On Thursday, July 18, 2024, the annual Summer Festivity of Faculty 8 took place, organized by the Mathematics Student Association with strong support from the Physics Student Association and faculty staff. The event began at 4:00 PM in lecture hall V57.01 with a keynote lecture by Dipl. phys. Winfried Kaiser, former Senior Vice President of "Product Strategy" at Carl Zeiss SMT.
In his lecture, Mr. Kaiser explored the development of lithography optics, a key process in the manufacture of microchips. Particularly impressive was his depiction of the technical challenges involved in reducing resolution while simultaneously increasing the size of the apparatus. Mr. Kaiser also predicted significant future research and development needs in the field of lithography optics and encouraged the young audience to embrace these exciting challenges.
Following the lecture, student Paula Utili interviewed Mr. Kaiser. He shared his pioneering experiences and emphasized the importance of perseverance and conviction, especially in times when one stands alone with their ideas and needs to persuade others.
At 5:30 PM, the festivity moved to the outdoor area of the university center. Here, the teaching awards were presented by the Mathematics and Physics Student Associations. The musical accompaniment was provided by a live band, and delicious grilled food and chilled drinks were available for the guests.
The teaching awards from the physics students this year went to:
- Award for the best Experimental Physics lecture in the Winter Semester 23/24: Peter Michler for the lecture "Experimental Physics V"
- Award for the best Theoretical Physics lecture in the Winter Semester 23/24: Maria Daghofer for the lecture "Advanced Many-Body Theory"
- Award for the best Elective lecture in the Winter Semester 23/24: Nikolai Lang for the lecture "Relativity Theory 1"
- Award for the best Experimental Physics lecture in the Summer Semester 2024: Harald Giessen for "Experimental Physics IV"
- Award for the best Theoretical Physics lecture in the Summer Semester 2024: Erik Lutz for the lecture "Theoretical Physics 1: Mechanics"
- Award for the best Elective lecture in the Summer Semester 2024: Tim Langen for the lecture "Advanced Atomic Physics"
The mathematics students awarded three prizes.
For the best required lecture:
- Jens Wirth with “Analysis 3” and assistant Kevin Schlegel
For the best bachelor's lecture:
- Benjamin Stamm with “Numerics 2” and assistant Zhuoyao Zeng
For the best master's lecture:
- Steffen König with “Higher Structures in Representation Theory 1&2”
The Summer Festivity also featured an entertaining quiz, where four students competed against four lecturers. In a thrilling round characterized by quirky incidents and pantomime, the lecturers initially took a narrow lead. However, when it came to the term "mock exam," the lecturers had to concede defeat. Ultimately, the students' impressive pantomime skills secured their victory in the quiz.
All members, alumni, as well as friends of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, were invited. With an estimated attendance of 300 guests, the festivity was a great success, offering an excellent opportunity for exchange and the strengthening of scientific and friendly connections.
