
The prestigious award, given annually to three chemists outside Great Britain, recognizes scientists for high-impact research and exceptional communications skills. The award comes with a £5,000 cash prize, a medal and an invitation to give a series of lectures in the United Kingdom. Professor Odom is the only woman among this year’s winners.
An expert in designing structured nanoscale materials, Dr. Odom received the award for her research into multi-scale materials that enable new ways to achieve ultrafast, coherent, and directional light emission at the nanoscale. She is currently the editor-in-chief of Nano Letters.
Professor Odom also serves as chair of the department of chemistry at Northwestern University. She is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University.


