Bluffton resident Inara Brubaker was awarded an honorary degree from Ohio Northern University, Ada, during the ONU commencement on May 8.

Brubaker retired in 2002 from the UOP/AlliedSignal (now Honeywell International) Research Center. 

From 1996-2002, Brubaker was a senior research associate with UOP; from 1988 to 1996, she was project leader and research manager at AlliedSignal.

Her work was in applied research in analytical chemistry and separations, ranging from feed to effluent treatment and purification, and in materials properties and recycling.

She is a co-author of about two dozen publications on separations, separation processes and analytical methodologies as well as co-author of three U.S. patents.

In 2003, Brubaker received the Chicago Section Public Affairs Award for “pioneering the development of programs and activities that established the agenda for a decade of state and location section cooperation on a wide range of public policy issues; for setting the performance standard for the ACS Congressional Fellowship by her significant achievements during her fellowship year of 1977; and for serving your community in various ways.”

Brubaker is a Lifetime Member of the Lehr Society and was very active in ONU’s recent capital campaign.

She funded the chemistry seminar room and the chemistry student organization room in the Mathile Center.

She also established The Erika Jane and Andra Elaine Brubaker Memorial Scholarship in Chemistry in 1994. She is a Class of 1959 reunion planning committee member, and in June 2004, she was appointed to the Advisory Council for the College of Arts & Sciences. She has spoken to chemistry classes and students on campus.

Brubaker earned her Bachelor of Science in chemistry and mathematics from Ohio Northern University and her Master of Science and Ph.D. in chemistry from Ohio State University. She also is a graduate of Shawnee High School in Lima.