Appointments at ETH Zurich

Professor Bart Clarysse (*1969), currently Professor at Imperial College, London, as Full Professor of Entrepreneurship. Bart Clarysse is an acclaimed expert in the field of high-tech start-ups. His research interests include the set-up phase of these companies, the subsequent development and growth cycles, as well as potential acquisition by established companies. Consulting for numerous European governments and agencies and having himself founded several start-up firms, Bart Clarysse has a strong practical bias. Thus he is ideally placed to strengthen the field of entrepreneurship at ETH Zurich and to further enhance collaboration with industry.

Professor Eric Dufresne (*1974), currently tenured Associate Professor at Yale University, New Haven, USA, as Full Professor of Soft and Living Materials. Eric Dufresne is a leading international scientist in the area of soft materials. His research focuses on understanding, controlling and exploiting the structure and dynamics of soft materials. These include the bulk of living tissues, as well as diverse engineered materials, from personal care products to energy-efficient electronic-paper displays. Coupling his specialist expertise with findings from biology, Eric Dufresne will significantly enhance ETH Zurich’s standing in the field of materials science.

Professor Emilio Frazzoli (*1970), currently Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, as Full Professor of Dynamic Systems and Control. Emilio Frazzoli is an expert in the areas of control, distributed systems and algorithmic robotics. His research findings in the field of smart urban mobility have attracted huge interest worldwide. Focusing on the development of new technologies for sustainable mobility in conurbations, his work addresses issues of the utmost topicality. Emilio Frazzoli’s appointment will both significantly reinforce and internationally showcase ETH Zurich’s competencies in the area of the control of autonomous vehicles and transport systems.

Dr Paolo Arosio (*1983), currently post-doctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge, UK, as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Biochemical Engineering. Paolo Arosio has already produced some outstanding scientific work and possesses skills at the interfaces between engineering sciences, biophysics and physical chemistry. His research is aimed at understanding and controlling the protein assembly and interaction processes that underlie problems of fundamental and practical importance in biology and biotechnology.Potential applications for his findings include the fight against neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Paolo Arosio’s appointment strengthens ETH Zurich’s international lead in the area of biochemical engineering.

Appointments at EPFL

Professor Jürgen Brugger (*1963), currently Associate Professor at EPFL, as Full Professor of Microtechnology. Jürgen Brugger is an innovator in the field of microsystems. His research focuses in particular on micro and nano-manufacturing techniques as well as on the integration of novel functional materials such as microlenses and conductive inks into the latest generation of microsystems. The results of his research have been applied, for instance, to the development of ultramodern drop-on-demand inkjet printers and implantable biodegradable medical devices. Jürgen Brugger is instrumental in positioning EPFL at the global forefront of his field.

Professor François Gallaire (*1975), currently Tenure Track Assistant Professor at EPFL, as Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. François Gallaire is an internationally recognised researcher in the area of fluid mechanics. His fields of activity include the modelling of microfluidics, the control of unstable open flows and the dynamics of turbulence. Combining numerical simulation-based theoretical modelling with novel experiments, his research yields exceptionally interesting results of value for practical application. François Gallaire’s ambitious research plans will contribute to strengthening EPFL’s reputation at global level.

Dr João Penedones (*1980), currently a research associate at the University of Porto, as Tenure Track Assistant Professor for Theoretical Physics. João Penedonesis a frequently cited high energy physicist. He represents a new generation of researchers in his field who are vigorously addressing questions concerning conformal field theories and Maldacena duality, one of the most significant discoveries in theoretical physics in recent decades. In João Penedones, EPFL has secured the services of a promising scientist who will perfectly complement its existing research activities and whose pioneering work in quantum field theory and quantum gravitation will continue to attract attention.

Award of the title of Professor

Dr Thomas Driesner (*1965), Senior Lecturer and Senior Scientist at ETH Zurich, as Adjunct Professor at ETH Zurich. Thomas Driesner’s work deals with the hydrothermal systems of the earth's crust and their exploitation in geothermal projects. A leading expert in this field, he understands how to impart his know-how both within a scientific context and for the purposes of interfacing with practical applications.

Dr Andreas Kunz (*1961), Senior Lecturer and Senior Scientist at ETH Zurich, as Adjunct Professor at ETH Zurich. Andreas Kunz is an internationally acclaimed expert in the field of virtual environments to support and simplify industrial business processes. His focus lies in translating the results of basic research into practice, which makes him a valuable partner in technology transfer projects.

Professor Alec Wodtke (*1959), Full Professor at the University of Göttingen and Director at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, as Adjunct Professor at EPFL. Alec Wodtke is one of the world’s leading researchers engaged in the experimental investigation of the dynamics of surface reactions. He is a member of the Board of the Max Planck-EPFL Center for Molecular Nanoscience and Technology and Co-Director of one of the Center’s projects.

Departures from ETH Zurich

Professor Michael Meyer (*1967), currently Full Professor of Star and Planet Formation, will leave ETH Zurich at the end of August 2016. Appointed to ETH Zurich in 2003, Michael Meyer is a globally acclaimed astrophysicist. The focus of his research includes the development of new techniques to detect and investigate planets and stars. Michael Meyer will be taking up the post of Professor of Astronomy at the University of Michigan, USA.

Professor Manfred Morari (*1951), currently Full Professor of Automatic Control, will be retiring at the end of July 2016. Manfred Morari was appointed to ETH Zurich in 1994. A scientist of international renown, he has made a notable contribution to research and teaching. Drawing on his extensive network, he played a major part in the internationalisation of engineering at ETH Zurich. His involvement in the introduction of the tenure track system at ETH Zurich in 2000 also pointed the way ahead. Manfred Morari’s research focuses on continuous and switched systems and their application to problems in the automotive, power electronics and biomedical domains.

Professor Philipp Grohs (*1981), currently Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics, will step down at the end of June 2016. Philipp Grohs was appointed to his present post in autumn 2011. His interests include questions related to the numerical solution of high-dimensional partial differential equations. Philipp Grohs is leaving ETH Zurich to take up a position as Full Professor at the University of Vienna.

Professor Johannes Muhle-Karbe (*1980), currently Assistant Professor of Financial Mathematics, will leave ETH Zurich at the end of 2015. He joined the university in autumn 2010. The findings of his research have a high degree of social relevance, given the completely new demands that the stability of a globally networked system places on mathematical modelling. Johannes Muhle-Karbe will be taking up the position of tenured Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, USA.

Departure from EPFL

Professor Geoffrey Bodenhausen (*1951), currently Full Professor of Chemistry, will retire at the beginning of August 2016. Having established an internationally successful academic career, Geoffrey Bodenhausen was appointed to EPFL in 1996; here he has headed the Laboratory of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance since 2001. He also researches and teaches at the Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) in Paris. Geoffrey Bodenhausen’s research interests centre on fundamental aspects of nuclear magnetic resonance as well as on investigations into the structure and dynamics of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. His findings and teaching have contributed a great deal to the international reputation that EPFL enjoys in his specialist area.

The ETH Board would like to thank the departing professors for their services to science, teaching and academic administration.

Appointments and departures of professors at the two Federal Institutes of Technology