SPECIAL SYMPOSIA
The conference will feature two special symposia dedicated to honoring the memory and scientific legacy of our late colleagues and friends, Professors Dieter Herlach (DLR & Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany) and Markus Rettenmayr (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany). Each symposium will begin with a keynote presentation on the life and career of the commemorated scientist by longtime collaborators, followed by invited keynotes from researchers who worked closely with them. Both symposia are open to submissions for contributed talks and/or posters.
The symposium in honor of Prof. Herlach is organized by Dirk Holland-Moritz (dirk.holland-moritz@dlr.de) and Peter Galenko (peter.galenko@uni-jena.de). The symposium in honor of Prof. Rettenmayr is organized by Andreas Ludwig (andreas.ludwig@unileoben.ac.at) and Peter Galenko (peter.galenko@uni-jena.de). If you have suggestions, ideas, or requests to further honor Markus and/or Dieter, please feel free to reach out to the conference secretariat (info@icasp2025.org), chair (damien.tourret@imdea.org), or symposia organizers.
Prof. Dr. Dieter Herlach (1949-2022) was a prominent physicist whose work focused on the nucleation and growth of solids from undercooled liquids, specifically in metallic systems.
He earned his PhD at RWTH Aachen, exploring amorphous spin glasses. He later worked at the Low Temperature Physics Laboratory at Duisburg University before joining the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne, specifically the Institute of Space Simulation (later known as Institute of Materials Physics in Space), where he served as a group leader. In 1998, he became an adjunct professor and, in 2001, a full professor at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. He also held prestigious research positions at Imperial College, the University of Cambridge, and Harvard University.
Prof. Herlach made significant contributions to materials science, particularly in the area of solidification from undercooled melts. He pioneered techniques like Electro-Magnetic Levitation (EML) to study crystallization under microgravity and terrestrial conditions, contributing significantly to material science through space missions and experimental innovations. He received several prestigious awards, including the Bruce Chalmers Award by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), and the Honorary Membership of the German Society for Materials Science.
Prof. Dr. Markus Rettenmayr (1962-2022) was a distinguished scientist in the field of materials science, specifically focusing on metallic materials, solidification processes, phase transformations, alloy development, and oxidation phenomena.
He earned his degree in Physical Metallurgy from the University of Stuttgart in 1987 and later completed his PhD under Hans-Eckart Exner. His academic journey included postdoctoral research in the USA at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before returning to Germany, where he received his habilitation in 2000 from TU Darmstadt for his work on microstructure evolution during phase transitions. In 2004, he became a professor at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, where he played a pivotal role in founding the Otto Schott Institute for Materials Research in 2010, serving as its first director. Known for his exceptional teaching and leadership, he served in various academic administrative roles and was deeply involved in promoting good scientific practice.
Prof. Rettenmayr’s contributions were widely recognized with numerous awards, including the Georg-Sachs-Preis from the DGM, the Roland Mitsche Prize, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Miskolc, Hungary. He was highly regarded for his mentorship and for fostering young scientists, leaving a lasting impact both in research and education..