Hochschulhelden honored: Dr. Parts and Prof. Gollmer with Order of Merit!

Hochschulhelden honored: Dr. Parts and Prof. Gollmer with Order of Merit!

On April 29, 2025, Dr. Ernst Theilen and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus-Uwe Gollmer at the Birkenfeld environmental campus of the Trier University of Applied Sciences awarded the Order of Merit in the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. This is the highest honor that has been awarded to personalities since 1981 who have had extraordinary achievements for the country. The President of the University, Prof. Dr. Dorit Schumann underlined the social responsibility of the environmental campus and the importance of this recognition for the region.

dr. Ernst Theilen, who is considered the "father of the Birkenfeld University Location", received the award for his many years of commitment. Between 1982 and 1994, he played a key role in the development of the region through the organic park and was decisively involved in the establishment of the environmental campus. From 1994 to 2001 he also worked as a state secretary for the expansion of the campus. He also continues to be involved in the fight against leukemia and supports the Stefan Morsch Foundation. In 2012 he was appointed honorary senator of the Trier University of Applied Sciences.

honor and awards

The laudation for Dr. Theile held Prof. Dr. Klaus Helling, who highlighted his teamwork and visions. As part of the event, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus-Uwe Gollmer honored, who has been a professor of computer science on the environmental campus for 25 years. Gollmer's commitment to MINT funding was particularly appreciated; With the “Mint Makes Courage” project, he pursues the goal of motivating young people into technical thinking.

Gollmer is a co-developer of the "IoT2 workshop", an innovative programming platform that was specially designed for the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. His projects, among other things, include CO2 lights on air quality monitoring and application-related apprenticeship formats such as IoT hackathons, are examples of how Gollmer MINT formation is practical. He also led the BMBF-funded Digiselfrans project, digitization, self-efficacy and climate awareness.

personal perspectives and future plans

Prof. Dr. Stefan Naumann praised Gollmer's foresight and his commitment to his students. Both honored, parts and Gollmer, were pleased with the support of their projects and the cooperation with the guests of the event. You are already planning further initiatives to promote the environmental campus and to strengthen the region internally. The high award underlines the valuable commitment of the two personalities for education, research and the development of the Rhineland-Palatinate region

The award of the Order of Merit took place under the supervision of the deputy Prime Minister Katharina Binz in Mainz. Gollmers innovative approaches in the MINT subjects and his commitment to digitization show how important these topics are for the future of society. The Trier University of Applied Sciences thus becomes an outstanding location for technological developments and sustainable education.