On average, only around 20 graduates receive this award each year. Now five graduates of the Johannes Kepler University Linz were able to enjoy this honor from the Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen: Anna Hössinger-Kalteis, Christian Motz, Andreas Schörgenhumer, Dominik Wieland and Thomas Paireder were presented with the rings of honor by the head of state.
A sub auspiciis doctorate is the highest award for academic achievement in Austria. The prerequisite: from the upper grades to the end of the course, only “very good” ratings are allowed. These five did it. They are all now PhDs in technical sciences.
“Outstanding performance needs many ingredients. Gift and talent are just the basis. It also takes perseverance and discipline. And above all: curiosity and the spirit of research,” says Stefan Koch, JKU Vice Rector for Teaching and Students.
The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the JKU, Kurt Schlacher, also praised the students’ commitment: “It is a special pleasure for every university when graduates do their doctorates sub auspiciis Praesidentis rei publicae”.
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen presented the rings of honor, emphasizing the importance of the award: “The award should be a visible sign of your success – and a thank you for using your skills to seek solutions to the problems of our time.”
The excellent graduates
Feels vindicated Andrea Hössinger-Kalteis“The award is a great honor for me and shows me that studying plastics technology was the right decision,” said the 30-year-old from Rieder. In her doctoral thesis “Modeling and Simulation of Cellular Materials for Engineering Applications” she deals with the development of simulation models of foams of different densities. Among other things, these models can be used to virtually determine the mechanical properties (eg the pressure behavior) of a foam.
Pride shows too Christian Short, which dealt with the elimination of interference in mobile phone signals under the title “Statistics Aided Self-Interference Cancellation for LTE-A/5G Transceivers”. “A bit of luck is part of it, now a load falls off,” says the enthusiastic photographer.
Also Thomas Paireder has dealt with cell phone interference. His work “Nonlinear Interference Cancellation in LTE-A/5G RF Transceivers” shows how efficient algorithms can be used to suppress interference. “It’s an overwhelming moment,” says Paireder, who lives in Haidershofen in Lower Austria.
“Data Analysis and Error Analytics in Large-Scale Heterogeneous Software Systems” was the title of the PhD thesis Andreas Schörgenhumer. It is regarding data analysis for the detection and sometimes also the prediction of various problems and patterns in large, different software systems. He especially thanks his friends and family. “I might really rely on their support throughout my studies.”
Dominik Wieland received his doctorate under the title “Electrochemical H2O2production using immobilized organic catalysts”. He worked on the conversion of electrical energy and oxygen into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is important for the chemical industry. “The award confirms that my many years of commitment have paid off,” says Wieland.
Scholarship worth 9,000 euros
The ring of honor with the federal coat of arms and the inscription “sub-auspiciis Praesidentis” is symbolic of this highest possible honor.
Sub auspiciis doctorate holders receive a one-off excellence grant of 9,000 euros from the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, which they can use to finance academic stays abroad, participation in congresses and projects in their academic field within two years.
