Northwestern Chemistry Announces Incoming Department Chair
September 3, 2024
Omar K. Farha, the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor in Chemistry and a leader in the rational design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), has been selected as the new chair of the Northwestern University Department of Chemistry. Farha began his three-year term on September 1, succeeding Teri Odom, the Joan Husting Madden and William H. Madden, Jr. Professor of Chemistry.
Odom remarked on the transition, “I am proud of how our department has overcome challenges and am delighted with our achievements over the past six years. The time is now perfect for someone like Omar to guide our next steps.”
In addition to leading the Farha Research Group, Farha serves as the Executive Editor for ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and is the co-founder and president of Numat Technologies, the first company to commercialize an engineered system-level product enabled by MOF materials.
“Omar is a leader with the highest standards,” said Chad Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology and the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry. “He has built a world-class research group at NU and is poised to lead the department to new heights. We are all excited to have him as department chair.”
Adrian Randolph, Dean of Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences also expressed enthusiasm for Farha’s appointment: “My colleagues and I look forward to working with Professor Farha to build on the successes of the Department of Chemistry. He is not just an outstanding scientist but a strategic and ambitious colleague who will continue the good work of his predecessors.”
An immigrant from the West Bank, Palestine, Farha began his educational journey with an AA in Chemistry from Fullerton College, followed by a BS and a PhD in Chemistry from UCLA, where he received the prestigious "Dissertation of the Year" award in 2006. He joined Northwestern for his postdoctoral fellowship under Joe Hupp and is one of the few research professors who transitioned into tenured faculty. He became a full professor in 2017 and was named the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor in Chemistry in 2021.
As he prepares to assume leadership, Farha shared, “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Teri for her exceptional leadership over the past six years. Our department has achieved remarkable milestones and upheld a high standard of excellence.”
He added, “As the new chair, I am honored and humbled by the trust and confidence placed in me by my colleagues and Dean Randolph. It is a privilege to serve in this role, and I am excited about the future of our department. I firmly believe that a successful department relies on great students and postdocs, dedicated staff, state-of-the-art facilities, exceptional faculty, and an open and welcoming environment for visitors. I am proud to say that our department embodies all these qualities.”