The EuChemS Division of Computational and Theoretical Chemistry awards the 2024 Walter Thiel award to Prof. Sandra Luber, University of Zurich.
We like to take the opportunity to congratulate Prof. Luber for this recognition.
Sandra Lubers research deals with the development of theoretical methods at the interface of chemistry, biology, physics, and materials science. In particular, approaches derived from quantum mechanics have been in the focus of her work. Together with her team she uses various methods including wavefunction- and density functional theory-based approaches as well as ab initio molecular dynamics, enhanced sampling methods, Quantum Monte Carlo, and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics. Applications encompass a broad range of systems ranging from (bio-)molecules and functional coordination compounds to condensed phase systems and solar light-driven processes[1], [2].
Sandra Luber has been honored with a number of awards. In 2017, she has, for instance, received the Clara Immerwahr Award (first theoretician awarded) and she has been the first female scientist to obtain the Hans G. A. Hellmann Award and the Robin Hochstrasser Young Investigator Award (first woman awarded). Additionally, she is the recipient of the Werner Prize 2018 of the Swiss Chemical Society, the Jochen Block Prize 2019 of the German Catalysis Society, the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize 2019 of the German Chemical Society and the Coblentz Award 2021 from the Coblentz Society. In 2024 Sandra Luber was also awarded with the Philip J. Stephens Award and den 2024 Early Career Award in Theoretical Chemistry of the ACS [1], [2].
Walter Thiel Award in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry
The award recognizes an outstanding scientific contribution of a young researcher based in a country affiliated to EuChemS. The award is granted every two years. It includes a prize amount of one thousand Euros, the EuChemS Walter Thiel medal and an invitation to present a feature article on the award winning research in Chemistry – A European Journal[3].
Prof. Walter Thiel (1949-2019)
Walter Thiel was one of the world’s leading European theoretical chemists of the late 20th and early 21st century. He was among those who realized the potential of theoretical and computational chemistry, not only to predict and understand a great variety of phenomena in chemistry, physics and biochemistry, but also to establish the route toward the exploration of new processes and provide the answers to many of the questions that challenge our understanding of the world around us. At the same time, Walter was a great scientist, an outstanding personality with great sensibility and enormous respect for others. It is Walter’s vision of science and his spirit that our Award shall promote[3],[4].
More information on Walter Thiel: Obituary by Alois Fürstner, Benjamin List, Tobias Ritter, Ferdi Schüth, Frank Neese; Wiley online library, 2020)
The EuChemS Walter Thiel Award is sponsored by the Max-Planck-Institute für Kohleforschung, the GDCh, the Swiss Chemical Society, and Chemistry Europe.
[1] https://www.chem.uzh.ch/en/research/groups/luber.html
[2] https://lubergroup.ch/prof-dr-sandra-luber/
[3] https://www.euchems.eu/divisions/computational-chemistry-2/walter-thiel-award/
[4] Obituary by Alois Fürstner, Benjamin List, Tobias Ritter, Ferdi Schüth, Frank Neese; Wiley online library, 2020
David Spichiger, SCS
16.04.2025