The ISGS PhD Thesis Award, first launched in 2018, was created to distinguish PhD theses representing outstanding contribution to scientific and/or technological knowledge in the field of sol-gel chemistry and related fields.
The PhD Award Committee for the 2020 competition was composed of Professor Guido Kickelbick (Chair), Professor Lisa Klein, Professor Mari-Ann Einarsrud, Professor David Avnir, and Professor David Levy.
The members of the PhD Award Committee examined the five applications received, which were all of them of extremely high quality.
On the present edition, the overall ranking obtained by the members of the Committee placed Dr. Fredric Svensson top of the list. Dr. Tommy Haynes and Dr. Rémi Tilkin placed second and third, respectively.
The PhD Award Committee emphasized that the most relevant aspects of Dr. Fredric Svensson’s PhD thesis, entitled “Hybrid Nano Titania – Molecular Formation Mechanisms and Applications in Nanotechnology” and defended at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden), are:
1) Excellent work that contributes to the understanding of the basic formation mechanisms of titania in the sol-gel process;
2) A wide variety of methods was successfully applied to the scientific problem and all aspects are elaborated and described in great detail in the paper;
3) Extension of fundamental knowledge for the development of photochemical and biological applications;
4) Excellent publications and contributions to international conferences with special focus on sol-gel chemistry.
As Gold Medal, Silver Medal and Bronze Medal winners of the PhD Thesis Award 2020 Dr. Fredric Svensson, Dr. Tommy Haynes and Dr. Rémi Tilkin will receive a diploma, and a 2-year ISGS membership.
Thanks to Springer sponsoring, they will receive books in the value of US$500, US$400 and US$300, respectively.
Moreover, they will be invited to contribute with a paper to the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, the official journal of ISGS.
The Board of Directors of the ISGS and the ISGS PhD Thesis Award Committee wish to warmly congratulate all the candidates and in particular the three awardees Dr. Fredric Svensson, Dr. Tommy Haynes and Dr. Rémi Tilkin.