Prof. Gerhard Kramer (Vice President for Research and Innovation, TUM) hands out the award to Prof. Karsten Reuter in presence of Prof. Johannes Barth.

The Technical University of Munich honors Prof. Karsten Reuter with the honorary title “TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professor”. On July 28, the ceremonial presentation of this award took place. In his laudation, Prof. Gerhard Kramer, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at TUM, highlighted the scientific achievements of Prof. Reuter and emphasized his special contributions with regard to research and teaching at the TUM. Karsten Reuters work on multiscale modeling and simulation of surface and interfacial systems has been widely recognized internationally. He was one of the first theorists to recognize – whether you consider catalysts, electrolyzers, or batteries – that the interfaces involved do not behave ideally, as assumed before the turn of the millennium, but change dramatically during operation. He was particularly challenged by this. With great engagement, he worked out ways and resources to model these dynamics. What happens in detail at these so-called working interfaces is extraordinarily complex and the subject of his past, current and future research.

As e-conversion we are especially thankful to Karsten Reuter: Together with Ulrich Heiz, Professor of Physical Chemistry at TUM, and Thomas Bein, Professor of Physical Chemistry at LMU, he initiated the successful start of this Cluster of Excellence. With his two colleagues Karsten Reuter was its dedicated coordinator for several years. We are pleased that he will also be on board for the second phase of e-conversion. Preparations to apply for the next funding period will soon begin. Although he will no longer take on the role of a coordinator, he will bring his entire research power to e-conversion. In his current position as director at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin, which he has held since 2020, he will certainly be able to push this forward just as successfully as before.

We cordially congratulate Prof. Karsten Reuter on this special award and wish him all the best and ongoing success for his work and research!

(Picture: M. Drees /TUM)