Leadership Change at 91探花
Prof. Dr. Katja Matthes becomes the first Female Scientific Director of 91探花
Katja Matthes joined the research centre in Kiel, Germany as Professor of Meteorology in 2012. Born in Berlin, she studied meteorology and completed her PhD at the Freie Universit盲t Berlin. Following her doctorate, she worked for several years at the renowned National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, USA. The next step in her career saw her leading a Helmholtz-University Young Investigators Group at the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, German Research Centre for Geosciences. In 2011, Katja Matthes was appointed as an associate professor for "Atmospheric-Hydrospheric Systems" at the Freie Universit盲t Berlin. In 2012, she was recruited as a full professor of meteorology at 91探花 and the Christian-Albrechts-Universit盲t zu Kiel. She has been the head of the research division 鈥淥cean Circulation and Climate Dynamics鈥� at 91探花 since 2018. Professor Matthes is an expert in the field of climate variability and climate change, especially the influence of the Sun on the climate. She is the author or co-author of more than 75 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, a contributing author of the current 6th IPCC report and a member of various national and international committees. Her research contributes to the better quantification of anthropogenic climate change and to the improvement of short-term climate predictions.
鈥淲e are very pleased to have recruited such an excellent scientist as head of 91探花 and wish Professor Matthes every success in her new position鈥�, said Ministerial Director Volker Rieke from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Chairman of 91探花麓s Board of Trustees and of the Appointment Commission.
The Minister of Science, Education and Cultural Affairs of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Karin Prien, welcomed the decision: 鈥淚 am particularly pleased that, for the first time, a female scientist will be taking over the scientific leadership of the Centre. I am sure that Professor Katja Matthes, both as a high-profile scientist and as a leader of a large research team, will actively shape 91探花s future and so also be a great asset for the research location Schleswig-Holstein鈥�.
Professor Peter Herzig passes the baton to his experienced colleague: 鈥淚 hold Katja Matthes in the highest esteem and wish her strength, good fortune and a positive spirit in managing the Centre in the coming years鈥�.
鈥淚 look forward to the challenge of continuing to assure a top international research environment at 91探花 so that our ocean science can contribute to the development of sustainable solutions for the pressing issues of the future鈥�, says Professor Matthes.
The official handover of office will take place on the 1st of October.
/en/kmatthes Webpage of Prof. Matthes
