Prof. Dr. Cornelia Denz

Professor , Fachbereich Physik, University of Münster

Network Professorship

Applied Physics

Vita

Cornelia Denz received her diploma and PhD in physics. In 1988 and 1992, respectively, from Darmstadt University of Technology on optical neural networks. From 1990 to 1991 she was a research assistant at Institut d’Optique in Orsay, France. In 1999 she obtained tenure from Darmstadt University of Technology on pattern formation in nonlinear optics.

From 2001 she hold a professorship in applied physics at University of Muenster, and is director of the Institute of Applied Physics since 2003. In 2005 she founded the Center for Nonlinear Science, and in 2007 the pupils lab MExLab Physics. Since 2010 she is a Vice Rector for International Affairs and Young Researchers, and since 2011 head of the pupils lab MExlab ExperiMINTe.

She heads a group of about 25 members in photonics, and a team of 6 members in the field of pupil and girls support. She is author of more than 200 publications and three books in photoics, and more than 25 publications in the field of gender and fostering girls interest in STEM.

In 1992, she obtained the Lise Meitner award of the state of Hesse, in 1993 she realized the exhibition „Von der Antike bis zur Neuzeit, der verleugnete Anteil der Frauen an der Physik“ about women in history in physics that was exhibited more than 50 times throughout Germany. In 1999 she obtained the award of the Adolf-Messer foundation. In 2003 she was honored with the women‘s excellence award, and in 2011 her pupils lab became a „Ort im Land der Ideen“, a honored landmark of innovation in Germany. In 2012 she was elected professor of the year in natural sciences and medicine (Zeitschrift unicum).