The new president of Geisenheim University has been elected: Prof. Dr. Karl H. Mühling, an internationally renowned expert in plant nutrition, will succeed Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz. Prof. Mühling was elected at the end of January in the first round of voting by the university's extended senate with 21 out of 32 votes. The newly elected president's term of office will be six years and will begin after his appointment by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Arts and Culture.
The starting date is planned for spring 2026, with the exact date still to be announced.
"I am delighted about the election and the extended Senate's trust in me. It is a great honor for me to take on the role of president at Geisenheim University, with its long tradition. Geisenheim University (HGU) is a new type of university with a unique focus and facilities and a bright future. I am very pleased to be involved in ensuring that both applied and fundamental research can be conducted at this university. Together with all members of the university and all sectors involved, I would like to build on the university's outstanding teaching, research, and transfer activities and explore further potential in agricultural systems research for the university," said Prof. Mühling.
Prof. Mühling has been Professor of Plant Nutrition at Kiel University since 2007, where he also held senior positions including Dean and Vice Dean for several years. Prior to this, Mühling researched and taught as Professor of Plant Nutrition at Justus Liebig University in Giessen from 2003 to 2007. From 1999 to 2001, he was also a DFG scholarship holder and research associate at the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at the UC Davis in the USA.
Thanks to his many years of scientific and practical work, Prof. Mühling brings with him a wide network of connections in various scientific associations. He currently holds the office of President of the Umbrella Organization of Scientific Societies for Agricultural, Forestry, Food, Veterinary, and Environmental Research (DAF e.V.), has been a permanent member of the Executive Board of the German Society for Plant Nutrition (DGP) since 2019, and has been an honorary member of the German Society for Quality Research in Plant-Based Foods (DGQ) since 2023. In addition, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Section Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Plants, and Associate Editor of the Journal Frontiers in Plant Science.
The Chairman of Geisenheim University's University Council, Dr. Hermann Kolesch, congratulated Prof. Mühling on his election as President: “We warmly congratulate Prof. Mühling on his election and look forward to working with him. As a proven expert in plant physiology and with his vision and international network, Prof. Mühling is an excellent choice to further develop the university's many different thematic areas and further sharpen its profile.”
At the same time, Kolesch thanked the long-standing president, Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz: "Prof. Schultz has had a special influence on and promoted the development of Geisenheim University. During his 13-year term as president of the university, the former Research Institute with an affiliated faculty at Hochschule Rhein-Main developed into an independent, new type of university. The profile was expanded, many new research collaborations were established, and the university's facilities were modernized with a total of five new buildings and research facilities. In addition, Prof. Schultz's recognized scientific expertise contributed significantly to the internationalization and reputation of HGU. We thank Mr. Schultz for his outstanding contribution to the development of the university."
More:
- Congratulations from Minister of Science Timon Gremmels (available only in German): https://wissenschaft.hessen.de/presse/glueckwunsch-an-prof-dr-karl-h-muehling-zur-wahl-als-praesident-der-hochschule-geisenheim
- Curriculum vitae Karl H. Mühling - https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/person/muehling-karl-h-49343
