Omar Farha Receives Inaugural Reticular Science Prize
The honor is for major advances in the design, discovery, and application of molecularly defined materials
Northwestern’s Omar K. Farha has been awarded the inaugural Reticular Science Prize by Atoco Inc., an international honor for major advances in the design, discovery, and application of molecularly defined materials. The prize emphasizes original and impactful discoveries made within the past seven years.
Farha is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry in Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of Chemistry, and (by courtesy) professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern Engineering. His research addresses challenges in chemistry and materials science, from energy and environmental applications to national defense.
Farha’s work focuses on atomically precise functional materials, including metal-organic frameworks and porous organic polymers, and examines how a material’s three-dimensional structure can shape its performance. His research has advanced applications in gas storage and separation, catalysis, water remediation, and the detoxification of chemical warfare agent simulants, with broader implications for chemical protection, safe storage of toxic gases, and industrial carbon reduction.
“I am truly honored and profoundly grateful to be chosen as the recipient of the Reticular Science Prize,” Farha said. “This community is filled with remarkable scientists whose contributions continually advance the field, and I sincerely appreciate the recognition from the selection committee.”
“The committee was unanimous in its view that Omar’s contributions exemplify the criteria for this prize in an exceptional way,” said Laura Gagliardi, Richard and Kathy Leventhal Professor at the University of Chicago and selection committee chair. “His pioneering work on metal–organic frameworks has significantly advanced the frontiers of reticular chemistry through a prolific and highly influential body of fundamental research, while simultaneously demonstrating exceptional translational impact.”