PhD student representation

What is the PhD student representation?

The PhD student representation represent the interests of the doctoral students at RPTU towards the university's bodies and committees and advise in matters concerning doctoral students.

It was established in accordance with §34 (9) of the Rhineland-Palatinate Higher Education Act (HochSchG).

The site is currently under construction. Further information will follow shortly.

In Kaiserslautern, the doctoral student representatives were elected for the first time in May and June 2022. One doctoral student representative and one deputy were elected for each department. From the beginning of 2023, the doctoral student representatives were provisionally completed by four doctoral student representatives from Landau and their deputies, who took over their tasks provisionally until the first joint elections.

 

Election results for PhD student representation 2026/2027

In June and July 2026 the elections for the new PhD student representatives of the RPTU took place in all departments of the RPTU (legislative period: 01.10.2025-30.09.2026). Elections were held in the individual departments as part of plenary meetings of doctoral candidates. Each department elected a member of the PhD student representatives and a deputy. The legislative period of the newly elected PhDstudent representatives began on 01.10.2024.

The following representatives were elected for the upcoming term (October 1, 2026–September 30, 2027):

DepartmentName of the elected PhD student representativeName of the elected deputy
ArchitectureFlorian LapportRalf Breitenstein
Civil EngineeringJonas LilligTobias Wendler
BiologyGülsah Göktas Tamara Hamann 
ChemistryBoris Heeb Artur Felske 
Electrical Engineering and information technologyAlex WezelChristoph Lipps 
Educational studiesJohanna FuchsMarlene Jäger
Information technologyCass AlexandruLukas Wildberger
Cultural and social sciencesConstanze KelavaVerena Riffel
Mechanical and process engineeringIris Hamburgernicht besetzt
MathematicsMartin WagnerSaskia Ostmann
Natural and environmental sciencesMarie KasparJohanna Maria Zimmermann
PhysicsJens HartmannEmma Herbst
PsychologyLisa MaiLarissa Damp 
Spatial and environmental planningFelix JacobPierre Müller
Social sciencesJonas Dully Tom Behringer
Business studies and EconomicsHendrik WewersTim Kohnle


Contact: promovierendenvertretung[at]rptu.de

Electoral regulations of the PhD student representation of the RPTU (in German).

Spokespersons and senate representatives of the PhD student representation

At its constituent meeting on 7 October 2025, the PhD student representatives elected their spokespersons and their representatives to the Senate:

For Landau:

Spokesperson: Verena Bauer [IN1] (FB Erziehungswissenschaften)

Deputy spokesperson: Larissa Hermann (FB Natur- und Umweltwissenschaften)

Senate representation: Marie Kaspar (FB Natur- und Umweltwissenschaften)

Deputy senate representation: Constanze Kelava (FB Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften)

 

For Kaiserslautern:

Spokesperson: Jonas Dully (FB Sozialwissenschaften)

Deputy spokesperson: Boris Heeb (FB Chemie)

Senate representation: Gregor Cassian Alexandru (FB Informatik)

Deputy senate representation: Iris Hamburger (FB Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik)

Current composition of the PhD student representation of the RPTU 2025/26

Term of office: October 1, 2025–September 30, 2026

DepartName of the elected PhD student representativeName of the elected deputy
ArchitectureRalf BreitensteinFynn-Niklas Knak
Civil EngineeringJonas LilligSara Wendel
BiologyDorothée KleinKatharina König
ChemistryNesrin DilmenBoris Heeb
Electrical Engineering and information technologyAlex WezelChristoph Lipps
Educational studiesMarlene JägerVerena Bauer
Information technologyGregor Cassian AlexandruJan Rottmayer
Cultural and social sciencesVerena RiffelConstanze Kelava
Mechanical and process engineeringJonathan NußbaumIris Hamburger
MathematicsMartin WagnerEmily Ewers
Natural and environmental sciencesLarissa Zoe HerrmannMarie Kaspar
PhysicsLarissa SchwarzJens Hartmann
PsychologyLea LorenzVerena Hofmann
Spatial and environmental planningFelix JacobSibylle Hestermann
Social sciencesJonas DullyTom Behringer
Business studies and EconomicsHendrik WewersTabea Stilgenbauer


Contact: promovierendenvertretung[at]rptu.de

Electoral regulations of the PhD student representation of the RPTU (in German).

Group picture of the PhD student representatives after their constituent meeting in october 2024.
Support of PhD students at the RPTU through REaCh

The RPTU Center for Early Career Researchers (REaCh) is RPTU's interdisciplinary institution for the support of early career researchers and offers them comprehensive support for the development of their careers.

Here you will find information on continuing education, funding, and networking opportunities for PhD students of RPTU.