A doyen of wood research steps down
At the research colloquium "Current issues in wood research - from the basic principles to industrial application", participants paid tribute to the long and influential career of Peter Niemz, professor of wood physics. His retirement marks the ending of a personal success story at ETH Zurich.
After working for 20 years at ETH Zurich, Peter Niemz is calling it quits. Colleagues attending the research colloquium organised specifically in view of his retirement - "Current issues in wood research - from the basic principles to industrial application" - paid tribute to Niemz's achievements. As a researcher and lecturer, he continually enhanced the study of the physical-mechanical properties of wood at the Institute for Building Materials at ETH Zurich. In 2014, Peter Niemz was awarded the Wilhelm-Kauditz medal in recognition of his contributions to wood research.
His chair at ETH Zurich will be taken over by Ingo Burgert. His goal is to continue the wood physics success story at the institute in order to make wood an even more reliable material. However, Peter Niemz's retirement from ETH Zurich does not signify the end of his research activity. Far from being lost to Swiss wood research, he is due to continue his practice-oriented work at the Bern University of Applied Science.
In the recent past, NRP 66 has primarily supported Peter Niemz's work in the area of adhesives and procedures. The long-term aim is to make the adhesive bonding of hardwood more reliable for decades to come.