Halas wins American Chemical Society Award in Colloid Chemistry

Rice University nanophotonics pioneer honored for colloid research

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has awarded Rice University nanoscientist Naomi Halas the 2019 ACS Award in Colloid Chemistry.

The award, which has been given annually since 1952, includes a $5,000 prize and certificate to recognize and encourage outstanding scientific contributions to colloid research.

Naomi Halas

Halas is the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and professor of chemistry, bioengineering, physics and astronomy, and materials science and nanoengineering. She also is director of Rice’s Smalley-Curl Institute.

Halas will receive the award at the society’s 257th ACS National Meeting in Orlando in April. The prize is sponsored by the Colgate-Palmolive Company.

A pioneer in the study of light-activated nanoparticles and their possible uses, Halas is the first person in the university’s history to be elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering for research done at Rice. Her discoveries have wide-ranging applications in areas as diverse as cancer treatment, optoelectronics, photocatalysis, chemical sensing, solar-powered distillation and steam production, and off-grid water treatment.

Halas has authored more than 300 refereed publications, and her work has been cited more than 78,000 times. She also is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Materials Research Society, the Optical Society, the American Physical Society, the International Society for Optical Engineering and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers.