GDCh Environmental Lecture
The GDCh Division of Environmental Chemistry & Ecotoxicology is launching the GDCh Environmental Lecture in 2026. This combination of a Division Award and lecture series is intended to honour the research of selected scientists, bring the high degree of interdisciplinarity and societal relevance of environmental chemical and ecotoxicological topics to a wider chemical audience in Germany, and stimulate discussions on environmental and related sustainability issues.
An alternating award will be presented to a person at an early stage of their scientific career (advanced postdoctoral level, habilitation, junior professorship, fellowship) and to an established female or male scientist. The “Environmental Lecturer” is selected annually by the Division Board. The main selection criteria are scientific reputation, originality and relevance of the research field, as well as the ability to give engaging lectures. The lecture award will be presented at the annual Environmental conference.
The award includes a certificate and an invitation to give four lectures on a current, freely chosen topic agreed in advance during the twelve months following the award ceremony. The first lecture takes place immediately after the award ceremony. For the following three dates, the holder of the GDCh Environmental Lecture may be invited to give lectures at the colloquia of GDCh local sections; enquiries from other scientific disciplines are also welcome. The Division covers the Lecturers’ travel and accommodation costs – during the initial phase with financial support from the GDCh Special Fund for Exceptional Division Activities.
For the first time, on the occasion of the Division’s Annual Conference Environment 2026, the GDCh Environment Lecture 2026 was awarded to Prof. Dr. Piero Bellanova on 3 September 2026 in Essen.
"Prof. Dr. Piero Bellanova is being honoured with the GDCh Environment Lecturer lecture award of the Division of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology in recognition of his innovative work on the environmental-chemical assessment of the risks posed by high-energy flood events, based on the interdisciplinary integration of pollutant research, trace analysis and the geoscientific characterisation of highly significant flood disasters. The title he selected for the GDCh Environment Lecture is: “Coastal Hazards as Pollution Drivers: From Extreme Events to Environmental Risks”.