Appointments and Awards
PTBnews 3.2021
27.09.2021
Cornelia Denz
Prof. Dr. Cornelia Denz, a physicist from the University of Münster, will become the new President of PTB on 1 May 2022. The current President, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Joachim Ullrich, who has held the presidency since 2012, will leave at that time when he retires. Cornelia Denz will be the first woman to lead PTB in the institute’s 135-year history. She was appointed to this top position in German metrology by Peter Altmaier, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy. PTB is an institute under the auspices of his ministry. With this appointment, the Ministry followed the unanimous proposal of a search committee made up of prominent representatives from science and industry.
Frank Härtig
Dr.-Ing. Prof. h.c. Frank Härtig, Vice President of PTB, assumed the presidency of the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO) on 3 September 2021. Over the next three years, he will spearhead this non-governmental federation of 42 member organizations concerned with the worldwide advancement of measurement technology. PTB will therefore host the 2024 IMEKO World Congress which will take place in Hamburg.
Jörn Stenger
Dr. Jörn Stenger, a Member of the Presidential Board, is the new Chairperson of EURAMET, the association of European metrology institutes. He was elected to this position, which he is now taking on, during EURAMET’s General Assembly in 2020. His position as EURAMET’s Chairperson will last until 2024.
Frank Lienesch
Dr. Frank Lienesch, Head of Division 9, Legal and International Metrology, is the new Vice President of COOMET (Euro-Asian Cooperation of National Metrology Institutions). He was elected to the position for three years at the celebratory session to mark the 30th anniversary of COOMET on 15 June 2021.
Piet. O. Schmidt
Prof. Dr. Piet O. Schmidt, Head of the QUEST Institute at PTB, has received an ERC Advanced Grant. With this grant, the European Research Council (ERC) is supporting a project for the first realization of optical clocks which use quantum techniques to control highly charged ions and measure them via laser spectroscopy. The project will run for five years and is being supported with 2.5 million euros in funding from the ERC.