Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Farha.
Omar, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Westbank Palestine and immigrated to the United States after high school, seeking a better education and life. During my undergraduate years at UCLA, I waited tables. I then continued at UCLA to get my Ph.D. in chemistry and did postdoctoral work at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, I was (and am still now) working with a group of cutting-edge nanomaterials called MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) – which are essentially programmable, smart sponges that have the potential to make cleaner fuels and to save lives through chemical abatement, as well as other applications. During this time, I met Chris Wilmer, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering, and Ben Hernandez, who was pursuing a JD-MBA. We all shared the same vision – commercializing MOFs that could solve complex societal challenges. Over the following several years, I worked closely with Ben to take our concept to reality, founding NuMat Technologies. I continue to lead a research group at Northwestern, while also spending time at NuMat, bringing our science and technology to market. I think of my story as the American Dream, as I have truly found that the sky is the limit in this country.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Things have not always been smooth. I worked my way through school as an immigrant, and throughout that process realized that nothing comes easy; you have to work hard for what you want. That meant for a time for me, serving in a restaurant to achieve my goals, and I was never ashamed. When things were not going my way, I worked to “turn lemons into lemonade.”
Now juggling being a family man, faculty member, co-founder of a company, and an editor for a journal all at the same time, I have learned quickly the importance of time management and surrounding myself with intelligent people. No one gets anywhere without help. With a solid network around me, I take every opportunity I can and work unapologetically to be the best at what I do.
Farha Research Group – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Farha Research Group at Northwestern University has 30 top researchers working at the interface of chemistry and materials science. We seek to solve exciting problems ranging from energy- and environment-related applications to challenges in national defense by employing atomically precise functional materials. By exploiting the modular nature of MOFs and porous organic polymers (POPs), we work to fundamentally understand the role of 3-D architecture in modifying a material’s function for applications in gas storage and separation, catalysis, water remediation, and detoxification of chemical warfare agent simulants. What makes our group unique is our diversity from which we draw strength. We also are involved in research at different phases, from foundational work through to potential applications and commercialization in collaboration with our spin-off company NuMat.
At NuMat, our unique workflow, which includes high-performance computer simulation, scale up, formation, and system-level engineered solutions, distinguishes what we do from any competitor — allowing us to commercialize MOFs globally.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sites.northwestern.edu/omarkfarha/
- Twitter: @omarfarha5
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