The Volkswagen Foundation is funding a new tenure-track professorship in Earth and planetary geodynamics at the University of Freiburg. This is part of a strategic initiative to merge Earth system science with planetary science, including new laboratories and educational programs to expand understanding of these fields and enhance collaboration.

Transition from Venus to Earth. New initiatives at the University of Freiburg combine Earth and planetary sciences into an integrated program, including new professorships, simulation laboratories and updated master's degrees to enrich Earth system research. Image source: Anna Gülcher, Shared Creativity BY-NC-SA4.0

The University of Freiburg will create a new tenure-track professorship in Earth and Planetary Geodynamics at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, which was established with a €1.71 million grant from the Volkswagen Foundation. The new tenure-track professorship is part of the University of Freiburg's comprehensive strategic initiative to combine Earth system science with planetary science, which also includes the establishment of a new Earth System Simulation Laboratory (EaSySim) and the creation of a master's degree program in Earth Sciences.

The aim of the initiative is to systematically incorporate planetary effects on the Earth system and its subsystems into research and teaching by comparing Earth to the terrestrial planet Venus. Professor Dr. Heiner Schanz, Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, emphasizes the strategic importance of the initiative: "By integrating a planetary perspective, we can gain valuable insights into the past, present and future of our planet. At the same time, the University of Freiburg will become a national and international center for earth system science. We are very grateful to the Volkswagen Foundation for its support."

Professor Dr. Thomas Kenkmann, Professor of General Geology and Structural Geology and Coordinator of Strategic Concepts for Strengthening Earth System Science, explains the advantages of combining Earth system science with planetary science: "A coherent integration of findings from studies of Venus will enhance our understanding of the planetary factors that influence climate stability, the availability of liquid water and the habitability of the planet."

Dr. Anna Gülcher from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (California, USA) is also involved in the initiative. Her research focuses on the study of Earth and Venus as "twin planets," with an emphasis on modeling geodynamic processes. In addition, Anna Gülcher is involved in NASA's upcoming Venus mission (VERITAS).

The new tenure-track professorship is a key element in a comprehensive strategic realignment of Earth system science at the University of Freiburg's Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources. Under the heading "EPSS@UFR - Earth and Planetary System Science", the new strategy includes several interrelated measures to complement the innovative integration of Earth system science and planetary science.

The new Earth System Simulation Laboratory (EaSySim) will provide infrastructure and computing capabilities for modeling and simulation, and support the development of research agendas and joint research projects with national and international partners. The redesigned Master of Geosciences program will offer students specialization options in Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environmental Geosciences, Hydrology, or Environmental Modeling and Data Science. The initiative also aims to strengthen scientific communication and outreach, for example through the creation of multimedia online content and a partnership with the Freiburg Planetarium.

Overview:

  • Professor Thomas Kenkmann is Professor of General Geology and Structural Geology at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Freiburg. He is responsible for coordinating the strategic vision for "EPSS@UFR - Earth and Planetary System Sciences" to strengthen Earth system science in the Faculty.

  • Dr. Anna Gülcher is an Earth and planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (California, USA). One of the research focuses she will contribute to the "EPSS@UFR - Earth and Planetary System Sciences" program is the modeling of geodynamic processes on Earth and Venus.