Social commitment, charitable initiatives, and scientific achievements - for 30 years, the interdisciplinary Karl H. Ditze Prize at Hamburg University of Technology has been awarded to students who have excelled in one of these categories. This year was no exception: three scientific papers, a student initiative, and the long-standing first chair of the Students‘ Union AstA were honored. The prize is worth a total of €6,000.
The Karl H. Ditze Foundation promotes Hamburg's universities and supports charitable and social projects. Among other things, the foundation's funds are used to award Germany Scholarships to students at the TU Hamburg and to support student projects. The Karl H. Ditze Foundation awards the Karl H. Ditze Prize at TU Hamburg for outstanding bachelor's and master's theses, dissertations, student initiatives, or students who have made a special contribution to the university.
This year, the following prize winners were honored:
Julie Köhler's award-winning bachelor's thesis in medical engineering focuses on alternative concepts for the use of nose and mouth masks, known as patient interfaces, in home care with the aim of reducing resources and CO2 emissions. She analyzes the potential of the three “Rs” of the circular economy (Reuse, Refurbish, Recycle) in terms of ideal ecological and economic results.
Lisa-Marie Ehlers was honored for her master's thesis in medical engineering. Her work makes an important contribution to understanding oxygen supply in artificial tissue and shows how modern laser technologies can be used to create realistic microsystem models for biomedical research.
Marten Hollm impressed with his dissertation on the efficient calculation of the interaction between ocean waves and mechanical structures. This is crucial, for example, for the optimal design of wave energy converters that generate electricity from the energy of ocean waves. The work of the technical mathematician suggests a better and faster method than the calculation methods currently available.
Ann-Kathrin Jürgensen and Jonas Muth, both students in the commercial and technical sciences teacher training program, were honored for their student initiative. In 2024, they established an AI laboratory primarily for teacher training students at the University of Hamburg, which will also be accessible to the TUHH after a test phase. This will enable students, teachers, and staff to break down barriers to artificial intelligence, gain practical experience, learn the basics of AI, and generally prepare themselves for the world of work, ideally through interdisciplinary networking.
The first chair of the Students‘ Union (AstA) at TU Hamburg, Anna Miora Gerull, was honored for her social commitment. Gerull has been the elected chair of this committee since the end of 2021 and, in this role, has initiated and supported numerous projects with great dedication. She has placed particular emphasis on supporting international and marginalized students and on social issues such as mental health, financial barriers, and equality. During her term of office, she has also internationalized the committees, enabling international students to play an active role.
