Prize of the Fachhochschule Dortmund's sponsoring organization for the best graduates
Hatim Barioudi (Information Technology)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Extended evaluation possibilities through the use of acceleration data in addition to electromyography for para-cross-country training
Supervising lecturers: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Felderhoff(Opens in a new tab) & Prof. Dr. Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting
Explanation of the topic: The master's thesis investigated the biomechanical aspects of different sitting positions in Paralympic cross-country skiing for athletes with physical disabilities, focusing on the effects of the sitting positions on improving performance and minimizing the risk of injury. This was done by analyzing and evaluating recorded measurement data, followed by the simulation of measurement scenarios using artificial intelligence.
What happened after graduation?
Hatim Barioudi: After completing my Master's degree, I continued my professional career with a doctorate on the topic of "Qualifying analysis of gait dynamics and compensation mechanisms in people with amputations for the optimized control of prostheses", as part of a cooperative doctorate between the Fachhochschule Dortmund and the University of Freiburg. At the same time, I am working as a research assistant in the Faculty of Information Technology at Fachhochschule Dortmund.
What did I like best about the university?
Hatim Barioudi : What I particularly liked about Fachhochschule Dortmund, both as a student and as an employee, was the respectful and informal atmosphere, which is characterized by a supportive spirit and responds to the interests and needs of the individual. This environment not only promotes productivity, but also encourages us to push our limits and develop independently.
Lars Erbach (Computer Science)
Topic of the bachelor thesis: Semantic obstacle detection and mapping for mobile robots
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Frank Künemund(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: My bachelor thesis deals with a small robot that searches for new obstacles in its environment by taking photos of the surroundings in order to recognize obstacles and enter them into a map. In this way, it lays the foundation for informing other robots that are also traveling in the area about new dangers. You can think of it like a scout scouting out a hiking route and marking difficult spots so that nobody falls off.
What happened after graduation?
Lars Erbach: After my bachelor's degree, I started a master's degree in computer science at Fachhochschule Dortmund. Alongside my Master's degree, I worked at the University's own Institute for the Digital Transformation of Application and Living Domains (IDiAL), where I worked on robotics for teaching. For my final thesis, I've now moved to Fraunhofer IML, where I'm working on robotics in an industrial context.
What do I like best about the university?
Lars Erbach: The special focus on the application of what I have learned and the associated practical teaching. I also really like the fact that, in addition to the modules, there are also opportunities such as the open lab, where you can continue your education in other technical or electronic areas.
Lennart Grünsel (Design)
Topic of the Master's thesis: /IMAGINE EDEN
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Kai Jünemann(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: In our hectic world, many people long for a perfect place of tranquillity - like the "Garden of Eden". But urbanization and digitalization are increasingly alienating us from nature. In my project "Imagine Eden", together with Argos, a clever AI, I go in search of our own personal Eden and investigate how technology can help us to rediscover our connection to nature - and in the process, completely new, creative images are created that are thought-provoking.
What happened after graduation?
LennartGrünsel: After graduating, I worked as a freelance artist and also expanded my work at the Nordstadtgalerie, where I took over project coordination and artistic direction. This combination of creative freedom and organizational responsibility has shaped my everyday professional life ever since.
What do I like best about the Fachhochschule Dortmund?
LennartGrünsel: What I particularly like about the Fachhochschule Dortmund is the commitment that goes beyond pure teaching and research. The university actively takes on social responsibility and creates links between academic life and the local community. I hope that this awareness and commitment will continue in the future.
Benjamin Hantke (Applied Social Sciences)
Topic of the Bachelor's thesis: The good life as an orientation for professional attitudes of professionals in residential child and youth care
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Rosenmüller(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: I have dealt with the question of what constitutes a good life and why this question is also relevant for professionals in residential child and youth care. Ultimately, I argue that professionals always carry an implicit idea of what a good life consists of in their actions. But that professionalism consists of developing a (scientifically) reflected idea and orienting one's actions accordingly.
What happened after graduation?
Benjamin Hantke: After completing my B.A., I started a Master's degree in "Social Sustainability and Demographic Change" at Fachhochschule Dortmund and am now in my third semester. Following my thesis, I was invited by my first examiner Stefanie Rosenmüller to co-write her book project "Attitude and Judgment: On Applied Ethics in Social Work". Following my Bachelor's thesis, I started working as a research assistant for my second examiner Nicole Knuth and am currently working as a research assistant on her Justy project.
What do I like best about the University of Applied Sciences?
Benjamin Hantke: I have to say that I hardly got to know the university in the first five semesters due to the coronavirus situation. But the sixth semester was very nice. What I liked best were the lecturers, who usually managed to create a pleasant atmosphere.
Cedric Hentschel (Mechanical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Semi-automated evaluation of FEM calculations on commercial vehicle structural components
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Matthias Müller(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: The Master's thesis is subject to a blocking notice.
What happened after graduation?
Cedric Hentschel: After graduating, I started as a calculation engineer at Schmitz Cargobull AG. I carry out technical simulations and evaluate vehicle concepts and components in terms of their rigidity and strength.
What did I like best about the university?
Cedric Hentschel: I liked the fact that my Bachelor's study program lasted seven semesters and the Master's was shortened to three semesters. I was also impressed by the way Fachhochschule Dortmund enables students to graduate regardless of their circumstances.
Amelie Kurz (Architecture)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Community living as an approach for sustainable village development - SCENARIO USING MÜLLENBACH AS A CASE STUDY
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Christine Remensperger (Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: The thesis examines the current challenges of single-family housing estates in rural areas of Germany. In order to counteract urban sprawl, vacancies and environmental pollution caused by these, the front yard scenario develops alternative forms of housing using the example of Müllenbach. The concept taps into local potential and uses a community-promoting approach to densify the existing settlement in a functional and context-sensitive manner and transform it into a sustainable and meaningful neighborhood.
What happened after completion?
Amelie Kurz: My interest in large-scale and strategic planning deepened during my studies and my Master's thesis. After several years of experience in an architectural office, I am now working as an employee at the urban planning office bläser jansen partner in Dortmund. This new professional challenge gives me exciting insights and enriching experience in the field of urban planning, urban design and strategy.
What did I like best about the university?
Amelie Kurz: What I particularly liked about studying at Fachhochschule Dortmund was the practice-oriented teaching and the individual support from the lecturers. In addition, the possibility of digital communication made it easy to combine my studies with my professional practice.
Anna Romero Müller (Business Studies)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Initialization and Budgeting of Digital Transformation Projects: Strategies to Deal with Uncertainty
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Jan Christoph Albrecht(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: The year is 2023 and the term "digital transformation" is on everyone's lips. Almost every company is forced to implement projects to drive it forward, but until now, research had not yet sufficiently devoted itself to analyzing this particular type of project. By examining various aspects of digital transformation projects, such as the sources of uncertainty regarding their budgeting or the experience reports of project managers in practice, this thesis produced a handbook with recommended measures and under which conditions they should be applied.
What happened after completion?
Anna Romero Müller: In November 2023, I started a full-time position as a Junior IT Project Manager at thyssenkrupp Digital Projects. After successfully completing my first project a few months later, I decided to make a heartfelt decision and reorient myself professionally. I hope to complete my training as a dog behavior consultant this year and prove myself in this professional field in the future.
What did I like best about the university?
Anna Romero Müller: I am grateful for the environment that the University of Applied Sciences provided for me for two years. Regardless of how good I found them personally, the professors and lecturers always developed practical and relevant content and taught it in their lectures, which prepared me very well for my career. I would like to expressly thank my Master's thesis supervisor, Prof. Dr. Jan Christoph Albrecht, who accompanied me through various academic research projects and to whom I owe this award in no small part.
Finn Springer (Electrical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Implementation of a sensorless field-oriented control for a brushless motor (PMSM/BLDC) on a microcontroller
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Yan Liu(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: Sensorless field-oriented control controls electric motors without measuring the exact position of the rotor with sensors. Instead, electrical currents in the motor are detected and the rotor position is calculated from this. This enables precise and efficient control of the motor without the need for expensive or vulnerable sensors.
What happened after graduation?
Finn Springer: I moved to Munich straight after graduating. Since then, I have been working there as an embedded software developer at Nanotec Electronic GmbH & Co KG. My area of responsibility is the control of BLDC and stepper motors (as well as my Master's thesis). This includes programming and testing the functionality in the laboratory.
What did I like best about the university?
Finn Springer: What I liked best about Fachhochschule Dortmund was the size. The teaching was particularly good in the Master's program, as the course sizes were more like class sizes. This made it possible to respond to students' individual suggestions.
Prize of the Fördergesellschaft for special achievements in research and teaching
Research Award: Prof. Dr. Martin Kiel & Prof. Dr. Stefan Kempen (Faculty of Electrical Engineering)
Research area: Large high-voltage battery storage systems
- Third-party funded project KV-BATT-TECH: 07/2020 - 12/2022
- Third-party funded project KV-BATT-SYST: 12/2022 - end of 2026
What exactly are we investigating as part of our research?
As part of our research, we are investigating how large battery energy storage systems can be operated at much higher voltages and what technical and Business Studies advantages result from this. Today's large battery systems are operated with battery system voltages of up to around 1300V DC. Our aim is to increase this voltage tenfold. With the same performance of a battery storage system, this would reduce the losses in the storage system by a factor of 100. We are investigating which measures are required in the area of electrical insulation in order to control the intended high voltages. Furthermore, the operating scenarios in which a high-voltage battery system offers particularly great advantages are being investigated.
What have been the main findings of our research so far?
At an early stage of our project, we realized that the established rules for insulation coordination needed to be extended for application to high-voltage battery storage systems and that increasing the system voltage in the planned way would have a major impact on the design of battery systems. This realization has led us to rethink many aspects from the ground up. One example of this is our switch to much smaller battery cells than are common in the stationary energy storage systems industry. We also had to make adjustments to system components such as connectors and protective devices, which were not initially a focus. Thanks to this new approach, we received a lot of attention from industry partners that we had not previously perceived as potential interested parties. This was also reinforced by feedback from our internal industry advisory board.
Teaching award: Simone Arnold (Electrical Engineering)
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Prof. Dr. Simone Arnold has been teaching the basic subjects Physics I and II as well as Environmental Measurement Technology and various elective subjects at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering since 2021.
Reason given by the student council: Prof. Dr. Simone Arnold is known among students for teaching the course content, especially in the important basic subjects of Physics I & II, in an understandable and practical way. She also explains very complex physical relationships such as radiation physics clearly using real-world examples. Simone Arnold is always extremely down-to-earth and approachable. She answers questions that are not directly related to the current topic in a detailed and understandable way.
Prof. Arnold's lectures are enriched by live surveys, videos of experiments and learning objective tests. In this way, she creates a learning atmosphere that motivates students to actively participate. She encourages self-study through clear learning materials, whereby her website, which was created especially for teaching purposes and contains collections of exercises and examples from physics and environmental measurement technology, is particularly noteworthy.
Simone Arnold is always open to requests and suggestions for topics from the student body. Her teaching is characterized by a genuine interest in learning success and cooperation with students. She treats students in a fair, friendly and equal manner, regardless of gender identity, nationality or other characteristics.
Prof. Dr. Simone Arnold took over as Head of the Women's Project Laboratory at Fachhochschule Dortmund in the winter semester 2024/25.
Change of management in the women's project lab
Prize of the Fördergesellschaft for outstanding cooperative doctorate
Sven Steffen Becker (Computer Science)
Topic of the doctorate: Fully automated bone age determination on pediatric X-ray images based on the radiological procedure
Supervising lecturers: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph M. Friedrich(Opens in a new tab) (Fachhochschule Dortmund) and Prof. Dr. Felix Nensa (University Hospital Essen)
Explanation of the topic: In medical practice, the bone age of children is often determined by X-ray images of the left hand, but their interpretation is time-consuming and requires a great deal of experience. A two-stage deep learning system presented in the paper automates this process and uses neural networks to recognize relevant areas of the hand bones and determine the bone age. This system achieves a high level of accuracy, but could be further improved by providing more data and more precise findings for training.
What happened after your doctorate?
Sven Steffen Becker: After my doctorate, I was employed as an AI engineer at GEMESYS, a semiconductor startup from Bochum that specializes in the development of analog neuromorphic chips for AI training. In my role, I combine topics of theoretical computer science with the innovative redesign of AI training, especially for applications directly on end devices ("on-the-edge"). This technology could revolutionize AI training as it is more efficient and resource-saving than conventional digital systems.
What did I like best about the university?
Sven Steffen Becker: What I particularly liked about Fachhochschule Dortmund was the good support I received from the professors, both during my Bachelor's and Master's studies and in my research. This support was crucial for my development and ultimately led to a doctoral scholarship from the Graduate Center at Fachhochschule Dortmund. The practical training and supportive environment have had a significant impact on my path.
Sponsorship award of the Soroptimist International Club Dortmund
Jennifer Brockmann (Computer Science)
Topic of the bachelor thesis: Influence of the implementation of digital solutions on the culture of public companies: An evaluation of the Competing Values Framework
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Mariele Hagen(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: In my Bachelor's thesis, I looked at the connections between corporate culture and digitalization. Anyone who introduces digital solutions in a company quickly realizes that how well these solutions can be introduced depends, among other things, on the corporate culture. In my work, I have modified an existing instrument for measuring corporate culture in order to be able to predict what impact the introduction of certain digital solutions will have on culture. The aim is to be able to predict whether the culture will develop into a more digitization-friendly one. A kind of crystal ball for digitalization managers.
What happened after graduation?
Jennifer Brockmann : I studied part-time. I am very pleased that I was able to take on a new position with my employer, the Westfalenhallen Group, after completing my Bachelor's degree. The position of "Digital Project Manager" combines some of the skills that I was able to build up during my studies. My Bachelor's degree is now being followed by a Master's degree in Business Informatics.
What do I like best about the university?
Jennifer Brockmann : First and foremost, I was impressed by the people working at the University of Applied Sciences with their openness, commitment and willingness to support me. My degree program is a joint degree program in which, in addition to Fachhochschule Dortmund, TH Köln and the Institute for Joint Studies are also involved. I find it remarkable that a program like this exists. It gives me the opportunity to continue my education part-time and strengthen my skills.
Cornelia-Därmann-Nowak-Award of the Soroptimist International Club Dortmund-Hellweg
Patricia Lüttringhaus (Mechanical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: The Master's thesis is subject to a blocking notice.
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Andreas Kleinschnittger(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: The Master's thesis is subject to a blocking notice.
Commitment: Patricia Lüttringhaus completed her studies while working full-time. And she achieved a very good result with her thesis. I think that's already an achievement worthy of recognition.
What happened after graduation?
Patricia Lüttringhaus: After completing my Master's degree, I was successful in the application process for my current position as Operations Manager.
What did I like best about the university?
Patricia Lüttringhaus : What I liked best about Fachhochschule Dortmund was the practical relevance, the small exercise groups and the professional exchange with the professors.
Prize of the Rudolf Chaudoire Foundation
Sebastian Römbke (Electrical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Extension of a functional CAN bus test to include an applicative interface test using a microcontroller
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Jan Watzlaw(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: The thesis deals with the testing of integrated circuits ("microchips"). A new method for testing a communication interface was developed and investigated. This should increase the quality of the manufactured products.
What happened after graduation?
Sebastian Römbke: After completing my degree, I started working as a test development engineer at Elmos Semiconductor in Dortmund. I had already been working there for several years as a student trainee and also completed my Master's thesis there. In my job, I am continuing the work on my thesis.
What did I like best about the university?
Sebastian Römbke : What I particularly appreciate about my studies at Fachhochschule Dortmund is the high level of practical orientation in teaching, which I now benefit from in my work. This was supported by the very good contact with the lecturers. I also enjoyed volunteering on various student committees in the university administration during my studies.
Malte Sträter (Electrical Engineering)
Topic of the bachelor thesis: Analysis of possible critical network situations in residential areas
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Kai Luppa(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: As part of my Bachelor's thesis, I looked at the effects of the energy transition on the low-voltage grid. This involved simulating and investigating the rapid expansion of wallboxes, photovoltaic systems, heat pumps and electricity storage systems.
What happened after graduation?
Malte Sträter: After completing my Bachelor's degree, I remained loyal to Fachhochschule Dortmund and started a Master's degree in "Energy Systems" in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. At the same time, I work at Lackmann in Münster.
What do I like best about the university?
Malte Sträter : What I like most about studying at Fachhochschule Dortmund is the uncomplicated interaction with the lecturers.
Alexander Waldorf (Electrical Engineering)
Topic of the master's thesis: Investment and potential assessment of photovoltaic systems with battery storage at filling stations: A holistic investigation to identify suitable areas as well as to evaluate the economic feasibility.
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Martin Kiel(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: In the master's thesis, the area potential for photovoltaic systems on petrol station sites was determined and an average petrol station was simulated on the basis of real consumption. Based on this simulated petrol station, various scenarios were considered in order to develop recommendations for economically viable investments in photovoltaic systems at petrol stations.
What happened after graduation?
Alexander Waldorf: After completing my Master's degree part-time, I changed employers and started working for BP Europa SE as a Low Carbon Project Engineer. My tasks include introducing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) at Aral filling stations throughout Germany in order to make the fuel supply more sustainable and reduce CO₂ emissions.
What did I like best about the university?
Alexander Waldorf: What I particularly liked about Fachhochschule Dortmund was the personal and direct exchange between students and professors. It is also possible for part-time students to attend lectures flexibly and successfully complete their studies despite having a full-time job.
Tim Blömker (Mechanical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Development of a simulation method for the prediction of a condensation process in rear lights using numerical flow simulation.
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ruth Kaesemann(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: Visible water droplets that form inside rear lights and headlights are a well-known problem. The simulation method can be used to predict the condensation process and the areas in which the condensate is deposited.
What happened after graduation?
Tim Blömker: After graduating, I joined the automotive industry as a calculation engineer. The focus of my work is on simulating the interior air conditioning of vehicles.
What did I like best about the university?
Tim Blömker : What I liked best was the wide range of sports on offer at the university, the good interaction between teaching staff and students and the equipment in the various workshops and laboratories.
Lukas Lübbert (Mechanical Engineering)
Master's thesis topic: Development of a system for the active suppression of uncorrelated noise in vehicle applications using adaptive filters
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Alessandro Fortino(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: In my thesis, I first set up a test bench for systems and algorithms for active noise suppression. I then used this test bench to investigate various hardware approaches and algorithms with the aim of later transferring them to a vehicle and carried out further optimizations on the target system.
What happened after graduation?
Lukas Lübbert : After completing my master's degree, I was given the opportunity to stay at Fachhochschule Dortmund as a research assistant in the field of technical acoustics through project funding and I still work in this role today.
What do I like best about the university?
Lukas Lübbert : What I particularly like about Fachhochschule Dortmund is the very personal interaction between the students, but also with the lecturers, who really go out of their way to pass on their knowledge to the students. On the other hand, during my time as a student I learned to really appreciate the practice-oriented teaching with its great relevance to everyday working life as an engineer.
Matthias Menne (Mechanical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Optimization concept for partial automation in multi-variant production using the example of VKS conductor rail production
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lisa Gunnemann(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: Paul Vahle GmbH & Co KG is planning to connect part of its busbar production to an automated warehouse, in particular to reduce manual work. As space in the warehouse is limited, extensive optimization measures of the existing workplace are necessary before the move. The result is a concept with which the conductor rails can be produced with less effort and better ergonomics and work safety in a significantly reduced area.
What happened after completion?
Matthias Menne: Since completing my Master's degree, I have continued to work at Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG, where I am allowed to further develop and implement the basic concept. The system is largely constructed and is to be implemented in the near future. In my role as an industrial engineer, I am also involved in various workplace design projects and optimization measures relating to production.
What did I like best about the university?
Matthias Menne: I switched to Fachhochschule Dortmund for my Master's degree in particular because of the specialization in production engineering on offer. In addition to the technical content, I particularly liked the practical relevance and good accessibility of the lecturers.
Deborah Hochbein (Information Technology)
Topic of the bachelor thesis: Simulation of interference voltages on pacemakers
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Frank Gustrau(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: A simulation program was used to investigate the interference voltage at the input of pacemakers when exposed to electromagnetic fields. The interference voltage refers to the electrical voltage that is coupled into the electrodes of the pacemaker. This can impair the functionality of the device. In the thesis, various scenarios were investigated with regard to the pacemaker model, the body model and the source of the electromagnetic fields.
What happened after graduation?
Deborah Hochbein: After completing my Bachelor's degree, I did an internship in research and development at Dräger in Lübeck. I am now studying for a Master's degree in Medical Engineering at the University of Lübeck.
What did I like best about the university?
Deborah Hochbein : What I liked best about Fachhochschule Dortmund was the individual support from the professors, especially for project work and the final thesis. You also noticed in the lectures and exercises that the lecturers were really interested in providing students with the best possible support. This made the course feel more personal overall.
Leonie Maleszka (Information Technology)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Extended reality assistance systems to support training in the field of anesthesiology: state of the art and exemplary implementation.
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Felderhoff(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: In my master's thesis, I created an AR multiuser learning application for anesthesiology. Students can perform an augmented anesthesia induction in teams of two in a simulation. They are guided and instructed by a checklist.
What happened after graduation?
Leonie Maleszka: After graduating, I stayed on at the university. I now work as a research assistant in the Faculty of Information Technology and supervise internships in the fourth and fifth semesters, among other things.
What do I like best about the university?
Leonie Maleszka: Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and the Faculty of Information Technology in particular, are characterized by a very informal and supportive environment. Professors and staff are always helpful and friendly.
Inga Scheidemann (Information Technology)
Topic of the bachelor thesis: Investigation of depth-resolved photoplethysmography using a model-based approach
Supervising lecturers: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Felderhoff(Opens in a new tab) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Zaunseder
Explanation of the topic: In my final thesis, I investigated the technology that is also used in the heart rate monitors that many people wear nowadays, namely photoplethysmography. This involves shining light into the skin and the returning light then provides information about various parameters, such as the heart rate. I then used Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the extent to which the use and calculation of signals from different colored light might lead to more accurate results or further information.
What happened after graduation?
Inga Scheidemann: After graduating, I took a break for a while. Since October, I've been doing my Master's in Translational Neuroscience at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf.
What did I like best about the university?
Inga Scheidemann : What I particularly liked about Fachhochschule Dortmund was the commitment of many of the professors. Most of the lectures were very interesting and the specialist internships allowed me to apply and deepen the knowledge I had previously learned in practice.
Prize of the KARL KOLLE Foundation
Jan Kotzian (Mechanical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Derivation of design parameters for the optimized design of acoustic pedestrian warning systems in vehicles
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Alessandro Fortino(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: The thesis describes the different design parameters for exterior loudspeakers of electric vehicles, which are important for the development of such a system. Particular emphasis is placed on the directional characteristics of the sound played by the vehicle in order to avoid generating unnecessary noise emissions.
What happened after graduation?
Jan Kotzian: After graduating, I completed a 24-month training course to become a senior fire inspector with the professional fire department of the city of Witten. Here I can apply the knowledge I gained during my studies to challenging operations.
What did I like best about the university?
Jan Kotzian : What I particularly liked about Fachhochschule Dortmund was the combination of theory and practice and the proximity to the lecturers.
Svenja Sophia Potthast (Mechanical Engineering)
Topic of the Master's thesis: Analysis and optimization of light guides for homogeneous illuminance - light simulation using LightTools
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Wilfried Fischer(Opens in a new tab)
Explanation of the topic: Light guides are used, for example, in household appliances, for ambient lighting, in cars and even in medical technology. With their properties, they are used, for example, to illuminate a larger area with just a small light source - even homogeneously - or, using certain sources, for targeted disinfection. By using light guides, energy and costs can be saved and less installation space required by reducing the number of light sources required. With the help of simulation, light guides can be designed more efficiently and optical systems with their many parameters can be optimized. All these components speed up the development process and thus save time and money. In this thesis, geometric parameters were analyzed and, by optimizing them, the desired photometric target values were achieved in a complex application.
What happened after graduation?
SvenjaSophia Potthast: After completing my Master's degree, I continued seamlessly with the topic of light simulation and light guides and am now building up a new range of services in the field of simulation. At the company ITB - Ingenieurgesellschaft für technische Berechnungen mbH here in Dortmund, I am now continuing the project that I started there with my thesis, and other new orders for light simulation are being added. Due to my choice of focus - product development and simulation - I already came into contact with the managing director of the company ITB, which carries out simulations and calculations among other things, during my Master's degree, as Dr. Brehmer teaches the structural mechanics (FEM) module.
What did I like best about the university?
Svenja Sophia Potthast: I very much approve of the fact that the university of applied sciences maintains contact with companies in various places, which can also be of use to students after their studies. Many doors are open to you through contacts and the networks that are created, as well as learning the basics for entering the job market.
Heinrich Frommknecht Prize of the Heinrich and Christa Frommknecht Foundation
Laura Marx (Business Studies)
Topic of the bachelor thesis: The concept of the gender pay gap: women in the independent sales service of the insurance industry
Supervising lecturer: Prof. Dr. Matthias Beenken
Explanation of the topic: Why do women still earn less than men in many professions and what factors contribute to the gender-specific imbalances in the labor market? Using the example of self-employed sales representatives in the insurance industry, the causes of these differences are examined and the extent to which this professional field of self-employment is attractive for women is assessed.
What happened after graduation?
Laura Marx: After completing my dual study program at Hillgraf GmbH, I was offered a permanent position there as a strategic assistant and insurance broker. In October 2024, I also started my part-time Master's degree in Business Administration at the University of Münster.
What did I like best about the university?
Laura Marx: What I particularly liked about my dual study program at Fachhochschule Dortmund was the community both between fellow students and with the professors. The personal and familiar interaction as well as the understanding support of our professors was paramount.
Prize of the German Academic Exchange Service
Khadija Kadiri (Computer Science)
Commitment: Khadija Kadiri is honored for her diverse commitment. In 2023 and 2024, she was involved in the open day at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. As an active exhibitor, she took part in the Festival of Cultures in 2024. In the same year, she completed a first aid course to volunteer in the first aid service at UEFA EURO 2024. Since the beginning of 2024, she has also been a student assistant on the WILMO project, where she is involved in creating screencasts.
What do I like best about the Fachhochschule Dortmund?
Khadija Kadiri: What I like best about the Fachhochschule Dortmund is the practical training, the close supervision by the lecturers, but also the good cooperation between students and lecturers and the diverse, international community. I particularly appreciate the many opportunities for personal development.