Around 70 graduates from the Faculties of Life Sciences and Technology and Bionics celebrated their graduation at the end of July. Three of them received honours.
For six semesters, Dr Selma Mietz led two lives in parallel: junior doctor in the cardiology department of St Antonius Hospital in Kleve and, alongside that, the part-time Master’s programme “Health Sciences and Management” at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. She finished with top marks. At the graduation ceremony of the two faculties in Kleve at the end of July, she received the graduate award of the Unternehmerschaft Niederrhein employers’ association.
“Anyone who delivers top marks in a Master’s programme while working shifts and coping with everyday hospital life shows what real commitment means,” said Dr Ralf Wimmer, deputy chief executive of the Unternehmerschaft Niederrhein, in his laudation. “That demonstrates incredible discipline and deserves our utmost respect.” The association awards the prize to students whose academic work benefits the region.
In Mietz’s case, that looks like this: her Master’s thesis is entitled “Development of a cardiovascular prevention concept for the district of Kleve based on a ten-year comparison of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction”. Behind it lies a simple question: who suffers a heart attack in the district of Kleve, and why? Mietz compared patient data from the Katholisches Karl-Leisner-Klinikum for the years 2014 and 2024. In the northern part of the district, lack of exercise, smoking and missed check-ups stand out. From the data she derived measures tailored to municipalities, schools, companies, clubs and local healthcare providers. She also volunteers for “Gesund macht Schule”, a project run by AOK Rheinland/Hamburg and the North Rhine Medical Association.
The DAAD Prize was presented by Prof. Dr habil. Tatiana Zimenkova, Vice-President for Diversity and International Affairs, to Bianca White. The prize goes to international students who excel academically and are committed to the university community. White is studying Bioengineering at Bachelor’s level; chemistry is her favourite subject. She was nominated by Dr Anna Gottfried, above all for what she does outside the laboratory. She serves as deputy chair in the Senate, works on the student council and is there for others when study groups get stuck or first-year students need guidance.
From the Faculty of Technology and Bionics, Jigar Ashokbhai Desai was honoured. He received the graduate award of the Rhine-Waal University Support Association for his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering; the award recognises the faculty’s best degree once each semester. Zimenkova had earlier congratulated the graduates on behalf of the Executive Board. In their welcoming addresses, the deans Prof. Dr PD Sylvia Moenickes and Prof. Dr Alexander Struck asked the former students to stay connected with the university and to share their future paths with it. The evening was hosted by Prof. Dr Peter Simon and Prof. Dr Neil Shirtcliffe, the music came from the faculties’ house band Orange Green, and Björn Flockau, research assistant at the Faculty of Life Sciences, contributed a science slam. At the end came the call of “Hats off!” on the steps of the Audimax.
