RWTH Professor Matthias Wessling admitted to the Leopoldina
Renowned process engineer becomes a new member of the German National Academy of Sciences
Aachen-based Professor Matthias Wessling has been accepted into the German National Academy of Sciences, known as Leopoldina. Wessling, who holds the Chair of Chemical Process Engineering, and is the RWTH Vice-Rector for Research and Structure and a member of the Scientific Board of the DWI Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, is now the 13th RWTH member of the Leopoldina, which was founded in 1652.
Since being appointed to an Alexander von Humboldt professorship in 2010, he has held the Chair of Chemical Process Engineering at RWTH. In 2019, he was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. Wessling and his working group are researching the synthesis of biomimetic interactive material systems. Here, complex interactive structures are developed using existing and novel materials and their structurefunction behavior when subject to stable or transient forces are analyzed and described. In recent years, fundamental research work within his ERC Advanced Investigator grant have focused on the monitoring of complex physical-chemical flow phenomena at the membrane-fluid interface. Examples of applications of his work include the development of sustainable chemical processes, water treatment technology, and artificial organs.
‘It is a great honor to be accepted into the Leopoldina. However, it is also a recognition of the creative contributions of my staff and my doctoral candidates and students over many years.’
‘It is a great honor to be accepted into the Leopoldina. However, it is also a recognition of the creative contributions of my staff, doctoral candidates, and students over many years. This honor will continue to motivate me and our team to explore the physicochemical fundamentals and applications of synthetic membranes in the areas of artificial organs, energy storage, hydrogen technologies, CO2 capture and utilization, biomass utilization, and water desalination,’ says Wessling.
The Leopoldina is one of the oldest scholarly societies in the world. Since 2008, it has represented German science in international committees as the German National Academy of Sciences. Economically and politically independent, the Academy is dedicated to advising government, parliament and the public about socially relevant scientific issues.
– Thorsten Karbach