Great attention to researchers from our faculty
In recent weeks, faculty researchers have received prestigious awards and worldwide media attention.
Dear staff
It has been really nice to see how the faculty's research has been recognized in the past week.
On Monday, I had the pleasure of being part of the celebration of Amelia-Elena Rotaru, who received the Ministry of Higher Education and Science's Elite researcher award.
Amelia is recognized for her microbiological research, where she works, among other things, to understand methane-producing bacteria belonging to the genus archaea. She touches on the green transition and greenhouse gasses in her research, but also maintains that it is basic science.
The hall was full in the Black Diamond and the stage was largely everywhere for the five elite researchers. A video of each was shown and they were interviewed by a journalist and the Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, asked each a few questions.
Amelia explained how she works with research management in her multicultural research group with 13 nationalities spread over 17 people.
It was very inspiring and her ideas immediately attracted the interest of the head of department, the dean and the rector. I hope that we can continue to work with Amelia's ideas at the faculty and perhaps at the whole of SDU.
She was also asked why she chose Denmark. Here she emphasized the flat hierarchy, where everyone – from student to professor – contributes to developing ideas in a research group compared to the more hierarchical relationships she has experienced in other countries.
A big congratulations to Amelia for her great efforts in research and teaching and for the research environment at the Faculty of Science.
Coen Elemans has also hit the media this week with his fantastic paper in Nature, which deals with the song of whales.
It is reported that Coen has given more than 60 interviews in one week in Denmark and to international media. It is hard work and a considerable amount of time spent to answer the many inquiries from journalists.
Whales are fascinating and are highly threatened by human activity and therefore command great attention, but there is no doubt that Coen's ability to ask the interesting research questions, to take the opportunity when it is there – in this case two beached whales – and to make unique experimental setups using methods developed over many years are important for the story to have great impact.
It's nicely done! Many thanks, Coen, for going all the way, and not least for reaching out to the media to tell about your and the research group's exciting results.
Marianne Holmer, dean