Ludwig Schunk Prizes have been awarded to seven young professionals who earned their academic qualifications at the THM or are still studying there. The awards for outstanding academic achievement combined with social commitment were presented at a ceremony at Schunk in Heuchelheim.
The promotional prizes, each worth 1000 euros, went to Tim Dawid from Wehrheim (electrical engineering and information technology), Sophia Friedrich from Darmstadt (media informatics), Maike Krebs from Wetter (electrical engineering), Maren Pfrommer from Giessen (international marketing), Aran Tabandeh from Bad Vilbel (industrial engineering) and Daniel Weber from Schmitten (mechanical engineering - mechatronics). They impressed the jury not only with their academic success, but also with their strong voluntary work in the fields of neighborhood assistance, nature conservation and sports, in religious congregations or volunteer fire departments.
A special prize was awarded to Mirjam Havekost from Wetzlar, who is currently pursuing a master's degree in energy technology at the Technical University of Central Hesse and was recognized for her exemplary involvement in the university's self-governance.
At the ceremony, Gunthard Sommer, chairman of the Ludwig Schunk Foundation, emphasized the special profile of the award, which honors both commitment to one's own career and service rendered to the community: "The Ludwig Schunk Award sends a signal that a willingness to perform, outstanding degrees and voluntary commitment are not only compatible, but also rewarded." At the same time, he said, the award, which is currently being presented for the tenth time, is symbolic of the many successful collaborations between the THM and Schunk. The award is dedicated to the company founder Ludwig Schunk, from whose company the Schunk Group has developed as an internationally active technology company with around 9,000 employees in 29 countries.
THM President Prof. Dr. Matthias Willems referred to the tenth anniversary of the award and expressed his delight at the tradition of partnership between THM and Schunk expressed in it. For a university, he said, it is a stroke of luck to have such a company just a few kilometers from campus. This is because it offers attractive opportunities for starting a career, internships for students, topics for final theses and research projects. For many years, Schunk has also been one of the THM partners in the dual StudiumPlus program.
The best graduates of the year from the THM's Giessen and Friedberg departments, which offer study programs in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and business administration, can apply for the Ludwig Schunk Award. A jury consisting of representatives of the foundation and members of the university decides on the award.