Dissertation prizes awarded for excellent research

Four young researchers were honored yesterday at the University of Salzburg for their outstanding dissertations. The University of Salzburg awarded this year’s dissertation prizes for excellent research in the “Stuba Academica.”

Four outstanding dissertations in the fields of natural sciences and social science were honored at a festive ceremony on Thursday, December 4, 2025.

The dissertation awards are presented annually by the “Verein Forschungsforum” , which supports young scientists and highlights their exceptional achievements. The university management offered their personal congratulations: Vice-Rector for Education and Student Experience Michaela Rückl, Eva Jonas (Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences), Ricarda Drüeke (Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences), and Sebastian Forster (Vice Dean of the Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences) were in attendance.

The Michael Breitenbach Dissertation Prize, worth €2,500, recognizes outstanding research in the natural and life sciences as well as in digital and analytical sciences. It is supported by the “Verein Forschungsforum” at the University of Salzburg in collaboration with SKM-IP PartGmbH. This year, the first prize went to Dr. Chiara Annika Jutzi. Her dissertation deals with the topic of “Threats in the Real World” and was submitted to the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The second prize went to Dr. Tijn De Vos. He wrote his dissertation entitled “Graph Sparsification in Distributed and Dynamic Settings” at the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences.

Social Sciences were also in the spotlight: the €2,000 prize, sponsored by the “Verein Forschungsforum” at the University of Salzburg and the Rotary Club Salzburg Nord, was awarded to two outstanding works. Dr. Joshua Alfaro received first prize for his dissertation on the biblical Queen Esther. His work is entitled “The MT, OG, AT, VL, and Josephus Versions of Esther 4” and was written at the Department of Biblical Studies and Church History at the Faculty of Catholic Theology. Dr. Ruth Isser was delighted to receive the second prize. Her work on a Scottish princess was submitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of History, and is entitled “Eleanor of Scotland between Agency and Knowledge. A Princess Reflected in Her Time.”

“We want to highlight young talents and recognize their research,” emphasized Vice Rector Rückl at the award ceremony. The evening concluded with a glass of sparkling wine and convivial conversation in the Stuba Academica.

Tamara Stangl, BA MA MA

Universität Salzburg | Kommunikation und Fundraising

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Foto: © Andreas Kolarik (v.l.n.r.: Vizerektorin für Lehre und Studierende Assoz. Prof.in Mag.a Dr.in Michaela Rückl, Preisträgerin Dr.in Ruth Isser, Preisträger Dr. Tijn De Vos, Preisträgerin Dr.in Chiara Jutzi, Obfrau des Forschungsforums an der Universität Salzburg Univ.-Prof. Dr. Marianne Roth, LL.M.)