CS Professor Ren Ng has been named one of National Geographic’s 33 visionary changemakers of 2026, featured in the publication’s special issue recognizing individuals whose work is reshaping the world.
Ng is recognized alongside vision scientist and Professor of Optometry and Vision Science, Austin Roorda, for leading a team of UC Berkeley researchers who induced test subjects to temporarily perceive a color beyond the limits of normal human vision. Using laser pulses to activate a specific subset of the eye’s photoreceptor cells, the team produced the phenomenon, which they named “olo.”
The recognition places Professor Ng among a select group of innovators chosen by National Geographic for their commitment to creating meaningful global impact, a tradition that traces back to its 33 founders in 1988.
