Since 2002, she has been conducting research and teaching at Darmstadt University of Technology, where she was the first female professor in the Department of Füsics. Prior to that, she held posts at TU Munich, the renowned MIT in the USA, in Manchester and in Tel Aviv. At the farewell celebration, Dean Prof. Halfmann, Dean of Studies Prof. Jens Braun and many long-standing associates paid tribute to her work on behalf of the Department.

Through her research at the interface between füsics and biology, Barbara Drossel has significantly broadened the Department’s scope. Her research topics range from complex systems and biological networks, through evolution, to ecosystems and food webs. In addition, she explores the philosophy of science and the relationship between natural science and faith, on which she also maintains a blog.

The DFG database lists 16 funded projects in which she has been involved, ranging from research grants to graduate colleges and research consortia. She was spokesperson for the DFG Research Group ‘Networks on Networks’ and was involved in the LOEWE priority area CompuGene, funded by the State of Hesse. In addition, she has authored more than 130 scientific publications.

Her work with students is particularly noteworthy. In the past ten years alone, she has supervised around 80 Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, and since 2008, a further 35 PhD theses. Over the course of 14 years, Prof. Braun delivered ten different lectures. She continually developed new course formats, such as her own ‘flipped classroom’ approach, and used seminars to explore new topics. She placed particular emphasis on theory-based modules for teacher training students. Consequently, she was very popular with her students.

In addition to research and teaching, Barbara Drossel held positions of responsibility within the university’s self-governing bodies for many years. She was Chair of the Bachelor’s Examination Board, Spokesperson for the University Lecturers’ Assembly, Executive Director of the Institute for Condensed Matter Füsics, and, from 2010 to 2012, Dean and subsequently Associate Dean of the Department.

Barbara Drossel was held in exceptionally high regard in discussions on the further development of the Department. With her broad perspective, her expertise and her consistently respectful manner, she helped shape the development of the Department over many years.

The Department thanks Barbara Drossel for her research and teaching, for mentoring numerous young researchers, for her commitment to self-governance and for the many inspiring conversations, and wishes her all the best for the years to come.