Peter Bottomley, a professor of microbiology and soil science at OSU, is the inaugural recipient of the Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award, given by the OSU Graduate School.

The award was created to acknowledge outstanding mentoring of OSU graduate students.

Bottomley was cited for his “extraordinary impact on graduate students” and his passion for challenging and encouraging students to become better scientists, communicators and scholars. Letters of support from students, former students and colleagues describe Bottomley as an educator who emphasizes fun, yet demands hard work and accountability.

Bottomley has been on the OSU faculty since 1979 and has won several university awards for teaching and research. He has directly supervised the master’s theses and doctoral dissertations of 36 graduate students, and served on the committees of another 141 students.

The Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award includes a plaque and $2,500 stipend.