Between farewells and new beginnings: graduation ceremony and the start of the first semester at Ulm University of Applied Sciences

Ulm, 28 September 2026 – The graduates gathered in the main hall of Ulm University of Applied Sciences (THU) for a ceremony to celebrate their successful completion of their degrees in the past academic year and to recognise outstanding academic achievements and final theses. Seven researchers celebrated the successful completion of their doctoral degrees. Just three days later, at the same venue, the Vice-Chancellor welcomed over 600 first-year students as they began their studies.

On 25 September, 447 Bachelor’s and 84 Master’s graduates from the THU celebrated the successful completion of their degrees and the start of a new chapter in their lives. Eight alumni from this year’s cohort were awarded prizes for their outstanding academic achievements and final theses. And this year, too, the Student Union (VS) honoured committed students. In addition, seven researchers successfully completed their doctorates.

Awards and honours

• The Deloitte Sponsorship Award went to Jan Felix Burkert as the top graduate of the Computer Science programme.
• Ecem Everett, a graduate of the Data Science in Medicine programme, received the Böhringer Prize.
• The Ernst Wilken Scholarship is awarded to the top graduate of the Business Informatics programme. This year, Chiara Gladen was the recipient.
• Jana Becker, a graduate of the Energy Engineering programme, was presented with the Sparkassen Prize.
• Felix Mändler, a graduate of the Electrical Engineering programme, received the VDE Encouragement Prize for an outstanding final thesis on the preliminary development of an IO-Link device for sensor and actuator applications.
• Simon Zeller, a Master’s student on the Systems Engineering and Management programme – specialising in Industrial Engineering – was awarded the VDI Encouragement Prize for his remarkable final thesis, ‘Digital Engineering for Automated PLC Code Generation: The Case of a Configurable Conveyor System Merger’.
• Alexander Verkhof was awarded the Wieland Innovation Prize for his outstanding Master’s thesis in the Systems Engineering and Management programme – specialising in Electrical Engineering.
• Anna Kaißer, a Bachelor’s graduate in Computational Science and Engineering, was awarded the Wilhelm Weinmeister Academic Award as the top student in her degree programme.

This year, the Student Union’s (VS) award for exceptional commitment went to Vinzenz Barth and Tobias Noll. The members of the VS emphasised: “It takes a great deal of commitment to get involved in university life alongside your studies. That is precisely why this should be recognised in a special way.”

“Today we are celebrating not only the successful completion of your studies, but also the start of a new chapter. You have laid important foundations for your future careers here at the THU. Now it is up to you to build on these, take on responsibility and make the world a little better with your ideas.” With these words from THU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Volker Reuter, the ceremonial part of the event began.

Doctorates

Seven young researchers successfully completed their PhDs at the THU last year:

Dr.-Ing. Bernd Arendt
Thesis title: Reducing the false alarm rate in landmine detection using ground-penetrating radar
Supervisor at the THU: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Walter

Dr.-Ing. Sven Cortèz
Thesis title: A contribution to the calibration and validation of vehicle propulsion systems on a roller dynamometer based on the IPEK X-in-the-Loop approach
Supervisor at the THU: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Dettmann

Dr.-Ing. Matthias Donderer
Title of doctoral thesis: Reducing engine-induced ship noise at source
Supervisor at THU: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Neher

Falko Ebe PhD
Thesis title: Testing Methodology for Smart Grid Systems: A Multi-Stage Approach Applied to Architectures Utilising Smart Metering Infrastructure
Supervisor at THU: Prof. Gerd Heilscher

Dr. rer. nat. Anna-Maria Gierke
Title of doctoral thesis: Investigations into the photoinactivation of Candida auris and other microorganisms in the spectral range from 222 to 450 nm with a view to possible applications and the investigation of potential photosensitisers
Supervisor at THU: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martin Heßling

Dr.-Ing. Patrick Rippl
Title of doctoral thesis: Radar target simulation and analysis for highly dynamic traffic scenarios
Supervisor at THU: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Walter

Dr. rer. nat. Abhinav Das
Title of doctoral thesis: From Forecast to Action: Uncertainty Quantification and Decision-Centric Evaluation for Electricity Price Models
Supervisor at the THU: Prof. Dr. Stephan Schlüter

They were supervised academically by professors at the THU in collaboration with a university.

The ceremony

As is tradition, the university orchestra provided the musical accompaniment for the evening. Once again this year, there was the legendary ‘hat-tossing’ moment, during which every graduate tossed their bachelor’s or master’s cap into the air at the VS for a group photo. With a food truck, photo booth, and the Einstein Motorsport and VS bar, the celebration came to a successful close. Special thanks go not only to all the helpers, supporters and organisers of the event, but also to the proTHU Alumni and Friends Association, the VS and Einstein Motorsport.

Even beyond the celebrations, support from partners in the business community makes an important contribution to the university: THU, and in particular the Faculty of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, would like to thank Iveco Deutschland AG for supporting the technical equipment of the Department of Vehicle Mechatronics with a grant of 2,000 euros.

First-year student welcome

The graduation ceremony was followed on 28 September by a welcome reception for the new first-year students of the 2026/27 winter semester. Over 600 Bachelor’s and Master’s students began their studies at the THU on that day. In his welcome address, THU Rector Prof. Dr Reuter addressed the first-year students with the following words: “Your studies at the THU mark the start of a period full of new perspectives and opportunities. Make the most of this chance to deepen your knowledge, develop your own ideas and work together with others on the challenges of tomorrow. Stay curious, open-minded and ready to learn from new experiences.”

Afterwards, the VS invited the new students to their bar for some refreshing drinks. The rest of the VS programme included a city treasure hunt, a guided tour of the city, a freshers’ party and a pub crawl.

Image: The graduates celebrated their graduation in the THU’s inner courtyard.
Image source: Bildwerk89.