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From left: Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible, Dr. Tom Rüther, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Danzer, Prof. Dr. Susanne Tittlbach, Michael Albert

As part of Sustainability Days at the University of Bayreuth, President Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible presented the 2026 Sustainability Awards for undergraduate theses. In addition, a Transfer Award and a prize for a dissertation were awarded this year. Since 2020, the University of Bayreuth has awarded three annual Sustainability Awards for student theses. These are presented in collaboration with Sparkasse Bayreuth.

For the first time this year, the Sustainability Dissertation Award was presented to Dr. Tom Rüther for his outstanding dissertation, “Electrochemical Characterization and System-Level Diagnosis of Lithium-Ion Batteries.” His supervisor was BayBatt Director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Danzer at the Chair of Electrical Energy Systems. Tom Rüther completed his doctorate at the BayBatt Graduate School in January 2025. With his work, he made a significant contribution to understanding the electrical properties of battery modules as well as their performance, thereby laying the foundation for the future development of decision-making algorithms in the field of circular economy.

The presentation of the sustainability awards, followed by a panel discussion, was part of a three-day sustainability event featuring lectures, workshops, and guided tours that provided insights into the university’s research activities, solution strategies, and students’ active engagement in all aspects of sustainability. The award winners were selected by two juries consisting of members of the University Governing Board, GreenCampus, the Student Parliament, the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Sparkasse Bayreuth. The University Governing Board decided on the recipient of the dissertation award. Further information on the award ceremony and the other award winners can be found in ubtaktuell.

Dr. Tom Rüther will also present his findings on the topic “Higher-Value Circular Economy Strategies for Lithium-Ion Batteries” during the Bayreuth Sustainability Days organized by Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH on June 24. Further information about the event can be found here.