University of North Texas 
The College of Science is pleased to celebrate Dr. Mohammad Omary’s recent designation as a University Regents Professor.
The College of Science is pleased to celebrate Dr. Mohammad Omary’s recent designation
as a University Regents Professor! The Regents Professorship Award is to provide recognition
for faculty at the rank of professor who have performed outstanding teaching, research
and service to the profession, and who have achieved a high level of national and
international recognition.
“This was a great honor following my dedicated service "bleeding green" for an entire
quarter century at UNT!” said Dr. Omary, who has been with the chemistry department
contributing to UNT's Tier One Research status since 2001.Dr. Omary is an inorganic chemist and materials scientist specializing in the design
of (supra)molecular and nanoscale inorganic, organic, and metal-organic materials
for a spectrum of energy saving, harvesting and storage in service of environmental
and biomedical applications.
During his successful career, Dr. Omary has received several prestigious awards, including
the National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2004) and the I-APS Young Investigator
Award of the Inter-American Photochemical Society (2006). He has also been among the
world’s top 2% of scientists since 2019, according to Stanford University.
Dr. Omary's research contributes to the design of phosphorescent materials for energy-saving
lighting, video display, and selective imaging of cancer cells; photovoltaic materials
for solar energy harvesting; molecular semiconductors for electronic devices; metal-organic
frameworks for energy and environmental applications; and non-toxic plasmonic nanoparticles
for photothermal therapy of cancer and for drug delivery. His work has led to the
development of novel materials for many technological advances, leading to disclosure
of forty-five patents on thirteen different technologies in energy, environmental,
and biomedical areas.
As a prolific research mentor as well, Dr. Omary has supervised a total of 64 Ph.D.
and M.S. degrees and mentored a total of 256 students in his research group, including
95 graduate students,130 undergraduate & high-school students, and 31 visiting research
professors or post-doctoral scholars. He said his teaching and mentorship philosophy
prioritizes the mental well-being of his students.
“I try to go the extra mile to encourage students who are struggling in classes or
research in ways that improve their self-confidence so they can succeed in obtaining
their degrees in a timely manner,” he explained. “Some students have even singled
me out to be their advisor after struggling with psychological pressure; I have never
given up on a student even under pressing circumstances.”
Dr. Omary has been a lead investigator on proposal awards valued at $22 million from
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), Intelligence Advanced
Research Projects Activity (IARPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC),
State of Texas’ Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and the Welch Foundation.
Dr. Omary was honored at UNT's Salute to Faculty Excellence event on April 16, 2026. This event is hosted each spring by Faculty Success and the UNT Foundation. For more information about the Faculty Excellence Awards
and the 2026 winners, please visit https://vpaa.unt.edu/fs/recognition/sfe-winners-2026.html#service
Congratulations to all our award winners, and thank you for all you do to advance UNT’s
mission to transform lives and build a brighter future!