A University of Nebraska College of Law Professor was recognized last month for her support of women’s athletics.

Jo Potuto was presented the 2019-20 Barbara Hibner Trailblazer Award during the Husker home volleyball game against Iowa on Nov. 16 in Lincoln.

The award is given by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletic Department for outstanding support and generous contributions to women’s athletics. Potuto is the award’s 20th recipient.

Potuto is the longest continuously serving professor in the College of Law. She has taught at the school for 45 years.

In addition to teaching law, she has served as UNL’s faculty athletic representative, serving in an oversight role for academic integrity and advocating the well-being of student-athletes under the NCAA regulatory framework.

“Since Potuto was named Nebraska’s Faculty Athletics Representative in 1997, she has worked to ensure that all of Nebraska’s student-athletes are provided with a safe and fair atmosphere in which to compete,” according to a College of Law news release.

Potuto is a member of governance groups in the Big Ten, and she worked on the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions to make enforcement action more accessible to media representatives. Additionally, she is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of NCAA Compliance.

Beyond the award, Potuto was in the news recently for filing lawsuit against the University of Nebraska Board of Regents a few days after receiving the award. She alleges she has not received equal pay because of her sex. The university has said it found her assertions had no merit.

According to salary records published annually by the university, Potuto receives $229,460 a year, split between law and athletics. Other longtime Nebraska Law professors earn more than Potuto.