What our Alumni think about the program:
Franz Roeder (Graduation in 2025)
What are you most looking forward to during your time at MPSP?
During my time at MPSP, I most enjoyed the exchange with fellow PhD students and the possibility to broaden my own scientific background due to the vast variety of research topics represented in the MPSP. Additionally, the regular meetings with fellow PhDs allowed me to discuss advances and difficulties during my own research with students at the same stage from various locations and fields of research within optics and photonics.
What have you been doing professionally since you graduated from MPSP?
After my graduation, I transitioned to industry and started working at TOPTICA Eagleyard, a provider of highly integrated, miniaturized laser diodes for various applications. As part of the R&D team, I am driving the developments on packaging of photonic integrated circuits, especially for hybrid integration with laser diodes. My position allows me to further explore the field of integrated optics, that I entered during my PhD, from a different perspective while also staying in touch with the scientific community.
What advice would you give to new MPSP students for their time at MPSP?
During my time at MPSP, I truly enjoyed the community at the regular spring and autumn meetings as well as the scientific exchange and courses provided. I would advise new students to use these opportunities as much as possible since these events allow to build a network of fellow scientists in the field of optics and photonics in Germany at a very early stage during the PhD. Furthermore, I learned that the provided soft-skill courses helped me way more on my way through the PhD than I envisioned at the point of attending those. Therefore, I would advise using such or similar offers and opportunities although they might not be directly linked to the day-to-day research.
Thea Moosmayer (Graduation in 2024)
What are you most looking forward to during your time at MPSP?
During my time as a PhD candidate at the MPSP, I particularly enjoyed the spring and autumn schools and the opportunity to interact with others who share my passion for optics and photonics.
What have you been doing professionally since you graduated from MPSP?
After a postdoc position following my Ph.D. in Stefan Hell’s lab at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, I began my training as a German and European patent attorney at the law firm LBP (LBP Lemcke, Brommer & Partner Patentanwälte mbB) in Karlsruhe.
What advice would you give to new MPSP students for their time at MPSP?
It's a great opportunity to learn something new and broaden your horizons.
Kim Alina Lammers (Graduation in 2021)
What were you most looking forward to during your time at MPSP?
The aspect I valued most was the chance to meet researchers from a wide variety of institutes that belong to the MPSP community. The annual Autumn School was a perfect illustration of this. It brought together PhD students from different sub‑fields, gave us an intensive “deep‑dive” into each other’s work, and broadened my own optics expertise.
What have you been doing professionally since you graduated from MPSP?
Following my PhD, I entered the industrial sector. I spent several years in R&D at Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH. Currently, I am working as an Optical Designer at Jenoptik Optical Systems GmbH.
What advice would you give to new MPSP students for their time at MPSP?
I would advise new students to enjoy the ride, explore widely, and make the most of the networking opportunities provided by MPSP. Attend the autumn schools and any other short courses or workshops offered, visit partner institutes, talk to as many people as possible. Take the time to understand your peers’ projects. While it’s essential to become an expert in your own niche, taking the time to understand neighboring fields will make you a more versatile scientist and, later, a more attractive candidate for industry or academia.