Mr. Munz can look back on more than 40 years of successful and worldwide recognized research in the field of numerical methods, especially in the areas of aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, fluid mechanics and magneto-hydrodynamics. After his studies of mathematics at the former University of Karlsruhe (TH), he received his PhD at the Institute of Mathematics on numerical methods for hyperbolic conservation equations, followed by a postdoctoral position in the DFG priority program "Finite Approximations in Fluid Mechanics". In 1986, he moved to the Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology at the Karlsruhe Research Center, where he headed the "Scientific Computing" group. In 1991, he habilitated at the University of Karlsruhe with his research work on "Godunov-type methods for Godunov-type schemes for the fluid dynamics equations". On 01.01.1997, Mr. Munz followed the call to the University of Stuttgart in the then Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and took over the chair for "Numerical Methods in Fluid Mechanics". Here he continued his successful research in this field, with particular emphasis on the development of numerical methods based on the Discontinuous Galerkin approach. This allows the construction of methods of high order of accuracy for the calculation of turbulent flows, as well as multiphase and plasma flows, which is only possible to a limited extent and with great effort with the finite volume methods widely used today.
Over the years, Mr. Munz has been supported in his research work by a large number of doctoral students, of whom he has successfully guided more than 50 to doctoral degrees to date. In doing so, he has always understood excellently how to motivate his employees, to give them freedom to realize their own ideas and to support them in their scientific development. A necessary prerequisite for this was the availability of appropriate research funding, which he was able to acquire continuously and with great success, impressively underscoring his high reputation in the scientific community.
In teaching, Prof. Munz was involved in the diploma program in Aerospace Engineering and later in the consecutive bachelor's/master's program with the basic lectures on Numerical Simulation and a large number of specialization and elective lectures. In addition, his teaching was also aimed at students from Mathematics and from the Simulation Technologies program. His great commitment and his outstanding didactic skills were particularly recognized in 2003 by the award of the Teaching Prize from the State of Baden-Württemberg.
On his last working day, a farewell ceremony was held at the IAG, to which not only the current staff but also his former doctoral students were invited. To the great pleasure of Mr. Munz, very many of them had accepted the invitation of their PhD supervisor and some of them did not spare long journeys, e.g. from Spain or Italy. Some of them gave very entertaining and interesting talks about their positive experiences during their doctoral studies and about the professional careers they had embarked on after their successful graduation. It was impressive that six former doctoral students have since been appointed as professors.
Almost seamlessly following the departure of Prof. Munz, the professorship has been taken over by Mrs. Andrea Beck, herself a doctoral student of Mr. Munz, who most recently held a visiting professorship at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg. We wish her much joy and success in her new position and are very much looking forward to working with her.
Mr. Munz will continue to provide advice and support to the Institute, not only to further support his remaining doctoral students, but also to assist his successor in the best possible way during her induction phase. The staff of the IAG would like to express their sincere thanks to Prof. Munz for the pleasant and successful cooperation and the good working atmosphere, to which he contributed significantly, and wish him all the best and good health for his retirement, so that he can remain as active as he has been for as long as possible.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Beck takes over the chair for "Numerical Methods in Fluid Mechanics”