Baton Handover: A strong Faculty and a clear mission - orientation in times of change
03.10.2022
On September 30, 2022 the „baton“ of the Faculty was officially handed over to the new FGGA-management team. About 70 Faculty members followed the invitation and attended the retrospective of the departing Dean Petra Heinz, followed by an outlook of the new Dean’s team, the directors of studies and of selected FGGA representatives.
Petra Heinz presented milestones of the last two years. Like the new Dean, Rainer Abart, she emphasised the achievements and good position of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy with particular reference to third-party funding and infrastructure.
Petra Heinz handing over the "baton" of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy. Photo: Roman Schett
She also underlined the success of the new doctoral school VISESS and the development of new curricula.
Windmills and walls to cope with the wind of change
In his outlook, Dean Rainer Abart made clear, that "the Faculty is in very good shape – and it is well prepared for the challenges we are facing". He referred to a Chinese proverb: "When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills”, and elaborated on it saying “We wouldn't be the Faculty for Exploration, if we didn’t do both, build windmills and walls and find many more ways to cope with the challenges ahead".
Welcome to Bethan Davies
Welcome to Bethan Davies
About 70 Faculty members followed the "baton handover" and welcomed Bethan Davies, the new Ida Pfeiffer Professor in the winter term 2022/23. Bethan presented her research on glaciers and glaciation in a well balanced talk addressing specialists as well as the wider scientific public. Afterwards, the participants met for discussion, networking and apéro.
On September 30, 2022, the “baton” of the Faculty was officially handed over to the new FGGA management team. About 70 Faculty members attended the retrospective of the leaving Dean Petra Heinz. All Photos: Roman Schett
Petra Heinz gave a brief retrospective of the last years – although summarizing “two years in seven minutes is quite challenging”. Among others, she pointed to the consolidation of the “Faculty for Exploration”, new professorships and the tenure-track mentoring programme. At the same time there have been difficult conditions to cope with, especially COVID-19 and the “Kettenvertragsregelung”.
Dean Rainer Abart (here already holding the FGGA-“baton”) presented his team and future perspectives. Relying on well-established structures and processes but also facing multiple crises, he aims at building on FGGA’s diversity to “pursue our mission and provide the core competences that are needed to understand and cope with global change”. He announced new initiatives to foster inter- and transdisciplinary teaching and research and stressed the importance of involving and including all groups at our Faculty – students, researchers and the general university staff.
Michaela Trippl, Vice-Dean for Research and Internationalization, highlighted that the new Dean’s team considers inclusiveness and participation as core values. Sustainability is another important principle, which should be anchored as guideline in research, teaching, infrastructure and third mission activities. And: “Interdisciplinarity is not only a strength of our Faculty, but a must in light of the challenges of our time”, she said. In the absence of the Vice-Dean for Teaching, Franz Kerschbaum, who couldn’t participate due to personal reasons, she stressed that the Dean’s team wants to bring back the students to the University to “rebuild communities” and create a supportive learning and training environment for early career scientists.
Leo Haimberger, former and future Vice-Dean for Infrastructure, pointed to planned investments and projects such as digitalization, fair data and improving energy efficiency. He participated online.
Also the Directors of studies presented their new teams. Manfred Dorninger, Director of studies SPL 28, expressed his gratitude to the former SPL 28, Michael Wagreich, from whom he learned that “teamwork is everything”. He also thanked the team of the StudyServiceCenter for their commitment and great work.
Robert Peticzka, Director of studies SPL 29, presented his team – and stressed the need to adopt a flexible approach to cope with the everchanging requirements and frameworks.
Glenn van de Ven, new director of the doctoral school VISESS, introduced the new VISESS team members and announced upcoming activities as well as strategic plans for the doctoral school that is “helping to bring together the different groups at our Faculty”. Within the next years, the aim is to improve the engagement, to position VISESS as internationally recognized partner for doctoral education, as well as to further increase and consolidate the employability of VISESS doctoral students.
Afterwards, FGGA’s Representatives in different University bodies presented their work. Within the UNIVIE Senate, Bodo Ziegler is substitute member (Ersatzmitglied) for the Curia of professors in the UNIVIE Senate together with Ronald Miletich and Patrick Sakdapolrak. They serve as main contact points for the scientific staff for FGGA issues and are happy with any communication, Ziegler announced. Ziegler is full member of Legal Appeals Commission, too.
Astrid Heusmann serves as a substitute member (Ersatzmitglied) for the General University Staff in the UNIVIE senate. She pointed out that she is always available for questions and suggestions.
Michael Wagreich is the new spokesman of the professors at FGGA (“Kuriensprecher”), coordinating their activities including nominations for commissions and committees but also fostering scientific discussions and events across classical disciplinary boundaries.
Christian L. Lengauer serves as the spokesman of the FGGA "Mittelbau". He emphasized that the Mittelbau is the backbone of scientific tasks at the FGGA, and that the diversity of the Faculty - from the depths of the Earth all the way up to the stars - is a real strength of our Faculty that we should develop further.
Markus Rockenbauer is the new spokesman representing the General University Staff. He thanked his predecessor, Herta Gassner, for her commitment and announced that he would continue focusing on communication.
Roland Ottensamer presented the Equal Opportunities Working Party and explained that he and Heidrun Edlinger serve as the points of contact for any questions regarding discrimination or harassment issues.
Afterwards Bethan Davies, the new Ida Pfeiffer Professor at our Faculty, presented her research areas.
As last programme point, the baton was handed over from Petra Heinz to Rainer Abart …
… and the participants met for discussion, networking and apéro.
Links & FGGA-news
Third-party funding record
In 2021 members of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy reached a new third-party funding record with revenues in the amount of 6,0 Million Euro. Also concerning expenditures, which is the less volatile number, the FGGA reached a record. Besides the many support measures and the citizen science initiative, the Faculty also initiated an Applied Sciences Initiative. More
Infrastruktur: "In den letzten Jahren beachtlich viel umgesetzt"
Sowohl im Bereich der digitalen Forschungsinfrastruktur – insbesondere der Supercomputer – als auch im Bereich der Großgeräte wurde an der Fakultät in den letzten Jahren viel erreicht. In den nächsten Jahren gilt es, dies abzusichern und insbesondere in den Bereich Massenspeicher und high-performance-clouds zu investieren. Mehr
Baton Handover: Retrospective and Outlook
Friday, 30 September 2022, 14:00 – 15:30, UZA II, Lecture room 2
The Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy invited all interested members of staff to participate in the “Baton Handover” for a retrospective of the incumbent Dean’s team, outlooks of the new Dean’s team, Directors of Studies and selected Faculty representatives, a short lecture of Ida Pfeiffer Professor Bethan Davis - and a get-together & apéro afterwards.
Programmme
14:00 - Retrospect and outlook Dean’s team
- Retrospect leaving Dean’s team
Petra Heinz, João Alves, Stephan Glatzel, Leopold Haimberger - Outlook new Dean's team
Rainer Abart, Leopold Haimberger, Franz Kerschbaum, Michaela Trippl
14:30 - Directors of Studies – Outlook & new teams
- Director of Studies Programme 28 (Earth Sciences, Meteorology-Geophysics, Astronomy)
Manfred Dorninger - Director of Studies Programme 29 (Geography)
Robert Peticzka - Director of Doctoral Studies Programme 45 (Earth Sciences, Geography und Astronomy) / Doctoral School VISESS
Glenn van de Ven
14:45- Presentation of selected FGGA’s representatives
- UNIVIE Senate
Bodo Ziegler, Astrid Heusmann - FGGA Professors
Michael Wagreich - FGGA “Mittelbau”
Christian L. Lengauer - FGGA General University Staff (AUP)
Markus Rockenbauer - Equal Opportunities Working Party
Roland Ottensamer
15:00 - Talk of Ida Pfeiffer Professor Bethan Davies
- Talk: "Non-linear glacier response to climate change"
Bethan Davies, Ida Pfeiffer Professor for winter term 2022/23
15:15 - Transfer of baton & apéro
- Closing words by Petra Heinz and Rainer Abart
- Apéro and Get-together