Alumni Success Stories

Dr.-Ing. Lamya Abdellaoui, Product Manager at Zeiss Microscopy

Ph.D. at Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung & Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2015 - 2019)

After IMPRS-SurMat, Lamya Abdellaoui followed her academic career as a Postdoctoral fellow at the MPIE from 2019 until 2021 in shared position of both, the independent group of Christina Scheu Nanoanalytics and Interfaces and the Department Mictrostructure Physics and Alloy Design. In the beginning of 2022, she started working at ZEISS Microscopy GmbH as Product Manager for FE-SEM/Laser Crossbeam at the ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions.

“Coming from an African country with many renewable energy resources, I wanted to persue my research in that field, and found the right inspiring topic at MPIE within IMPRS-SurMat. Such an interdisciplinary environment offered me strong analytical and experimental skills, especially in the field of electron microscopy. I also gained knowledge on how we can employ microscopy also in clean & green enery field research. In the six years I spent at MPIE, I had so much joy, wonderful moments combined with hard work, accompanied with my colleagues, mentors and collaborators who helped me strengthen and build my personal and professional life.” - Dr.-Ing. Lamya Abdellaoui

Dr.-Ing. Helge Stein, Associate Professor at TU München

Ph.D. at Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung & Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2013 - 2017)

After IMPRS-SurMat, Helge Stein further pursued his academic career as Post Doctorial Fellow at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena from 2017 until 2020. After that he worked as Juniorprofessor at the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie and Helmholtz-Institut Ulm. Since July 2023, Helge is an Associate Professor at the Technische Universität in Munich.

"Shortly before graduating my masters in physics I was looking for a PhD position that offered me enough freedom for my own ideas and an environment that “dared” to be interdisciplinary and would accept some odd physicist working at the intersection of chemistry, physics and engineering. SurMat brings together people from a diverse set of scientific and cultural backgrounds working on interface dominated materials across the “Ruhrpott” – a setting which I enjoyed a lot in my four years of PhD time." - Dr. -Ing. Helge Stein

Dr.-Ing. Lakshman Neelakantan, Professor at IIT Madras

Ph.D. at Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE) & Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2004 - 2008)

After IMPRS-SurMat, Lakshman Neelakantan further pursued his academic career as Post Doctorial Fellow at the MPIE from 2008 until 2010 and subsequently one year at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. After that, he worked as an Assistant Professor at the renowned Indian Institute of Technology in Madras in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, where he is employed as an Associate Professor since 2017.

"International Max-Planck Research School for Surface and Interface Engineering in Advanced Materials (IMPRS- SurMat) provided me the conducive environment to realize my dreams (into a teacher/researcher). The summer and winter classes at SurMat is truly interdisciplinary in nature, which is unique. I am deeply indebted to my Professors, Prof. Achim Walter Hassel, Prof. Gunther Eggeler and Prof. Martin Stratmann for mentoring me. I treasure the days I spent with the colleagues at MPIE and RUB. In simple words, IMPRS- SurMat (MPIE & RUB, Germany) catalyzed both the professional and personal sphere of my life." - Dr. -Ing. Lakshman Neelakantan

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