On Thursday, July 9, 2026, the Department of Materials Science held its annual summer fest.
Department spokesperson Prof. Dr. Carolin Körner and the dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marc Stamminger, warmly welcomed the guests to the event, after which Prof. Körner took them through the highlights of the past year in the Department of Materials Science.
This year’s keynote address, titled “Harnessing Global Productivity: Sustainable Energy as a Human Grand Challenge,” was delivered by Dr. Ian Marius Peters, group leader at Forschungszentrum Jülich and newly appointed professor of Sustainable Materials for Renewable Energy Conversion in the Department of Materials Science.
Awarding of Prizes for Outstanding Academic Achievement
Loana Saage, a bachelor’s student in Materials Science and Engineering, along with her fellow students Jonas Gahn and Marco Ammon, as well as Peter Schröppel, a bachelor’s student in Nuclear Engineering, each received a Semikron Academic Award this year. The awards were presented by Ms. Carmen Radüge-Sievert and Clemens Vennebusch, himself a graduate of the Materials Science and Engineering program at FAU.
Prof. Dr. Peter Weidinger presented the Brose Awards to Charlotte Weiß and Robert Maas for their outstanding academic achievements in their master’s programs. The prize money is earmarked for a planned study abroad program, which both plan to spend in Norway.
The department awards were presented by Prof. Körner. Sophia Peters received the award for the best bachelor’s degree. Ali Elkholey and Bianca Grandjean were delighted to receive the awards for the best master’s degrees.
Following a champagne reception, the WW Summer Festival took place in the shade among the trees, featuring live music. The hardworking student council volunteers, with occasional help from professors and researchers, served the guests drinks and delicious grilled food.
