Botte, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was given the honor at Friday's graduate commencement ceremony.
Gerardine Botte, a chemical and biomolecular engineering professor, was named the 2015 Distinguished Professor at the graduate commencement ceremony Friday.
The award is Ohio University’s highest distinction for faculty members.
Botte is the third woman and the first woman of color to receive the award, which was founded nearly 60 years ago.
“I am thrilled to receive this distinction and especially thankful to my peers who supported my nomination,” Botte said in a university news release.
The last woman to be named a Distinguished Professor was Ursula Belden, a theater professor, who received the distinction in 2000.
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The Distinguished Professor Award recognizes one faculty member per year and is based on exceptional research, scholarly or artistic achievement and conscientious teaching. Candidates must also have tenure and at least five years of service at OU.
With the distinction, Botte will earn a continuing salary stipend, paid research leave, travel support and the ability to give an undergraduate student a year’s full-tuition scholarship.
“Obviously, we’re extremely honored and happy to have one of our own in the Russ College named as Distinguished Professor — and very proud that this person is a woman, given our goal of inspiring young women to enroll in our programs,” said Russ College Dean Dennis Irwin.
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Botte is the founder and director of the Russ College’s Center for Electrochemical Engineering and is internationally renowned for her invention of the “Pee2Power” process, which creates clean water from human and animal wastewater. She is also editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Chemistry, has authored 128 publications and has 20 patents and 29 pending patents.
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