After 3 years of studying for a BSc degree, 2 years for an MSc degree and on average 3-5 years for a PhD, successful candidates are recognized for their perseverance and efforts in a ceremony in the Rudolf Mößbauer auditorium, and awarded with a bronze, silver or gold pin from the NAT School Physics department, respectively.
On the last day in June 2025, the Physics department organized its third Awards Ceremony (Absolventinnen- und Absolventenfeier) this academic year. The event, co-hosted by academic program director Prof. Wilhem Auwärter and deputy academic program director Prof. Julia Herzen, was musically encadred by the TUM Jazz-Duo. The event started with a short greeting by Auwärter, who thanked everybody for coming despite the great heat and stressed the importance of these academic achievements for the future and the ranking of the TUM in general. Word was then passed on to TUM alumnus Dr. Johannes Küchle, a former BSc., MSc, and PhD. student of the physics department now working at Airbus in Manching. His presentation provided insights into how best to hide a plane or drone from detection, but also into how his time at TUM prepared him for the future.
Yingming Yang, a BSc. awardee, was then handed the microphone, and humorously reflected on his years as student coming from China. Did you know that in China studying in Germany is commonly described as: “you plan for 3 years, you need 5 years, and you age 7 years”? Verena Wallner, an MSc. awardee, then continued with a scientific presentation about her quest for dark matter and sterile neutrinos. Dark Matter may remain invisible so far, the equipment to indirectly measure its effects has to endure much!
The final scientific contribution to the event was presented by Dr. Elena-Marie Willner, PhD. Awardee, who talked about how we can specifically fold single stranded DNA (so-called DNA Origami) to create traps for different viruses preventing them from entering a cell.
Auwärter and Herzen then took turns presenting every student with their respective pin (bronze, silver or gold depending on the academic stage of their career), whereby the name of each candidate, the title of their thesis and the name of the supervising professor was read out. At the end, word was passed to Prof. Peter Fierlinger who, as representative of the association ‘Freunde und Förderer der Physik an der TUM” presented Dominik Mattern with the award for best Bachelor student and Tristan Alexander Mauck with the award for the best Masters’ student. The ceremony was concluded with a sect reception, where students, friends and family were given the opportunity to share in the occasion and congratulate the awardees.
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