Impressions from the Faculty Christmas Party 2024
The Faculty of Chemistry celebrated this year's Christmas with a lecture by Sir David Clary. Under the title "Erwin Schrödinger and Walter Kohn: Sons of Vienna, Stars of Science", the professor emeritus at Oxford University shed light on the biographies of two Austrian scientists who had a decisive influence on the natural sciences.
In the second part of the event, the Faculty presented the FWF Clusters of Excellence "Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage" and "Circular Bioengineering" and honoured retiring professor Michael Anton for his long-standing commitment to didactics of chemistry and teacher education. The festive conclusion of the evening was once again provided by the Faculty Choir under the direction of Franz Jirsa, before guests were invited to enjoy punch, chestnuts and roast potatoes.
(All photos © Faculty of Chemistry / Claude Molitor
On December 9, 2024, the Faculty of Chemistry once again hosted its traditional Christmas party in the Carl Auer von Welsbach Lecture Hall.
Dean Christian Becker welcomed the numerous guests and led through the evening.
The guest speaker at the Faculty Colloquium, Sir David Clary, theoretical chemist and professor emeritus at Oxford University, was introduced by Prof. Leticia Gonzalez.
His lecture was entitled "Erwin Schrödinger and Walter Kohn: Sons of Vienna, Stars of Science". Sir David Clary has recently published three books on the history of science in the 20th century.
Few theories have had a greater impact on modern chemistry than Erwin Schrödinger's wave mechanics and Walter Kohn's density functional theory. Sir David Clary's lecture described the extraordinary lives of the two scientists and their enormous impact on chemistry.
The Faculty of Chemistry is represented on the Board of Directors of two FWF Clusters of Excellence: Prof. Leticia Gonzalez presented the cluster "Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage", which investigates the mechanisms of electro- and photocatalysts in order to replace fossil fuels with environmentally friendly alternatives.
The cluster “Circular Bioengineering”, presented by Prof. Gunda Köllensperger and Assoc. Prof. Robert Woodward, is also dedicated to the topic of sustainability: its aim is to revolutionize the production and life-cycle of goods through bio-based materials.
After many years of service as an honorary professor and most recently interim head of the Institute of Didactics of Chemistry, Prof. Michael Anton is saying good-bye to the Faculty. Vice-Dean Lothar Brecker and former Dean Bernhard Keppler expressed their gratitude for his many years of commitment to the establishment and development of didactics at the Faculty.
Michael Anton established the teaching and learning laboratory "WiL2La," which had the honor of hosting Federal Minister Martin Polaschek earlier this year.
The Faculty choir, conducted by Privatdozent and Kammersänger Franz Jirsa, brought a festive Advent spirit to the event.
Once again the talented singers and musicians from the Faculty charmed the audience with a program that was both cheerful and contemplative."
The Faculty of Chemistry thanks all participants and wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!