Heitfeld Awards for Junior Researchers at RWTH Aachen
The Professor Dr. Karl-Heinrich Heitfeld-Stiftung annually awards the Heitfeld Prize to Master's and doctoral graduates from the RWTH Aachen Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering for outstanding achievements. This year's celebration not only included awarding the prize to five graduates for their Master's theses: both the award's 20th anniversary and the founder's 90th birthday were celebrated.
The Professor Dr. Karl-Heinrich Heitfeld-Stiftung was founded by the professor emeritus of engineering geology and hydrogeology and his wife in 1995. Recipient of the Bundesverdienstkreuz or Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st class, he was appointed professor at the Aachen university in 1970. In March 1990, he retired after 20 years. During this time he significantly contributed to the development of engineering geology in Germany.
Rector Ernst Schmachtenberg started off the celebratory event at the SuperC. Afterwards, the rector of the University of Münster, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ursula Nelles, welcomed guests. The Heitfelds also support the geosciences at the University of Münster through the Hildegard und Karl-Heinrich Heitfeld Stiftung. Chairman of the board of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geotechnik, Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Sondermann, and Dr. Peter Rosner from the Heitfeld-Schetelig engineering offices congratulated the donor and award winners. In his speech praising Heitfeld, professor emeritus Kurt Schetelig honored the jubilarian's services for dam building and the development of engineering geology.
Professor Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Bleck, Dean of the RWTH Aachen Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering, handed out the certificates to the graduates. Arne Steffen Grobe, Nadja Nowak, Sascha Schneiderwind, Rena Stehn, and Katrin Xin Xin Wagner were honored for their Master's theses.
Photo caption: RWTH graduates Sascha Schneiderwind, Nadja Nowack, Rena Stehn, Katrin Xin Xin Wagner, and Arne Steffen Grobe (from left) were honored for their outstanding academic work. Rector Ernst Schmachtenberg (fifth from left), Dean Wolfgang Bleck (third from left), Professor Rafig Azzam (left) also congratulated the recipients, as did the rector of the University of Münster, Professor Dr. Ursula Nelles (2nd from right), and Dr.-Ing. Michael Heitfeld (back row, right), son of the donor.
Source: Press and Public Relations