The Department of Sports and Health Sciences has honored its graduates of the year 2016 with a ceremonious farewell. On Friday, February 24, 2017, the graduates were celebrated in Auditorium A of the Rechts der Isar Clinic. Among the approximately 500 guests in the full lecture hall, the dean, Prof. Dr. Ansgar Schwirtz, also welcomed TUM Vice President, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Müller.
Dean Prof. Schwirtz: "You laid the foundations with your studies."
In the past twelve months eleven doctoral degrees have been completed successfully at the faculty, 445 students completed their studies with the diploma, a master's or bachelor's degree, or their state exams. "As graduates, you can look forward to the future with joy. Occupational success requires a good foundation combined with personal commitment and skill, and you have now already laid the foundation for your success. You have expanded on your competency and made numerous experiences which open new opportunities or you", said the dean, Prof. Schwirtz.
Schwirtz recommended to the graduates that "they should 'remain curious', form their own opinions and represent these - and this also against resistance. They should also use their time well." This also means finding a balanced relationship between tension and relaxation. "As athletes, you know that training and diligence are the basis for success, but also that a training plan that involves only effort and no breaks is not a good training plan and does not lead to the goal."
Vice President, Prof. Müller added, "We are looking forward to staying in a close relationship with you as graduates."
TUM Vice President, Prof. Müller, praised the faculty in his speech. "Over the last few years, the department has successfully focused on socially important topics in the areas of 'health', 'prevention' and 'high-performance sports'. This has since grown intensely and it is our goal that it should continue to grow in the future", said the TUM Vice President for Education and Teaching.
He wished the graduates a great deal of success for their further career. "Within the framework of your studies, you have acquired specialized competencies and you have learned to recognize your strengths and to successfully make use of them. Apply these experiences, and continue to realize where you come from. As a university, we are very happy to remain closely connected with you."
Awarding of the teaching prizes
Aside from the farewell to the graduates, further highlights involved the award of the teaching prizes as well as the Diversity Prize and the Dr. Gertrude Krombholz Prize. This year, five teaching prizes were awarded for the first time. Prof. Dr. Renate Oberhoffer, Vice Dean and Dean of Bachelor's and Master's Studies, was awarded an Honorary Diploma for Excellence in Teaching by the TUM Board of Management for her many years of engagement as a student dean. Prof. Dr. Filip Mess (best lecture) as well as Dr. Carolina Olufemi (best seminar) each received a teaching prize, which was presented by Prof. Dr. Jörg Königstorfer. Dr. Jan Müller was honored with the Prize for Innovation in Teaching for his symposium on the presentation of the students' master's theses. A special prize for excellent theoretical-practice transfer was awarded to Gernot Bleichner, who is at the faculty director as a specialist for badminton, basketball, small games and the ball school.
Diversity Award for Final Theses
The Diversity Prize is awarded each year by the faculty for very good thesis work related to diversity. This year, Dr. Maren Goll received the award for her dissertation on Paralympic Monoskiing (supervised by: Dr. Peter Spitzenpfeil) as well as Eva Waldher, who had analyzed potentials of sports lessons for integration into Kenya (supervised by: Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Wacker). The prizes are endowed with 750 euros each.
Dr. Gertrude Krombholz Prize once again awarded by the founder
The Dr. Gertrude Kombholz Prize has already existed for 19 years. The award, once again handed over personally by the founder, is endowed with a total of 1,500 euros and honors graduation work that combines outstanding theory and practice in sports. Prize winners for the year 2017 are Andrea Berchtold (supervised by: Prof. Dr. Jörg Königstorfer), Esther Mende (Prof. Dr. Ansgar Schwirtz) and Hannes Wackerle (Dr. Peter Spitzenpfeil).
Students' acrobatics and dance performances
Spectacular interventions were provided by the students of the faculty between the individual program stages. For example, acrobat Caroline Brunner demonstrated various handstand variations, Susanne Kliem and Anton Aschenbrenner fascinated the public with a choreography of the Brazilian fight dance "capoeira", while a team around Oskar Glaß and Johanna Kugler carried out a "slackline dance medley".
After the official ceremony, the faculty invited all of the guests to a small catering. Here, the graduates and their families and friends ended the evening in joint discussions with the lecturers.
Further Photos from the Graduation 2017
Contact:
Office of the Dean for Sport and Health Sciences
Uptown Munich, Campus D
Georg-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 Munich
Email: absolvia.sg(at)tum.de
Text: Fabian Kautz
Photos: Isabel Uphoff, Dominik Benz