2026 Theodore Richards Medal Awardee Announced
Professor Timothy M. Swager, John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been selected to receive the 2026 Theodore Williams Richards Medal Award for “conspicuous achievement in chemistry.” The Richards Medal, which was established in 1928 and honors the first United States Nobel Laureate in chemistry, is awarded every two years by the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society. The medal will be presented to Professor Swager, the 48th recipient of this award, on Friday, March 13, 2026, during the Northeastern Section monthly meeting at MIT.
Professor Swager’s conspicuous achievements stem from his exceptional creativity in designing, synthesizing, and studying functional organic and organometallic materials. His groundbreaking insights revolutionized sensor design by amplifying optical signals in conjugated polymers to yield world-class sensors that have been adopted globally. Swager’s explosives sensors are credited with saving lives from improvised devices in conflict zones. His amplification concepts have been applied to many chemical and biological analytes and most recently the Swager research group reported low-cost sensors for the rapid trace detection of toxic fluorocarbons (PFAS). These transformative innovations are powered by bottom-up molecular designs and new syntheses, which are signature trademarks of Swager’s approach to functional materials.
Swager is a fierce champion of the next generation of researchers and has inspired hundreds of students and postdoctoral fellows. He is the scientific founder of more than a half dozen companies and has received numerous awards including the Gold Medal Award from the American Institute of Chemists, the Cope Award from the American Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) Centenary Prize, and the Columbus Foundation Homeland Security Award. He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors.
