Dr. Techn. Liisa Rihko-Struckmann has been appointed Honorary Professor at Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg

For Excellent Lecturing on the Sustainability of Chemical Production Processes and Chemical Products

July 05, 2024

Dr. Techn. Liisa Kaarina Rihko-Struckmann, team leader in the Process Engineering Department of the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, has been appointed honorary professor at Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg in the field of "Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical Production Processes".

This honour recognizes her many years of very successful teaching at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU) and her excellent achievements in research with high international visibility. The topic of her lecture "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Biofuels" is of great importance not only for the assessment of the sustainability of biogenic fuels, but also for the entire field of sustainability analysis of chemical processes and products.

When Liisa Rihko-Struckmann introduced her lecture on biofuels at Otto von Guericke University in 2009, it was already clear that the topic of sustainability was of great importance here. In 2018, she focused her lecture on life cycle assessment, including the GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) and the European guidelines for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions from the private and public sectors, from value chains and from climate protection measures..

For Liisa Rihko-Struckmann it is important to teach today's students the basics, principles and approaches of life cycle assessment, which form the basis for quantitative sustainability analysis. "The joy of working with young, international students has always motivated me to supervise numerous Master's theses not only in my own research area at the Max Planck Institute, but also in close cooperation with industrial companies. I am delighted that the Otto von Guericke University has honored my dedication and commitment in this field with the honorary professorship," says Liisa Rihko-Struckmann.

The appointment certificate as honorary professor was awarded to Liisa Rihko-Struckmann on July 2, 2024 by Prof. Jens Strackeljan, President of the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, in the presence of Prof. Evangelos Tsotsas, Dean of the Faculty of Process and Systems Engineering at OVGU, and Prof. Kai Sundmacher, Managing Director at the Max Planck Institute Magdeburg and Chair of Process Systems Engineering at OVGU.

About  Dr. Techn. Liisa Kaarina Rihko-Struckmann

Liisa Rihko-Struckmann was born in 1964 in Maaria (Turku), Finland. After studying Chemical Engineering at the Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University) in Finland, she obtained her Ph. D. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1997. From 1989 to 2000, she conducted research in the field of industrial catalysis for the oil refinery company Neste Oyj in Finland. From 1999 to 2000 she worked as a scientist in the Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Plant Design at Helsinki University of Technology. Since 2001, Liisa Rihko-Struckmann is a research associate in the Process Engineering Department at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg, where she is team leader for Sustainable Production Systems and also a Laboratory Manager. Since 2009 she is a lecturer at the Faculty of Process and Systems Engineering at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.

The research of Liisa Rihko-Struckmann focuses on the development and analysis of efficient material and energy conversion processes, electrochemical membrane reactors, cyclic processes for hydrogen production, catalytic processes for the valorization of algae biomass and on the sustainability assessment (LCA) of chemical engineering processes. Recently, she has also been working on the recycling of polyamides using solvents and has made important contributions to the Magdeburg research cluster SmartProSys.

In addition, Liisa Rihko-Struckmann participates in numerous international expert committees and in this function is committed to the research funding programs of the European Union.

Go to Editor View