HOUSTON: Renu Khator, the Indian-American University of Houston president and Chancellor, has been honoured with the 'Excellence in Leadership Award' by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The Excellence in Leadership Award pays tribute to an extraordinary woman who has devoted her professional career and personal life to revolutionising the world of business, education, philanthropy, or government.

Previous honorees include US House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, iconic journalist and talk show host Cristina Saralegui and seven-time Grammy-Award winning artist Gloria Estefan.

"I was literally surprised and asked at least twice, 'Are you sure? Are you sure it is me?'" said Khator, who was honoured with the award at the organisation's national convention this week.

"I consider it a big honour to stand on the national stage, represent the University of Houston and accept this award on behalf of all the great work done by all of us together," she said.

The USHCC said that as the first woman to lead the UH System and the first Indian immigrant to oversee a major research university, Khator was the perfect fit for the award.

"President Khator has not only broken the glass ceiling, but her commitment to education has served as an inspiration for Americans, women, and immigrants of all backgrounds," USHCC President and CEO Javier Palomarez said in a statement.

Khator said she is particularly honoured to receive the award from the USHCC because of UH's strong ties with the Hispanic community.

"As with many awards, I am fortunate to be the named recipient, but it really represents an honour to be shared by all of UH and the people of Houston," Khator said.

The University of Houston has nearly 43,000 students, 300 academic programmes and a budget of more than US $1.5 billion.

During President Khator's tenure, the university became a member of the Texas Medical Center.

It also launched its 75-acre Energy Research Park initiative -- an academic research and startup hub for the energy industry -- as part of a USD 400 million campus expansion programme.

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