Prof. Dr. Markus Retsch has held the Chair of Physical Chemistry I at the University of Bayreuth since 2018. After studying chemistry in Bayreuth and obtaining his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, his scientific career took him to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in the USA, among other places, before he returned to Bayreuth. Retsch received an ERC Starting Grant in 2016 and a Lichtenberg Professorship from the Volkswagen Foundation in 2014. Since 2023, Retsch has also been Deputy Spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1585 "MultiTrans" at the University of Bayreuth.
University President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Stefan Leible congratulated him on his election: "With Markus Retsch, we are gaining a scientist as a member of the university governing board who also enjoys an international reputation. I am certain that he will further expand the research strength of our university and provide important impetus for its strategic development."
An important part of his work will also be the development of the nine research networks that will shape the scientific profile of the University of Bayreuth in the future.
"It is very important to me to further strengthen the outstanding research landscape at the University of Bayreuth and to promote new collaborations both within the university and with external partners," emphasised Prof. Dr. Markus Retsch on the occasion of his election. "It is particularly important to me to support young scientists and offer them optimal conditions for creative and successful research."
Prof. Dr. Markus Retsch's term as Vice President for Research & Junior Scholars will begin on 1 February 2026 and end on 31 January 2029.
