Dr Reuß-Prize Awarded in the Field of Chemistry
Two students are the lucky recipients of the award, made possible thanks to Dr Nikolaus und Dr Mira-Reuß-Foundation. The proceed of the foundation, which was in the assets of Heidelberg University (corporate assets) according to the founder‘s wishes, enables the university to honour above-average graduates in organic and inorganic chemistry. Henry is one of the 2024 prize winners.
„Receiving the Dr Reuß-Prize is a great recognition of my academic achievements so far and a confirmation of my decision to study chemistry.“
About his choice to study at Heidelberg University:
My decision to study at Heidelberg University was based on both academic and personal reasons. On the other, the city with its historical atmosphere really appealed to me. On the other hand, during the transition phase of the COVID pandemic, I was assured that laboratory training and the majority of lectures would take place in person again. That was crucial for me as I placed great value on practical training right from the start.
Also, I deliberately chose Heidelberg for my Master‘s degree.I particulary appreciate the balanced combination of lectures and laboratory training. This mixture of theory and practice offers an optimal basis for my scientific development.
About the topic of his Bachelor‘s thesis:
I worked on the synthesis of pentalene-containing aromatic systems (Synthesis of Pentalene-Containing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons). This class of molecules is not only a challenge from a synthetic point of view, but also has interesting electronic properties that make it potentially relevant for applications in organic electronics.
About his future plans:
I have really loved research at the university so far which is why I assume that I will do a doctorate after my Master‘s degree. However, right now, I do not know in which field I would like to specialize in. My goal for my Master‘s degree is to get to know as many different fields as possible in order to be able to make an informied decision for my future academic career.
Time will tell whether I will remain in academic research after my doctorate or got into the industry. Both paths have their appeal and I want to take the time to explore different options before making a decision.
