Department day 2025
The Department Day on June 5 featured a series of informative presentations, including insights into the upcoming change in departmental leadership as well as current research highlights, and concluded—despite the somewhat cool weather—with the traditional barbecue.
On June 5, the annual Department Day took place in a relaxed and informal setting. This year’s event featured insightful presentations on current research and internal developments, including the upcoming leadership change: Jonathan Home reflected on his time as Head of Department and introduced his successor, Rachel Grange – the first woman to take on this role.
Sebastian Huber reported on structural changes, such as the transition of the D-PHYS online shop to the ETHIS platform and the planned reorganization of technical services. Updates also included the relocation of the LSG group and the workshop, as well as new equipment to support apprentice training.
Adrian Glauser presented the METIS instrument, to be deployed on the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), highlighting his team’s contribution to building its cryostat. Among other objectives METIS will enable the study of exoplanets’ physical and chemical properties.
Rachel Grange concluded the talks by presenting her group’s latest work on photonic components – including ultrathin lenses that can not only focus light but also change its color – with applications in modern telecommunications.
Despite cooler weather, the traditional barbecue in front of HPZ rounded off the day, offering all participants an opportunity to connect and exchange ideas across roles and disciplines.