center for Population Biology and the Genome Center at University of California, Davis.

“Franklin fosters multidisciplinary collaboration that advances impact through engaged scholarship and real-world solutions,” said Anna Stenport. “Election to the National Academy of Sciences recognizes sustained excellence and the role of research in providing trusted knowledge that benefits society.”

Election to the academy places these researchers among a distinguished group of scientists whose work continues to shape knowledge and address global challenges.

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