Thomas Niendorf heads the Young Investigators Committee of the German Society for Materials Science

The DGM is the society in Germany that has always represented the fields of materials science and materials engineering. For almost 100 years, the most influential minds in the materials community have been active in its ranks. The DGM is particularly committed to the work of young people and has visibly strengthened this field in recent years.

Thus, it has been possible to motivate students at various locations in Germany to actively participate in the DGM and to initiate young DGMs. However, the DGM's work with young scientists does not only encompass students in the corresponding discipline; the claim is rather to accompany and support young scientists from their studies to their doctorate to their work in industry or even on their way to a professorship. "It is important to steady the activities of young scientists at the various locations, taking into account the respective career stage," says Niendorf. "The final steps toward professorship in particular require good planning and excellent visibility for young researchers. We must therefore ensure the international visibility of excellent young people through suitable programs. We will be working intensively on this in the coming months."

Niendorf (40) has headed the Department of Metallic Materials at the University of Kassel since October 2015. He conducts research in particular on additive manufacturing ("3D printing") of metal components and on novel alloys.