Toledo, Ohio, is well known among materials scientists for its outsized reputation in glass science and engineering, which is bolstered by a slew of global glass manufacturers that began putting down roots as early as the late 1800s.
That reputation attracted the region’s new resident glass expert, Dr. Donghui Zhao.
Dr. Donghui Zhao, left, a materials scientist and glass expert, collaborates with Dr. Michael Heben, a Distinguished University Professor and McMaster Chair and Director of the Wright Center for Photovoltaics and Commercialization.
“What better place to study glass than the Glass City?” Zhao said. “With academic resources at UToledo and industry collaboration under the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub, we’re poised to be a top global destination in glass. I’m excited to help realize this goal by bringing together research capacity and industry needs.”
Zhao is actively advancing northwest Ohio’s reputation for glass innovation as a new associate professor at The University of Toledo.
He brings two decades of experience in both academia and industry to UToledo, reflected in more than 30 peer-reviewed research articles in publications like the Journal of Chemical Physics, more than 20 patents and patent applications registered with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and a corporate resume boasting extensive research and development experiences at industry powerhouses like Alkegan, Corning and Saint-Gobain.
At UToledo, he serves as a liaison between academia and industry, developing uniquely tailored courses and experiential opportunities for students while supporting the research needs of industry partners through the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub.
The hub is an industry-led initiative established in 2024 with a $31.3 million investment from the Ohio Department of Development. It’s operated by the Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium, with UToledo as a leading academic partner supporting First Solar, Owens Corning, O-I Glass, Libbey, NSG/Pilkington North America and PepsiCo. Bowling Green State University and Owens Community College are also academic partners.
“The Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium is thrilled to have Dr. Zhao at UToledo, as his deep roots in both industry and research make him the perfect bridge for the glass industry,” said Roger Smith, president of the Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium. “By bringing together world-class academic resources and our region’s historic glass industry, we are securing Toledo’s future as a global research and innovation center for glass. With the support of the Ohio Department of Development and our academic partners, we are building a glass research ecosystem that is second to none. Dr. Zhao’s expertise is a vital catalyst for the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub, helping us turn groundbreaking research into commercial success for the entire region.”
Among the top-tier research universities in the country with the prestigious R1 classification in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, UToledo is well positioned to support the region’s glass industry with world-class offerings in materials science, an interdisciplinary field that digs into the structures and properties of materials ranging from glass to metals to polymers.
U.S. News & World Report ranks UToledo in the top quarter of global universities in materials science in its 2025 Best Global Universities, in large part reflecting consistently groundbreaking research into thin-film solar cell technology out of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ Department of Physics and Astronomy and its Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization — home to two faculty researchers who individually rank among the world’s most influential, according to the data analytics firm Clarivate.
U.S. News also ranks UToledo No. 1 for the percentage of total research publications that are among the top 1% most highly cited papers in the materials science category.
Building on this area of academic excellence, UToledo will this fall enroll its first full cohort of students in a dedicated materials science undergraduate degree program that will leverage these strengths while equipping students for high-demand careers advancing the research, development and fabrication of countless consumer products.
Zhao, who holds a primary appointment in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ Department of Physics and Astronomy with joint teaching and scholarly responsibilities in the College of Engineering, is preparing to introduce two new courses in support of the new materials science degree program and other undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
They are Foundations of Glass Science and Glass Technologies.
“These courses will dive deeper into the science and engineering of glass than students will find at most universities, which often offer a single course on glass or integrate glass into courses within a broader materials science curriculum,” Zhao said. “I’m able to offer them because of the unique experiences that I bring to the classroom at UToledo.”
In addition to his work in the classroom, Zhao is outfitting his on-campus laboratory within the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization. He and his collaborators — a research professor, a post-doctoral researcher and three graduate students whom he expects to be in lab coats by the summer — will use the lab’s specialized equipment to pursue research projects proposed and supported by industry partners.
“Glass is a materials science specialty in which we’re strategically investing to support the glass industry in northwest Ohio,” said Dr. Marc Seigar, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “Dr. Donghui Zhao brings critical expertise to UToledo, and we look forward to the invaluable opportunities his work will open to our students.”
