Appreciation award for TU Graz chemist and architect

In November each year the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW) confers the appreciation award on graduates from Austrian universities from the previous academic year. From TU Graz this year, chemist Anna Eibel and architect Alexander Wetschko were awarded the prize for their outstanding academic performance.

Green chemistry in plastics research

Basic research in polymer materials with exceptional material properties. Anna Eibel is engaged in the reactivity of photoinitiators, i.e. molecules which “initiate” the synthesis of polymers in the presence of light. In the field of medicine, for instance, dental fillings can be hardened using these photoinitiators by exposing them to light. “In my research work, I examine the reactions triggered by these molecules under light exposure. The reaction medium in this case was water – a “green” medium which is also suitable for medical applications,” says Anna Eibel.

The knowledge obtained by the Styrian scientist in her master’s thesis is important for the development of new photoinitiators and can potentially be applied in chemical synthesis. Anna Eibel is continuing her research activities at TU Graz’s Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry (PTC) as a doctoral student.

Landscape and architecture in harmony

Alexander Wetschko shows how a tourist attraction can be preserved and strengthened through architectural means using the example of a design of a hotel in his home state of Carinthia on the Wörthersee. “The recurring prosperity post 1945 led to a new upturn in tourism around the Wörthersee. More and more new buildings were built without taking the historical development into consideration. The view and landscape shaped by the specific building culture of the ‘Wörthersee architecture’ was ignored,” explains Alexander Wetschko. In his master’s thesis, he developed a concept for the revitalisation of the listed, 19th century, 67-meter-high shot tower and its associated natural environment.

The hotel complex around the shot tower which he designed blends harmoniously with the landscape, and it is planned to make the surrounding natural environment publicly accessible. Alexander Wetschko is currently working as a design architect at <link http: www.lparchitektur.at de home.html _blank int-link-external external link in new>LP architektur in Salzburg.

About the appreciation award

The best 50 master’s degrees from all the universities in Austria (altogether 16,000 master’s degrees awarded annually) have been honoured with the state prize of the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW) from educational funds to the amount of 3,000 euros each since 1990. All suggestions for the state prize come from the association of universities and universities of applied sciences. The festive presentation of the awards to the outstanding graduates take place each year in November.