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Education

1981:

Diploma Degree in Engineering (Dipl.-Ing.), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University

1985:

Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.), Doctoral Thesis: “The Mechanical Characteristics of Non-Linear Viscoelastic Materials”, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University

Career

09/1981 – 12/1987:

Research Assistant, from 10/85 Head of the “Part Design, Materials Technology, and Fibre-Reinforced Plastics” section of the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV), RWTH Aachen University

01/1988 – 08/1990:

Head of Research & Development, from 01/89 also Head of the officially certified Süddeutsches Kunststoff-Zentrum (SKZ) research and testing centre and member of the management board

09/1990 – 12/1992:

Head of the Polymer Processing Group, from 11/91 Head of the Design department at the Polymer division of Bayer AG, Leverkusen

01/1993 – 09/2001:

Chair of Polymer Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Essen University, at the same time CEO of IKM GmbH, Essen

10/2001 – 03/2006:

Chair of Plastics and Materials Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University and member of the Management Board of the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV)

04/2006 – 07/2008:

Chair of Polymer Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg

from 08/2008:

Rector of RWTH Aachen University

Positions and Memberships

10/1996 – 03/2000:

Vice-Rector for Human Resources and Finances at Essen University

since 10/1999:

Member of the Scientific Alliance of Plastics Technology (WAK); 10/99 – 10/05: Vice Spokesman of the WAK

04/2000 – 03/2004:

Peer Reviewer for the German Research Foundation (DFG) in the field of  “Material Properties and Mechanisms of Polymers / Plastics Processing”

since 11/2002:

Member of the Scientific Alliance of Materials Technology (WAW); 10/03 – 11/07: Vice spokesman of the WAW

Since 08/2009:

President of UNITECH International (federation of leading technical universities to promote qualified students in cooperation with industry)

Since 10/2009:

Member of acatech (German Academy of Technical Sciences)

Personal Details

Born in Aachen, Germany in 1952, married to Petra Weirauch-Schmachtenberg, three children