Fireplace Evening for Newly Appointed Staff: Networking Across Locations
On November 28, RPTU President Malte Drescher invited the newly appointed faculty members to a fireside gathering at Villa Denis in the Diemersteiner Valley. “Making new connections across two campuses and 16 departments can be challenging. At this fireside evening in a beautiful setting, I want to provide an opportunity for everyone to get to know one another and engage in conversation,” said RPTU President Malte Drescher, outlining the concept. To promote networking, the term “newly appointed faculty” is deliberately broad. Thus, in addition to the most experienced members of the academic community—the tenured professors—he also welcomed early-career researchers and junior professors.
Since the RPTU was launched on January 1, 2023, 45 new professors and assistant professors have accepted appointments in Kaiserslautern or Landau. “The 17 scholars present today represent an RPTU that is focused on the future,” affirmed RPTU President Malte Drescher. In the future, the head of RPTU plans to invite the newly appointed faculty members—covering the past six months—to discussions and exchanges twice a year.
Creative and Entertaining Exchange: “
” How can one vividly explain one’s own field of research to someone outside the discipline? To this end, each newly appointed faculty member brought along an object typical of their own research. Items presented ranged from a roof tile, a basketball jersey, an architectural model, and glowing chemicals to books—which, even in the digital age, remain an indispensable part of modern teaching. “I was thrilled to see and hear just how broad the RPTU’s academic scope is,” emphasized Viola Küßner, Career Development and Appointments Advisor, who helped organize the evening. “You have chosen the most wonderful profession I can imagine, because you have turned your passion for research into a career,” Malte Drescher told those in attendance. “With this concentrated expertise and this shared passion for gaining new insights and conducting research, let’s work together toward successfully submitting our proposals in the next round of the Excellence Initiative in seven years.”
The following newly appointed faculty members attended the fireside evening:
- Prof. Dr. Sabine Becker, Chemistry
- Prof. Dr. Martin Berchtold, Spatial and Environmental Planning
- Prof. Dr. Adria Daraban, Architecture
- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dornisch, Mechanical and Process Engineering
- Prof. Dr. Susanne Frank, Architecture
- Prof. Dr. Florian Kiuppis, Education
- Prof. Dr. Gerlinde Lenske, Education
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Moritz Liesegang, Mechanical and Process Engineering
- Prof. Boris Milla, Architecture
- Prof. Dr. Paula Prenzel, Spatial and Environmental Planning
- Prof. Dr. Iocahim Pupeza, Physics
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Rucker, Education
- JProf. Dr. Patrick Ruediger-Flore, Mechanical and Process Engineering
- Prof. Dr. Volker Scheuss, Biology
- JProf. Dr. Nikolaus Seibert, Chemistry
- JProf. Eva Stricker, Architecture
- JProf. Dr. Susanne Wißhak, Educational Sciences