Personal Profile About Omar Yaghi
Omar Mwannes Yaghi is a Jordanian-born chemist, professor, and researcher. He is best known for pioneering reticular chemistry and developing metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). He is a university professor and the James and Neeltje Tretter Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also an affiliate scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, founding director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute, and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the German Leopoldina. He holds Jordanian, Saudi, and American citizenships and in January 2025 became president of the World Cultural Council.
The Omar Yaghi biography tells that he was born in Amman on February 9, 1965. He studied at Hudson Valley Community College and SUNY Albany, earned a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1990, and completed an NSF postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard (1990–1992). He has received awards such as the Wolf Prize (2018), the Albert Einstein World Award of Science (2017), the Gregori Aminoff Prize (2019), and many more.
Omar Yaghi Nobel Prize
The Omar Yaghi Nobel Prize was awarded in 2025 and shared with Richard Robson and Susumu Kitagawa. Omar Yaghi Nobel Prize was awarded for his work on metal–organic frameworks and reticular chemistry. Omar has a long list of major honors that recognize his impact on materials science and sustainable chemistry. He learned about the Nobel while changing flights. He said that he was “astonished, delighted, and overwhelmed,” reflecting on his humble start.
Omar Yaghi Wife
Omar Yaghi wife is not publicly known. Because reliable public sources do not confirm his spouse’s identity, it cannot be verified if one exists. It is most likely that Omar Yaghi wife is a private person.
Omar Yaghi Family
The Omar Yaghi family were Palestinian refugees from Gaza. They fled in 1948 and settled in Jordan. The Omar Yaghi family lived in difficult conditions in Amman. Omar grew up in a crowded home with many children in one room, livestock kept inside, limited access to clean water, and no electricity. His parents had little formal education, but his father encouraged him to study. He then moved to the U.S. at age 15 to pursue education.
Omar Yaghi Religion
Omar Yaghi religion is assumed to be Islam due to his Palestinian roots and participation in Muslim-scientist networks. However, there is no verified public source that confirms Omar Yaghi religion.