20 Years of Atmospheric Physics Group WOLKE
The 20th anniversary of the WOLKE research group at ETH Zurich celebrated its significant impact on atmospheric physics over the past two decades. Led by Professor Ulrike Lohmann, WOLKE has become a leader in cloud microphysics, aerosol-cloud interactions, and climate research. The event at the ETH Alumni Pavillon gathered current members and alumni to reflect on the group's achievements and future.
In her opening talk, Professor Lohmann highlighted WOLKE’s key contributions, including research on aerosol radiative forcing, which has influenced global climate models and IPCC reports, shaping climate policies. She noted the group's leadership in the EU BACCHUS project, which advanced understanding of ice clouds and their role in climate change. She also mentioned her book, An Introduction to Clouds: From the Microscale to Climate, and shared new findings from the ERC CLOUDLAB project, which studies microphysical processes using stratus clouds as natural laboratories.
Several alumni and current members shared their career paths and research contributions, highlighting WOLKE's interdisciplinary impact. Michael Rösch gave a technical overview of the group’s achievements and future goals. Angela Meyer from TU Delft discussed the use of machine learning in solar energy, while Marc Wüest from SwissRe emphasized the importance of studying extreme weather for the insurance industry. Nadia Shardt reflected on how WOLKE shaped her passion for water. The event also highlighted WOLKE's influence on industry, with Julie Pasquier from Meteomatics AG discussing weather and climate products and Franz Friebel and Jörg Wieder from femtoG sharing their entrepreneurial journey.
The day concluded with a heartfelt presentation of gifts to Professor Lohmann, including a photobook of memories. The celebration continued the next day with a hike along the Albis ridge and lunch, and the event received a gold badge for sustainability from ETH.
The WOLKE group, now the oldest in the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, has graduated until now 64 PhD students and shaped the careers of many postdocs. Professor Lohmann’s leadership, recognized with the Golden Tricycle Award, reflects her commitment to family-friendly practices and inclusivity, welcoming students from over 15 nationalities. She has also contributed to the Fix the Leaky Pipeline initiative to support women in science and mentored young scientists through the Helmholtz program. When asked what motivates her, Professor Lohmann said, "Motivated students, co-workers, and my fascination for atmospheric physics keep me going."