Inauguration of the Chemistry Computer Laboratory
For several years, future chemist and chemistry teachers are trained at the University of Ulm in dealing with chemical-specific software in a specially equipped pool of PCs with Windows operating system.
As alternative operating systems are increasingly used in the chemical industry, Prof. Ullrich Siehl (Institute of Organic Chemistry I) had the idea, in addition to the chemical education of advanced Bachelor's and Master's students to install a room with computers with an open source (free) LINUX operating system. For this idea Prof. Siehl could win the Dr. Barbara Mez-Starck Foundation, which since many years promotes inter alia the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ulm. Thanks to generous donations from the Dr. Barbara Mez-Starck-Foundation in collaborative effort with the Communication and Information Center (KIZ) at the University a modern chemical computer lab was created. At 30 fast workstations advanced students are educated in modeling, computational chemistry and visualization of molecules, clusters, and surfaces (eg. for ingredient research and catalyst development). In addition, the computer-chemistry lab is available around-the-clock for independent work, free practice and for the completion of homeworks.
On 24 June 2008 the new chemistry-computer lab was inaugurated and passed to the dean of studies Prof. Nicola Hüsing. The foundation was represented by board member Dr. Jürgen Vogt and advisory board member Prof. Wolfgang Hüttner (both also Ulm University) and the KIZ by Mr Thomas Nau.