As Mr. Yaghi stated at his 41st WCC award ceremony address:

“Selection science asks how we might choose where to go from here. And perhaps this question resonates so deeply with me because of my own journey of uncertainty, discovery, and choice.

“I grew up in Jordan and went to the United States at the age of 15. I spoke little English and had few resources and could scarcely imagine what the future might hold. I certainly never imagined having the opportunity to address you today. What I had was curiosity, a hunger to learn and a willingness to pursue what interested me.

“My life didn’t unfold according to a grand plan. It developed through choices, unexpected opportunities and the generosity of people who believed in me. Each step revealed possibilities that I could not have imagined at the beginning.

“And now, more than 60 years into my life, I have made another extraordinary choice, to move to China and begin a new chapter. Once again, I find myself in a new country, surrounded by unfamiliar experiences, new ideas, and possibilities whose full meaning I cannot yet know. But this time, I carry something I did not have at 15, the understanding that uncertainty need not be feared. it is often where discovery begins.

“There is something wonderfully liberating about knowing that life can begin anew at any age. Looking back, I realize that the most important choices I made were not necessarily those whose outcome I could predict. They were choices grounded in what mattered to me, accompanied by a willingness to learn, adapt, and sometimes change direction.

“And, looking forward, I feel that some of the greatest possibilities may still lie ahead.”

– Prof. Omar M. Yaghi

Mr. Yaghi photo by Christopher Michel, 2025. CC-BY-SA-4.0