Professor Despo Fatta-Kassinos elected to two more prestigious European Academies
Professor Despo Fatta-Kassinos, Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Cyprus, has been elected Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) and Ordinary Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
These two new honours follow her earlier election to Academia Europaea – the Academy of Europe in 2024, placing her among a highly distinguished group of scientists whose work has been recognised by three leading European academic institutions.
The elections recognise the international impact of Professor Fatta-Kassinos’s research at the interface of environmental engineering, chemistry and microbiology, and her contributions to addressing major challenges in water quality, wastewater treatment, water-resource protection, contaminants of emerging concern, and the environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance.
According to the official letter of the President of the European Academy of Sciences, Professor Rodrigo Martins of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, dated 23 April 2026, Professor Fatta-Kassinos was admitted as Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences following the support of her nomination by the members of the Academy’s Council. Based in Brussels, the European Academy of Sciences is an independent international association of distinguished scientists dedicated to strengthening European science, fostering scientific collaboration, and mobilising the expertise of its members in support of research, technological advancement and societal progress. Professor Fatta-Kassinos has been elected to the Academy’s Engineering Division.
In parallel, according to the official letter of the President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Professor Klaus Mainzer of the Technical University of Munich, Professor Fatta-Kassinos was elected Ordinary Member following the acceptance of her election by the Senate of the Academy, also on 23 April 2026. The European Academy of Sciences and Arts, based in Salzburg, promotes interdisciplinary dialogue among distinguished scientists, artists and public figures, with the aim of addressing complex scientific, cultural and societal challenges. Professor Fatta-Kassinos has been elected to Class VI – Technical and Environmental Sciences.
These new distinctions add to Professor Fatta-Kassinos’s previous election to Academia Europaea – the Academy of Europe, in the Class of Exact Sciences, within the sections of Engineering and Earth and Cosmic Sciences. Academia Europaea, the European Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts are three distinct European academic institutions of high international standing.
Professor Fatta-Kassinos is a Chemical Engineer with an internationally recognised research profile in water and wastewater engineering, advanced chemical analysis, contaminants of emerging concern, and antimicrobial resistance in the environment. Her research group has made major contributions to the development, assessment and optimisation of advanced treatment processes for the removal of organic and microbiological contaminants from water and urban wastewater. Her work has also advanced understanding of the fate, transformation and environmental relevance of emerging contaminants in natural and engineered systems. A defining feature of her research is the integration of environmental engineering, analytical chemistry, microbiology and risk-oriented approaches, with the broader aim of protecting water resources, environmental quality and public health.
Professor Fatta-Kassinos has published extensively in leading international scientific journals and has been recognised among the Highly Cited Researchers since 2018. She has coordinated and participated in major national and international research projects, and serves on prominent scientific, advisory and editorial boards across Europe, Africa and Australia.
Her election to two further European Academies, following her earlier election to Academia Europaea, represents a rare and highly distinguished international recognition of her scientific excellence, global influence and leadership in environmental engineering and environmental sciences. It is also a significant honour for the University of Cyprus and for the wider scientific community of Cyprus, underscoring the international visibility of Cypriot research and its contribution to addressing major global challenges in water, environment and public health.