On December 8, 2022, the Fördergesellschaft and donors presented awards to students for their outstanding theses. In the steel hall of the German Occupational Safety and Health Exhibition (DASA), Rector Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schwick spoke of a special year for the students, but also for the university.
"After years of the pandemic, we have a large presence at the university again, and I really enjoy that," said the Rector in his welcome address. Celine Carstensen-Opitz, Chairwoman of Fachhochschule Dortmund's Sponsoring Society and member of the Board of Management of VOLKSWOHL BUND Versicherung, praised the students' achievements, particularly with regard to the past few years: "You have shown that you can keep motivation and standards high despite all the challenges. Keep up the good work!" Together with the sponsors, Fachhochschule Dortmund awarded 24 prizes to outstanding graduates.
Prize of the sponsoring company
For the best Bachelor's and Master's theses in each Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Fördergesellschaft honored: Daniel Braun (Electrical Engineering), Victoria Jung (Design), Lennart Karhoff (Architecture), Jonas Kastl (Business Studies) Lukas Lübbert (Mechanical Engineering), Andreas Nossek (Information Technology), Lena Nühse (Faculty of Computer Science) and Almut Schweitzer-Herbold (Faculty of Applied Social Studies). In their words of thanks, students praised the "compact, informal working atmosphere" at Fachhochschule Dortmund. They are not perceived as a number, but "as a person".
Skilled workers for the region
"We are still in high demand as a university," said Rector Wilhelm Schwick. Although enrolment figures are declining nationwide, more than 3,000 students have once again opted for Fachhochschule Dortmund in 2022. "This is important because you are needed as specialists here in the region. That's what we train for," said the Rector. He also spoke of a strong research year with many newly approved projects. "We have achieved great success in research because we have very good researchers at the university. I am proud of that," praised Prof. Schwick.
The Fördergesellschaft supports application-oriented teaching and research and recognizes work that solves specific problems and improves processes. Prof. Dr. Hendrik Wöhrle from the Faculty of Information Technology received the 2022 Research Award. He is working on making artificial intelligence usable for the common good using edge AI. The prize for outstanding teaching went to Prof. Dr. Michael Karagounis from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. He teaches and researches in the field of integrated circuit technology. The students praise him as an "understandable explainer of complex relationships". His modern teaching methods are practical and motivating, according to the student council. Prof. Karagounis also always has an open ear for the students' concerns. He had already been awarded the research prize last year for his work on semiconductor circuits.
Interviews with the award winners
Other award winners of the evening
- Prize of the Fördergesellschaft for outstanding cooperative doctorate:
Robert Höttger (IDiAL) - Award of the Soroptimist International Club Dortmund:
Milena Wortmann (Business Studies) - Cornelia-Därmann-Nowak Prize of the Soroptimist International Club Dortmund Hellweg: Natalie Hedtfeld (Mechanical Engineering)
- Prize of the Rudolf Chaudoire Foundation:
Faculty of Electrical Engineering: Marcel Pogoda, Oliver Scholz, Jonas Schulze Brandhoff
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: Jan Kotzian, Timo Mones, Willi Stork
Faculty of Information Technology: Markus Fahn, Sven Müller, Julian Schwarzer - Prize of the KARL KOLLE Foundation:
Ben Mayer-Ullmann and Robert Steinhoff (Mechanical Engineering) - Heinrich-Frommknecht Prize:
Sophia Berstermann (Business Studies) - Prize of the German Academic Exchange Service:
Mohamed Al Hussein (Computer Science)
The "Fresh Teaching" challenge cup went to the Faculty of Computer Science. The trophy is awarded by the Commission for Teaching, Studies, International Affairs and Quality Assurance as an incentive for the continuous optimization and qualitative development of teaching.
