From curious student to junior professor

Developing materials that improve designs in aviation, for example - this is one of junior professor Moritz Liesegang's research focuses. His career not only impressively demonstrates to students how things could continue after graduating from university. He finds support for his career planning from the TU-Nachwuchsring at RPTU: ‘Their research funding was the basis for much of what came after for me.’ This is because preliminary experiments were made possible in the first place. Incidentally, he can only recommend a technical degree to prospective students: ‘You have a broad base and can quickly familiarise yourself with related disciplines later on.’

Moritz Liesegang has been a junior professor at the Chair of Materials Science at RPTU since 2024. If you look at his career, it quickly becomes clear that he has always been enthusiastic about scientific and technical issues: ‘I was already very curious when I was at school. For example, I wanted to understand the content of the advanced chemistry course even better than we were taught back then. I wanted to understand the structure behind it.’ His teacher repeatedly had to put him off going to university later, smiles Moritz Liesegang - his thirst for knowledge has long since earned him the title of ‘Dr.-Ing.’ - a doctorate in engineering.

He was immediately inspired by the description of his future degree programme

He originally comes from the Ruhr region, he explains. He studied materials science in Darmstadt, partly because some of his family live there. Between 2010 and 2015, he first completed a Bachelor's and then a Master's degree programme at TU Darmstadt. Why did he choose this particular subject? ‘When I was at school, I got my hands on a book that described various degree programmes. When I saw the subject of materials science, I knew that was it.’ In other words, a degree programme that combines mathematics, science and engineering. ‘After graduating, I wanted to work in the field of development and also do a doctorate.’ He applied for various job offers. ‘The doctoral position at the then TU Kaiserslautern particularly appealed to me. I received an extremely warm welcome.’

He has been part of the university community since 2016 - ‘and the support, especially from the head of the department, Professor Beck, continues to this day’. The fact that he started the doctoral phase as a young father was never a problem, he emphasises: ‘Not only was there never a negative word about this, but in conversation I was given the impression that there was absolutely no reason to question our somewhat atypical family path.’

His field of research: modifying materials using power ultrasound

Today, his research focuses on the topic of power ultrasound and he now heads his own research group at RPTU. From a layman's point of view - what is it all about? Everyone is familiar with ultrasound examinations at the doctor's. In medical ultrasound, the sonicated material does not change. ‘With power ultrasound, however, it does.’ Plastic, for example, can be processed in this way. This is relevant for a wide range of industries - in the production of packaging, for example. ‘From a scientific point of view, we observe the processes in materials that are sonicated in this way. Our work is both fundamental and application-orientated.’

He adds: ‘Power ultrasound can also be used to bond different materials together. Metal with fibre-reinforced plastics, for example.’ 

Deformations and structural changes occur in sonicated materials. However, Moritz Liesegang emphasises that we do not yet know exactly what happens in detail. ‘There are various theories. But nothing precise yet.’ Moritz Liesegang and his team are researching the formation of joints during ultrasonic welding of metals, glasses, ceramics, magnetic materials and polymer composites. ‘All of this is interesting for the aviation industry, among others,’ he says. Even during his doctoral thesis, he worked with Airbus, Europe's largest aerospace company.

Research funding from TU-Nachwuchsring: ‘The basis for much of what came afterwards’

An important supporter of his research is the TU-Nachwuchsring at RPTU. An organisation that supports young researchers in many ways - helping to advance their academic development and career planning. In 2021, Moritz Liesegang received start-up funding as part of the TU-Nachwuchsring's research funding programme: ‘Thanks to this funding, I was able to investigate the properties of various materials.’ Important preliminary experiments - ‘and the basis for much of what came afterwards.’

Based on the preliminary tests, he developed a research project that is currently being funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). In simple terms, the project is about titanium alloys using power ultrasound for future lightweight construction applications. ‘This would not have been possible without the TU-Nachwuchsring.’ And he emphasises: ‘The Young Talent Ring is highly motivated to provide meaningful support.’ And thanks to the financial support, he has also been able to technically upgrade his welding equipment.

Junior professorship is also a PR event

What are his plans for the future? He wants to push ahead with his research, he says. ‘Acquire funding, publish papers and train doctoral students.’ Ultimately, it's about getting a call, i.e. a position as a ‘real’ professor. ‘Being a junior professor is also a PR event,’ smiles Moritz Liesegang. 

A technical degree programme gives you flexibility later on

What advice can he give prospective students? ‘Basically, you are very flexible with a degree in a technical field. You can also quickly familiarise yourself with related disciplines later on. With a degree in materials science, you don't necessarily have to develop materials.’ His tip for pupils who may not yet know exactly what they want to study: ‘Come to the study information days.’ Here you can come into direct contact with students and future lecturers - and get a taste of campus life.

Moritz Liesegang still feels very much at home at RPTU - not least because the technical university is interdisciplinary. This provides interesting opportunities for exchange. ‘And students have personal support right from the start. That's not necessarily the case at larger universities,’ he emphasises. One thing is clear: his career, which once began as a curious schoolboy, is far from over.