Professor Despo Fatta-Kassinos has become the first Cypriot woman to be elected to the European Academy of Sciences. The University of Cyprus announced recently, that following a rigorous evaluation process—considering research significance and impact, scientific works, publications, and the h-index—the Academy of Europe selected 365 top international scientists as new members.

This marks a significant milestone for both the University of Cyprus and the broader scientific community on the island. Dr. Fatta-Kassinos was elected as a member of the Academy’s Division of Physical Sciences, specifically within the Engineering Section.

Dr. Fatta-Kassinos, a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been recognized for her substantial contributions to environmental engineering. She is the second scientist from the University of Cyprus to receive this honor, following Professor Marios Polycarpou in 2022, and the first woman from Cyprus to do so.

The official induction ceremony will take place in Wroclaw, Poland, from November 26-28, 2024, where Professor Fatta-Kassinos will present her research.

Professor Fatta-Kassinos is a Chemical Engineer and has published over 190 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. She has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher since 2018 (Web of Science, Clarivate Analytics, h-index: 81, >32,000 citations).

Her research team focuses on the design and application of new advanced processes and systems for the removal of organic and microbiological pollutants from water and wastewater. She has coordinated research projects with funding totaling €14.4 million and serves on advisory panels for water management research centers in Europe and Africa.

In 2012, she received the distinguished "Nikos Symeonides 2011" national research award from the Research and Innovation Foundation for her work in wastewater treatment and xenobiotic compounds. In 2022, she received the Noack Laboratorien Outstanding Science Career Award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Professor Fatta-Kassinos is an Executive Editor for the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering and an Editor for Water Research, Elsevier. She is also a member of the eight-member Independent Scientific Committee of the Australian National Research Centre for Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance in Agriculture, Food, and the Environment and serves on the International Scientific Committee of OneWater - Eau Bien Commun, the French National Research Funding Program for Water. In 2022, she was elected to the Board of SETAC Europe.