Günther Dissertori nominated as ETH Zurich’s new Rector
Professors at ETH Zurich are proposing Günther Dissertori, professor of physics, as successor to our current Rector, Sarah Springman. He won an absolute majority in the first round of voting at the Professors’ Conference, with 233 of the 439 votes.
Last Tuesday, the Professors’ Conference of ETH Zurich nominated Günther Dissertori, Professor for Particle Physics, to succeed Sarah Springman as Rector. ETH President Joël Mesot will now submit an official request to the ETH Board to appoint Günther Dissertori as new Rector of ETH Zurich.
“I'd like to thank everyone for the enormous trust placed in me,” Dissertori told his colleagues at the Professors’ Conference. He promised to do everything in his power to deserve that trust and meet the high expectations associated with the position of Rector. He also took the opportunity to thank the two colleagues who had run for nomination alongside him.
Günther Dissertori (51) grew up in South Tirol and studied physics at the University of Innsbruck. His research career started when he moved to CERN in Geneva to work on his doctoral thesis. In 2001 he joined ETH Zurich as assistant professor and has been full professor for Particle Physics since 2007. Over the years, Dissertori has held various positions in the department. In his role as Director of Studies, for example, he was in charge of coordinating the ongoing revision of the BSc physics study programme.
Award-winning lecturer
As a lecturer, Günther Dissertori regularly teaches courses at all levels for students – not only in the physics department, but also in other study programmes. His deep commitment to teaching and the quality of his tutoring is evidenced by his impressive collection of Golden Owl awards. Students in his department have already honoured him four times with this award for teaching excellence. He has also won the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching, the yearly presented prestigious ETH-wide prize.
Dissertori made a name for himself as a researcher in connection with the CMS particle physics experiment at the LHC accelerator at CERN in Geneva, where he has held a series of important coordination roles within the CMS. For example, he has been deputy spokesperson for the collaborative project, involving over 4,000 researchers and students from around 200 institutes and universities from more than 40 countries. In recent years, his group has developed innovative positron emission tomography machines, including a low-cost brain PET scanner, brought to market maturity by the spin-off Positrigo.
Outside ETH, Dissertori is involved in teaching basic science to schools and the wider public.
Selected by online conference
Due to the pandemic situation, nominations for the Rector were made by postal vote. Other candidates included Manu Kapur, Professor for Learning Sciences, and Ralph Müller, Professor of Biomechanics.
These three candidates were shortlisted in a nomination process overseen by Ulrike Lohmann, President of the Lecturers’ Conference (KdL). She briefly outlined the procedure at the online Professors’ Conference: “In the first stage, all our professors were asked to submit proposals for candidates, and two rounds of calls were required to shortlist three candidates,” Lohmann explains. The departments then invited the candidates to an “interview" and they had to submit videos presenting themselves to members of the Professors’ Conference. Members then gave their postal vote in the run-up to the conference.
“I spoke with all candidates prior to nomination and was impressed by the ideas and personal commitment they brought to the selection procedure,” ETH President Joël Mesot commented, even before the result was announced. “In my opinion, all three candidates were very well qualified for the position,” he added.
Lohmann announced the result: “Günther Dissertori is nominated, with 233 of the 439 votes.” Joël Mesot will put his name forward to the ETH Board for official appointment.
How ETH chooses its Rector
As with all ETH vice presidents, the Rector of ETH is appointed by the ETH Board after the ETH President puts their name forward as a candidate. But there is a formal nomination procedure for any person in charge of teaching at ETH who also deputises for the President: the members of the Professors’ Conference choose a candidate whom they propose to the ETH President. Any full professor can be candidate with the backing of at least three colleagues.
The role of Rector
The ETH Rector is responsible for education within the Executive Board. They are in charge of admissions to study programmes at all levels and for the organisation and management of study-related matters, including the examination process. The Rector is responsible for approving short courses and for scholarships. They confer the "venia legendi" (permission to teach) and teaching assignments, and issue invitations to visiting professors and lecturers and academic guests. They are responsible for cooperation with secondary schools and agreements on inter-university programmes and student exchanges.