The TUM proudly announces the 2022 and 2023 awardees of the Dr. Karl Wamsler Innovation Award (KWIA). The awards go to Matthew J. Gaunt, University of Cambridge, and to Veronique van Speybroeck, University of Ghent.
Matthew J. Gaunt is holder of the Yusuf Hamied 1702 Chair of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. He received the 2022 Dr. Karl Wamsler Innovation Award “for his contributions to the field of synthetic organic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis, especially visible light-mediated photoredox catalysis and photochemistry”.
Veronique van Speybroeck is full professor at Ghent University and director/co-founder of the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM). She receives the 2023 Dr. Karl Wamsler Innovation Award “for her contributions to modeling nanoporous materials for catalysis and simulating complex chemical transformations at operating conditions”.
The KWIA is presented by the TUM and the chemicals company Clariant to promote excellent performance in the field of catalysis, including bio-catalysis and White Biotechnology. The award is named after Dr. Karl Wamsler who died in 2016. Wamsler was one of the most important and formative figures in post-war German chemistry. He was also a generous patron when it came to supporting science and the arts and was named TUM Honorary Senator in 2015. The award was introduced in 2017 and carries a monetary award of 50,000 euros.