Physicists at Goethe University Frankfurt were honored for their excellent research, engaging teaching, and outstanding academic achievements during the Department of Physics’ academic ceremony on June 27, 2025. The awards were presented as part of the department’s annual celebration, held in collaboration with the Walter Greiner Society for the Advancement of Fundamental Physics Research. In addition to introducing the recipients of the Germany Scholarship, this year’s event also featured a presentation by Prof. Laura Sagunski on the Rolf and Edith Sandvoss Scholarships. Since 2017, this program has supported undergraduate and graduate theses by students in financially challenging situations. Prof. Olena Fedchenko, who was appointed at the beginning of 2025 as the first holder of the Gisela and Wilfried Eckardt Endowed Professorship, gave a keynote lecture titled “Modern Materials in Momentum Space.” Andreas Eckel, Head of Private University Funding at Goethe University, explained the background of the bequest from Dr. Gisela Eckardt, which made the professorship possible.
Walter Greiner Prize for the Best Doctoral Theses of the Year
Dr. Florian Alexander Ludwig received the award for the best dissertation in experimental physics. His work, titled “Terahertz detection with field-effect transistors: experimental characterization and hydrodynamic modeling,” was supervised by Prof. Hartmut Roskos. In his laudatory speech, Roskos emphasized the strong practical relevance of Ludwig’s research.
The award for the best dissertation in theoretical physics went to Dr. Ludwig Jens Papenfort for his thesis “High Eccentricities and Rapid Spins in Neutron Star Binaries,” supervised by Prof. Luciano Rezzolla. Prof. Horst Stöcker delivered the laudation, highlighting the fascinating physical phenomena explored in Papenfort’s work.
Niko Claus Teaching Award
The Niko Claus Teaching Award for outstanding commitment to teaching—named after its donors, Dr. Dr. h.c. Nikolaus “Niko” Hensel and Claus Wisser, and traditionally based on student nominations—was awarded to Prof. Thomas Wilhelm from the Institute for Physics Education. In her speech, teaching-degree student Christin Egli praised Wilhelm’s personal dedication to his students, his infectious enthusiasm for his subject, and his talent for sparking excitement about physics.
Frankfurt Physics Research Award
This year, the Frankfurt Physics Research Award, endowed by the Carl Wilhelm Fück Foundation and the Walter Greiner Society, was awarded to Prof. Sebastian Eckart from the Institute for Nuclear Physics. In his laudation, Prof. Reinhard Dörner praised Eckart’s outstanding experimental work on preparing and detecting entangled atoms on femtosecond time scales, which he illustrated for the audience using a model involving two freshly picked apples.
Best Degree Awards
Awards for the five best physics and biophysics degrees of 2025—sponsored by Eva and Ekkehardt Sättele and the Walter Greiner Society—went to Julian Beu, Emil Jackel, Daniel Jamposki, Tobias Kühner, and Julia von Rothenkirch und Panthen. These graduates were recognized for their consistently excellent academic performance throughout their studies in the Department of Physics.
