For the second time, the Hector Foundation II has appointed excellent scientists to Hector Fellows and granted awards of EUR 450,000 in total. Of the three awardees, two are scientists at KIT: Professor Manfred Kappes, Head of the Institute of Physical Chemistry, and Professor Franz Nestmann, Managing Director of the Institute for Water and River Basin Management.
With the awards, the foundation established by Hans-Werner and Josephine Hector acknowledges the commitment and achievements of the professors in science, research, and education. Major criteria for the selection are the commitment to the promotion of young scientists and the contribution to interdisciplinary and interinstitutional exchange of knowledge. The third new fellow is Thomas Elbert, Professor of clinical psychology and neuropsychology at the University of Constance.
During a celebration at the Villa Hammerschmiede, Pfinztal-Söllingen, the three researchers received the awards directly from Jospephine and Hans-Werner Hector. Every hector fellowship is associated with an award of EUR 150,000.
In the past year already did the board of trustees of the Hector Foundation II appoint three professors of KIT to hector fellows. Networking of the fellows gives rise to a team of top scientists, who support each other in their research work and exchange information. “Institutions, such as the hector fellows, meet an urgent requirement of science and are of use to Germany as a location of science”, explained the founder Hans-Werner Hector when appointing the new fellows.
The New Hector Fellows from KIT:
Manfred Kappes heads the Institute of Physical Chemistry, he is holder of the Chair of Physical Chemistry of Microscopic Systems, Director of the Institute of Nanotechnology, and Deputy Spokesman of the KIT NanoMicro Center. Among others, his research activities focus on metal clusters. He compares clusters of metal atoms of variable size with regard to their structure and behavior. In addition, he extensively studies spherical molecules of carbon atoms, so-called fullerenes, and carbon nanotubes. “Appointment to a Hector Fellow is a great honor”, says Professor Kappes. “I consider the award to be an incentive for my future work.”
Franz Nestmann is Managing Director of the Institute for Water and River Basin Management and heads the Water Resources Management and Rural Engineering Department. He initiated a number of joint water management and flood protection projects in various river catchment areas. His work also focused on the construction of an underground water pumping facility in the karst caves of the Indonesian island of Java, the pumps of which are operated by means of the existing hydropower. The pilot plant serves as a model for other projects under similar conditions all over the world. “I am delighted about this award, it is not only a personal honor for me”, explains Professor Nestmann. “This award also honors all my colleagues, who were involved in the projects.”
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.