Education:

1993: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley

1988: M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Oregon State University (USA)

1986: Final Exam in Technical Chemistry from the University of Applied Sciences Nürnberg

 

Career:

2010: Full Professor at the TUM (Chemistry): electrocatalysis, materials development, and materials degradation phenomena related to batteries, fuel cells, and electrolyzers.

2009: Visiting Professor at MIT (Mechanical Engineering Dept., Cambridge, USA) with Yang Shao-Horn: catalysis in lithium-air batteries and model oxide catalysts for fuel cells.

2007-2008: Director for Catalyst Development at Acta S.p.A. (Italy): catalysts and membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) for alkaline membrane electrolyzers and fuel cells.

1999-2007: Technical Manager in the Fuel Cell Activities program of GM/Opel (1999 in Mainz-Kastel, Germany; 2000-2007 in Honeoye Falls, NY, USA): catalyst & MEA development.

1995-1998: Assistant Researcher in the Dept. of Surface Chemistry & Catalysis (Prof. Behm) at Ulm University (Germany): gas-phase & electrocatalysis related to fuel cell systems.

1994-1995: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory with Phil Ross and Nenad Marković (CA, USA): surface electrocatalysis using electron- and ion-spectroscopies.

1989-1993: Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley (Berkeley, USA) with Prof. Cairns: methanol oxidation on PtRu model-electrodes.

 

Research Interests:

Electrocatalysts, electroactive components, and electrode development related to (metal-air) batteries, low-temperature fuel cells, and electrolyzers as well as materials degradation mechanisms.

 

Publications & Public Scientific Service

• 74 refereed publications (9900 citations, h‑index=45); 13 book chapters

• Editor-In-Chief of the Handbook of Fuel Cells (Wiley 2003 & 2009)

• 31 published patent applications and patents

• Editorial Board Member of Fuel Cells

• Chair of the Fuel Cell Subcommittee of the Electrochemical Society

 

Honours/Awards:

2012: Recipient of the Grove Medal for Fuel Cell Recearch

2011: Fellow of the Electochemical Society

2004: Promotion to General Motors Technical Fellow

2003: Klaus-Jürgen Vetter Prize for Electrochemical Kinetics from the International Society of Electrochemistry (awarded Sept. '04)

2001: General Motors Chairman’s Honors Award (“Stack 2000” Project)

1997: Teaching Award from Ulm University (for senior-level “Heterogeneous Catalysis”)

1994: Norman Hackerman Young Author Award from the Electrochemical Society

1990: Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award from UC Berkeley

1986-1988: Fulbright Scholarship for M.S. program at Oregon State University