Release of the book „Conversations on Climate: The People behind the science“
We are proud to present our upcoming interview collection „Conversations on Climate: The People behind the science“, which illuminates the urgent and multifaceted issue of climate change. Enriched by fresh perspectives from a diverse group of students driven by a deep commitment to climate research, this book takes a different path from traditional academic discourse. What sets this book apart is its unique compilation of in-depth interviews with leading climate scientists. These experts, hailing from various backgrounds, provide a holistic view of climate science, extending the discussions beyond the realm of pure science.
Under the guidance of climate researcher Gerrit Lohmann, the book offers insights into the motivations and backgrounds of those at the forefront of climate research. Conversations on Climate: The People Behind the Science is more than just a compilation of scientific insights; it is a narrative that mirrors the evolution of climate science through those deeply rooted in climate change research. It is a read for students, professionals, and all those interested in understanding and addressing the complex challenges of climate change. This book is not only informative; it reflects the diversity, resilience, and optimism inherent in climate science.
Presentation of the book at the Center for German and European Studies at Bradeis CGES
We are 21 students from various disciplines who have come together from universities all over Europe as part of a two-year project by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. United by the vision to offer climate scientists a platform to express their passion for their research, we want to share their personal motivation and perspectives on the climate system with a broad audience. Together with our mentor Prof. Dr. Gerrit Lohmann, we hope that our book will provide inspiration to discover the entrenched climate debate from a new point of view.
About us
Gerrit Lohmann is a professor at the Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany) and represents the field of "Physics of the Climate System" at the University of Bremen. His field of work includes the development and analysis of complex models to simulate abrupt climate fluctuations, including transitions from ice ages to warm periods and future climate states. Gerrit Lohmann is involved in international research projects, schools and symposia and has supervised undergraduate and graduate students at the Universities of Hamburg and Bremen. He has published more than 300 articles in international journals in the field of climate modelling, data interpretation and scientific discoveries.
Max Maschke is a master’s student of physics at Technische Universität Braunschweig, where he also completed his undergraduate studies in 2022. Owing to his interest in programming and numerical methods, his bachelor's thesis investigated the applicability of a novel numerical approach to microscopic systems of quantum spins. Outside of his studies, Max has been involved in climate activism and is an active member of his faculty's student council.
Paule Hainz studies environmental sciences, also known as Geoecology, at Technische Universität Braunschweig. In the bachelor's thesis, Paule programmed a trajectory tool for a cold air model of the DWD (German Weather Service) and used it to analyze the cold air ventilation around Freiburg im Breisgau. Paule is an active member of their study course's student council and the University orchestra.
Leon Focks is studying chemistry in the master's program at the University of Münster where he also graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2022. He is currently at the McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada for a research visit. His research focuses on the investigation of novel battery materials via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. For his bachelor’s thesis, he analyzed lithium argyrodites as possible solid-state electrolytes for all-solid-state lithium batteries. Besides his studies, Leon is an elected member of the student parliament at the University of Münster for the Green Party since 2019.
Alexa Beaucamp currently pursues the MSc ERASMUS Double Degree in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management at the Universities of Copenhagen and Göttingen, focussing on climate change mitigation and adaptation. For her Master’s thesis she conducts a structural and carbon storage analysis of mixed forest stands using mobile terrestrial laser scanning (LiDAR). Before, she conducted her BSc in Environmental Policy with Economics at the London School of Economics, where she initiated an international environmental education programme, integrating highschool students into the sustainable management of different ecosystem types. Besides her work as a forestry entrepreneur, she has been volunteering for a German nature conservation organization for multiple years.
Lukas Kalvoda is enrolled in the elite MSc program “Theoretical and Mathematical Physics” jointly offered by Ludwig Maximilian University and the Technical University of Munich. Since his Erasmus studies in Paris during the past academic year, he has been researching the frustrated self-assembly of highly complex particles. This scenario arises in various neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Together with dedicated fellow students, he has been organizing a series of talks within the German Academic Scholarship Foundation focusing on technologies and concepts driving the sustainability transition for over a year now.
Karolin Stiller 2 currently studies mathematics in the Master’s program at the Technical University of Berlin and the University of Bologna. Prior to that she obtained an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s degree, studying physics, chemistry, computer science, psychology as well as mathematics and conducting an efficiency analysis for ridesharing services as a thesis. Besides her studies she works in science communication, developing workshops on the relevance of mathematical models for our society. Morevor, she is highly interested in climate science and sustainability research, forming an active part of the climate justice movement.
Lukas Schmitt 2 currently pursues a joint PhD at IBM Research and ETH Zürich. He earned his BSc in Physics from the University of Bonn and subsequently completed his MSc at ETH. Lukas interest of research mostly lies in Quantum Information Theory, Quantum Computing and Foundations of Quantum Mechanics. Apart from Quantum, Lukas has engaged in climate activism and is a member of the academic association representing the scientific staff at ETH.
Ulrike Richter 2 studies the MSc Geography and Geoinformatics at the University of Copenhagen. Various research trips have helped her to gain insight into the effects of climate change ranging from her Bachelor thesis on the quantification of erosion processes in the Kaunertal Valley, Alps, to an MITACS field assistant for dust storm research in proglacial valleys in Yukon, Canada. Recently, she pursued interdisciplinary research on fodder availability in Giathenge, Kenya. Her master’s thesis is about the resilience of river discharge usage for hydropower in Greenland. Alongside her studies, she works as a research assistant in glaciology and plays the clarinet in an orchestra.
Lina Bernert is currently studying the MSc Atmosphere and Climate at ETH Zurich and is particularly interested in attribution research. She discovered her passion for atmospheric processes during her BSc Geoecology at the University of Bayreuth, where she specialized in boundary layer meteorology. In her bachelor thesis, she investigated the influence of a ground-mounted photovoltaic system on the energy, water and CO2 budget of the site. She also completed an additional degree in environmental law, in which she focused on climate law. Since December 2022, Lina has been working for a private weather service in Switzerland.
Moritz Thies is studying physics at the TU Darmstadt and Università di Pisa in Italy. His research interests include elementary particle physics, in particular quantum chromodynamics. In his bachelor thesis he dealt with QCD at high densities and color superconducting condensates. Apart from that, he is interested in complex systems and the physics behind climate change. Moreover, he sings in the TU Darmstadt math choir.
Marius Schulz is a PhD student at the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg. His work focuses on high resolution simulations, investigating the resilience of the Amazon rainforest on climate changes. He has a background in physics and studied Climate Physics at Utrecht University, and researched the South American Monsoon at the IPSL in Paris during his Master's thesis. Further, he has been active in environmental and university politics
Julius Mex is a Master student in Climate Sciences at the École normale supérieure, where is interest lies in extreme events and the role of natural variability therein. Previously he has worked on the organisation of low-lying trade wind culmuli, quantifying lapse rate in the Juneau Icefield (Alaska) as well as glacial changes in the Andeas. He was a visiting student at the University of Bologna and holds a Bachelor in Physics from the University of Cambridge.
Lena Hilf is currently doing her MSc in Physics at the University of Heidelberg. In her studies, she focuses on experimental biophysics. She is interested in the interdisciplinary work between different sciences in order to understand complex systems, ranging from earth’s climate to the metabolism of a single cell. The communication of science to a broader public is very important to her. She has been writing for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung and is leading the science department of the Heidelberg student newspaper ruprecht.
Johanna Schneider did her bachelor in Environmental and Natural Sciences with a minor in Nature Conservation at the University of Freiburg. During her Bachelor's thesis, she researched soil phosphorus availability along temperature gradients in the Forest Floor Research Group.
There, she continues to work as a lab assistant and is currently interning at different institutes, like the Netherlands Institute of Ecology before starting her master's degree.
Arnulf Kung is currently in the master’s program in Mathematical Physics at the University of Tübingen, where he also finished his bachelor’s degree in physics. In his bachelor thesis, he has been working in the field of connecting machine learning and (quantum) physics. He has continued to do research in this area as a student assistant.
Pablo Toussaint is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Physics and a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. Passionate about the intersection of the two disciplines, in his Bachelor's thesis he investigated the mathematical foundations of relational quantum mechanics and how time can be described in this theory.
Leonie Röntgen is a master's student in Computational Physics at the University of Copenhagen and Lund. After exploring the thermal conductivity of snow using a regional climate model of the Arctic during her bachelor’s thesis at AWI Potsdam, she is currently delving into a coupled vegetation-atmosphere model to investigate feedback mechanisms between European forests and the atmosphere. Next to her studies, Leonie plays the clarinet, follows a course on creative writing at Malmö University, and enjoys time spent in Sweden's national parks.
Contact: conversationsonclimate@gmx.de
Instagramm: https://instagram.com/interviewsonclimate