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Ulm University’s 51-year anniversary
“Cutting-edge research is lived and breathed at Ulm University”

Ulm University

Ulm University celebrated its 51-year anniversary on Friday, 20.07.2018, with inaugural lectures, doctoral awards and a keynote speech delivered by Professor Otmar D Wiestler, president of the Helmholtz Association. Other highlights of the ceremony included awards of honorary status: the former president, Professor Karl Joachim Ebeling, was awarded honorary citizenship at Ulm University and the former chairman of the Supervisory Board, Professor Dieter Kurz, was awarded the distinction of honorary senator.

In his welcoming address, President Professor Michael Weber reviewed the University's most recent successes, including the establishment of a local facility for the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), where research is being conducted on nerve disorders such as ALS. Another success was the approval of the CataLight Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio (SFB). In this project, scientists from Ulm and Jena are working together to develop efficient materials for solar energy conversion, using natural photosynthesis as a model.

In cooperation with its partner institutes, Ulm University has submitted two proposals for Clusters of Excellence within the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. The two clusters focus on the topics of battery research and quantum technology. If the proposals are successful, the University will apply for the "University of Excellence" line of funding at the end of 2018. "For our application as a University of Excellence, we have developed the theme 'crossing borders', which reflects the strengths of Ulm University and is tailored to its unique subject and research profile", explained Weber. Under this premise, framework conditions are already being established for top international research and excellent teaching. Vigorous construction activity is also noticeable on the campus: the Centre for Quantum and Biosciences (ZQB) is nearing completion, and medical students are expected to begin learning in the "To Train U" training hospital from 2020. Further research buildings - including those for the DZNE - are in planning, and when the new tramline 2 begins operation in December, the city of Ulm and Ulm University will merge even more.

The following people received a doctoral award from the Ulm University Society (UUG):
Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Informatik und Psychologie

Dr. rer. nat. Andreas Lanz
Institut für Datenbanken und Informationssysteme (DBIS)
Adaptive Time- and Process-Aware Information Systems

Dr. phil. Tabea Wolf
Institut für Psychologie und Pädagogik, Abt. Entwicklungspsychologie
The Autobiographical Memory across the Lifespan: The "What" and "Why" of Autobiographical Remembering

Dr. rer. nat. Olivia Küster
Institut für Psychologie und Pädagogik, Abt. Klinische & Biologische Psychologie
Challenging Dementia: Cognitive and Neural Plasticity in Early Diagnosis and Intervention

Fakultät für Mathematik und Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Dr. rer. nat. Adrian Spener
Institut für Angewandte Analysis
Elastic Flow of Curves: Existence and Asymptotic

Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften
Dr. rer. nat. Michaela Beck
Institut für Anorganische Chemie II
Mesoporöse Silikananopartikel als Transportsysteme für miRNA und Wirkstoffmoleküle für die Therapie von Krebsstammzellen

Dr. rer. nat. Anne Stumper
Institut für Anorganische Chemie I
Designing Potent PDT Drug Candidates - Development of Crucial Linking Strategies for Biomolecule-Metal-Complex-Conjugates

Medizinische Fakultät
Dr. med. Hanna Schmidt
Institut für Allgemeine Physiologie,
Institut für Anästhesiologische Pathophysiologie und Verfahrensentwicklung (Universitätsklinik)
Effekt einer apikalen Volumenexpansion auf den Wassertransport in Atemwegsepithelien

Dr. biol. hum. Clarissa Read, geb. Villinger
Zentrale Einrichtung Elektronenmikroskopie
Ultrastructural Characterization of Human Cytomegalovirus Morphogenesis and Egress 

[Translate to english:] Bereits am Vormittag stellten sich relativ neue Professoren der Universität Ulm mit Antrittsvorlesungen vor (v.l.): Prof. Frank Kargl, Prof. Matthias Tichy, Prof. Peter Dürre, Prof. Dierk Niessing, Prof. Christian Bolenz, Prof. Thomas Wirth, Prof. Michael Weber
In the morning, the relatively new professors at Ulm University introduced themselves by giving inaugural lectures (from left): Dean Prof Frank Kargl, Prof Matthias Tichy (inaugural lecture), Dean Prof Peter Dürre, Prof Dierk Niessing (inaugural lecture), Prof Christian Bolenz (inaugural lecture), Dean Prof Thomas Wirth, University President Prof Michael Weber.
[Translate to english:] Protagonisten des Jahrestags
The main characters at the anniversary celebration: 1st row (from left): Manfred Oster (UUG chairman), former President and Ulm University Honorary Citizen Prof Karl Joachim Ebeling, Prof Otmar D Wiestler (president of the Helmholtz Association), former Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Honorary Senator Prof Dieter Kurz, current Chairman of the Supervisory Board Dr Klaus Dieterich and University President Prof Michael Weber; 2nd row (from left): the doctoral award winners Dr Adrian Spener, Dr Tabea Wolf, Dr Olivia Küster, Dr Clarissa Read, Dr Michaela Beck and Dr Andreas Lanz (not present at the anniversary celebration: Dr Hanna Schmidt and Dr Anne Stumper)
[Translate to english:] Prof. Otmar D. Wiestler
Prof Otmar D Wiestler, president of the Helmholtz Association, delivered the keynote address at Ulm University’s 51-year anniversary celebration.
[Translate to english:] Ehrungen Jahrestag
Former President Prof Karl Joachim Ebeling (left) was awarded the status of honorary citizen at the University’s 51-year anniversary celebration; former Chairman of the Supervisory Board Prof Dieter Kurz was awarded the distinction of honorary senator. Middle: University President Prof Michael Weber