Omowunmi Sadik facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Omowunmi Sadik
Born	1964 Lagos, Nigeria
Nationality	Nigerian
Alma mater	University of Lagos, Wollongong University
Scientific career
Fields	Surface chemistry, Environmental nanotechnology
Institutions	New Jersey Institute of Technology
Notable students	Samira Musah

Omowunmi "Wunmi" A. Sadik (born 19 June 1964) is a Nigerian-American professor, chemist, and inventor. She works at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Dr. Sadik has created special sensors that can find drugs and explosives. She also works on new ways to recycle metals from waste. These methods help the environment and industries. In 2012, she helped start a group called the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization.

Early Life and Learning

Omowunmi Sadik was born in 1964 in Lagos, Nigeria. Her family had many scientists. They encouraged her interest in science, including physics, chemistry, and biology.

She earned her first degree in chemistry from the University of Lagos in 1985. She then got her master's degree in chemistry in 1987. Later, Sadik studied at Wollongong University in Australia. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry from Wollongong in 1994.

Her Work as a Scientist

After her Ph.D., Dr. Sadik worked as a researcher for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This was from 1994 to 1996. Then, she became a chemistry professor at Binghamton University in New York. She became a full professor in 2005. At Binghamton, she also led a center for advanced sensors.

In 2019, Dr. Sadik moved to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). There, she became the head of the Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Department. She also directs a center for biosensors at NJIT. In 2024, she was named Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at NJIT. She has also been a visiting professor at places like Cornell University and Harvard University.

Creating New Sensors

Dr. Sadik studies surface chemistry. This means she looks at how chemicals behave on surfaces. She focuses on making biosensors for environmental use. Biosensors are devices that can detect tiny amounts of substances.

She found that certain materials, called conducting polymers, are great for sensors. She developed tiny biosensors that can find very small amounts of organic materials. This technology can be used to detect drugs and even bombs.

Helping the Environment

Dr. Sadik also works on cleaning up waste. She studies how to remove harmful chemicals like organochlorine compounds from the environment. Her goal is to create ways to recycle metal ions from industrial waste.

For example, in one project, she used tiny living things (microbial enzymes). These enzymes helped change a very toxic form of chromium (VI) into a non-toxic form (chromium (III)). This process improved from 40% to 98% conversion.

Dr. Sadik has written over 135 scientific papers. She also holds U.S. patents for her inventions. In 2012, she helped start the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization. This group works to make sure nanotechnology is used safely around the world.

Recognitions and Collaborations

Dr. Sadik is a respected member of many scientific groups. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (since 2010) and the American Chemical Society (since 2023). She also works with groups like the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation. She has worked with scientists in Romania, Turkey, and Japan.

Awards and Honors

• 2000, National Research Council (NRC) COBASE fellowship
• 2001, Chancellor's Award for Research in Science and Medicine, SUNY
• 2002, Chancellor's Award for Premier Inventors, SUNY
• 2003–2004, Distinguished Radcliffe Fellowship from Harvard University
• 2005–2006, NSF Discovery Corps Senior Fellowship
• 2016, Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM)
• 2017, Jefferson Science Fellow
• Australian Merit Award
• 2023, American Chemical Society Fellow
• 2024, National Academy of Inventors (NAI) fellowship
• 2024, The Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement, Pittcon

See also

In Spanish: Omowunmi Sadik para niños