After studying applied natural sciences, Dr Caroline Hommel began her doctorate at the Institute of Energy ProcessEngineering and Chemical Engineering in 2015, which she completed in March 2023. Since 2021, Caroline Hommel has been working as a research assistant at the Center for Quantum Nanoscience in Seoul, South Korea.

You studied in Freiberg. Why did you choose TU Bergakademie as your place of study?
Throughout Germany, I was interested in various technical and scientific courses, such as shipbuilding, marine biology or biophysics. However, I would have had to specialise early on. Then, at the employment office, the Applied Natural Science programme was suggested to me. It's a degree programme that teaches the basics of chemistry, biology, physics and maths. So I didn't have to decide directly on a subject. In addition, the TU Bergakademie has a good reputation in terms of the supervisor-to-student ratio and the high chance of getting a spot in the lab courses.

What did you learn during your studies in Freiberg that particularly helps you in your current (research) work?
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of my studies, I have a basic understanding of most physical and chemical detailsI often fall back on my knowledge from analytical chemistry, as I am responsible for various analytical devices in my current job. But the basics of theoretical physics also come in handy while working in an institute for quantum physics.

What lasting memories do you associate with your time at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg?
There are so many wonderful memories, such as the organisation of countless events during the committee work, such as carnival evenings or demonstrations for more money in education, the trip in the anniversary balloon for 250 years of TUBAF, motto parties, ... the list goes on. But I am still particularly happy that I was able to make music with the Wood'n'Brass Big Band and am thus part of this family.

What advice would you like to give to the current students in Freiberg?
Take the opportunity to gain some experience outside of lectures and seminars. Make friends, go to parties, enjoy life. You'll meet more like-minded people at university than anywhere else. Make your years in university special time for you.
 

What do you find particularly interesting about your current job?
Like my studies, my current work is very interdisciplinary and I never get bored. I work at the interface between scientists and the public. Scientifically, I work in the newly established chemistry lab of the Center for Quantum Nanoscience. There I synthesise and analyse new organic compounds with special physical properties that could be used in quantum computers or data storage devices in the future. With the help of so-called scanning tunnel microscopes, it is possible to examine and image individual atoms and molecules. To really see "my own" molecules and be able to compare them with the typical chemical structural formulae is an absolute highlight. I find special diversion from lab work in designing, creating and editing videos, pictures and posters for public relations. In the process, I learn new techniques and backgrounds with each project, both scientifically and in terms of software. This gives me the opportunity to learn from my colleagues, to network better and to quickly familiarise myself with new subject complexes.

Finally, can you tell us your motto in life?
Most things go easier with a smile.

Short & crisp
My studies:
First lecture: 7:30 am or 2 pm?: after 10 a.m.
Favourite meal in the refectory?: Potato soup
Freiberg beer or Saxon wine?: cold Beer
University dress code: Jacket or sweat shirt?: T-Shirt and Jeans
My university:
My "quiet place": My laboratory at the IEC
My "I've never been there place": Old
Porcelain Manufactory
My "Good Soul": My best friend Elli
My "no-go": Skipping university after
parties
My favourite lecturer: Dr. Cameliu Himcinschi
My hardest exam: AAOC (General, Inorganic
and Organic Chemistry)