German-American Fulbright Commission Names Two Cottrell-Fulbright Scholars
Hellmich and Schumann, second and third from right; on the far right is Jairo Sinova, a 2006 Cottrell Scholar.
Ute Hellmich, biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, and Steffen Schumann, physics, Georg August University, Göttingen, are this year’s recipients of the German-American Fulbright Commission’s Cottrell-Fulbright Award recognizing excellence in research and teaching.
The Cottrell-Fulbright Award is based on the prestigious Cottrell Scholar Award given by U.S.-based Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Since its inception in 1994, it has been conferred to outstanding teacher-scholars in the physical sciences, primarily in the U.S.
According to Fulbright Commission officials, the Cottrell-Fulbright Award makes an important contribution to the research and teaching within the German educational system, while at the same time intensifying transatlantic science exchange. Funds are made available by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Hellmich and Schumann will each receive €63,000 for a three-year project that combines innovative research and teaching approaches, and a €5,000 travel stipend to attend the annual Cottrell Scholar Conference in Tucson, AZ.
“Our Cottrell Scholar program has had an immense impact in the integration of research and education at research universities and colleges in the US, said Silvia Ronco, a Senior Program Director at Research Corporation for Science Advancement. “We hope that this new partnership with the German-American Fulbright Commission will help implement evidence-based teaching practices in Germany and foster a new generation of young faculty who are recognized for their excellence in both research and education.”
Hellmich is a tenure-track junior professor for membrane biochemistry endowed by the Carl-Zeiss Foundation at Johannes Gutenberg University at Mainz. She is also a guest scientist at the University of Frankfurt’s Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance. Currently, her team focuses on the functional dynamics of multidrug transporters, ion channels from parasites, and convincing undergraduates how much fun science is.
Schumann’s main field of interest is the development of numerical and analytical methods for the description of high-energy particle collisions. He is the principal investigator of projects focusing on the development of theoretical tools for the Large Hadron Collider experiments, and is a node leader of the EU’s Marie Curie Initial Training Network dedicated to developing and supporting general-purpose Monte Carlo event generators.
