Professor Himanshu Mishra has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), one of the highest professional recognitions in the chemical sciences worldwide. It is a mark of honor and a signal of leadership in chemistry, recognizing Prof. Mishra among the most respected professionals in the field.

Fellowship is the highest professional award of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Prof. Mishra joins an influential network of leaders driving progress and innovation, inspiring the next generation, and shaping the future of chemistry.

Through years of research, Prof. Mishra and his students have overturned the claims of spontaneous formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in water microdroplets’ air–water interface. These interfaces are ubiquitous, for example, clouds, surfaces of oceans, seas, lakes and rivers, dew drops, sprays, and fizzy beverages, and thus have wide-ranging ramifications in natural and applied contexts. Prof. Mishra’s team revealed the H2O2 formation is a consequence of chemical reactions between dissolved oxygen and solid surfaces that water touches during experimentation; that is, it has nothing to do with the microdroplet geometry or the air–water interface. This breakthrough not only advances the current understanding of water and physical chemistry but also reflects Prof. Mishra’s dedication and success in inspiring the next generation of scientists to boldly question, explore, and innovate.

"The real strength of science lies not in flashy claims, but in the rigor of evidence”, Mishra said. “Being elected FRSC affirms the value of the null hypothesis - questioning claims when others choose to believe. I dedicate this recognition to my students at KAUST, who don’t know how to give up - and that makes all the difference."

For nearly two centuries, the Royal Society of Chemistry, an international not-for-profit organization, has been dedicated to connecting chemical scientists with each other and with society as a whole, in support of ground-breaking advances in chemical sciences.

In addition to his contributions to basic sciences, Prof. Mishra is known for leading translational research to tackle urgent food–water–climate challenges in arid regions. His team’s award-winning technologies - CarboSoil™ and SandX™ - convert organic waste into soil amendments that boost nutrient retention, reduce irrigation losses, and lock carbon in degraded lands for centuries. After multi-year trials successful at KAUST and industrial partners including Saudi Aramco, King Salman Park, Jeddah Airport, and NEOM, Prof. Mishra co-founded Terraxy LLC with former PhD student Dr. Adair Gallo to scale-up these solutions.

As a global expert in water interfaces, Mishra has secured over $7M in research funding, authored 50+ peer-reviewed papers. He works closely with the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA), National Center for Vegetation Cover (NCVC), poultry companies, and Saudi Aramco to achieve urban greening and mega-scale organic landfill diversion and CO2 sequestration. His work exemplifies how science-driven innovation can advance climate resilience and food–water security in drylands.