Another Milestone for OPTEXC: Successful PhD Defense in our International Network

Last Thursday marked another proud milestone for the International Research Training Group OPTEXC. Daniel Kroh successfully defended his PhD thesis on „Multiple aggregate formation in organic donor and acceptor molecules“. His research addresses key questions at the absolute heart of next-generation organic electronics.

The defense coincided with the annual OPTEXC retreat, bringing together a vibrant international crowd filled with energy, shared pride, and well-earned applause. Special thanks go to his supervisors for their exceptional guidance:

• Prof. Dr. Anna Köhler (OPTEXC Spokesperson, University of Bayreuth)
• Prof. Trevor Smith (University of Melbourne)

Prof. Smith not only chaired the successful defense but also joined in the campus tradition, helping to push the celebratory PhD cart across the University of Bayreuth campus amid great cheer.

Daniel’s success marks our third joint degree PhD. This achievement is a powerful testament to the strength, academic excellence, and deep collaboration of our International Research Training Group, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) alongside the University of Melbourne and Monash University.

With this milestone, our trio of successful joint-degree alumni is now complete:

Dr. Meike Kuhn

Dr. Andreas Erhardt

Dr. des. Daniel Kroh

Congratulations to Daniel! Here is to groundbreaking research, strong cross-continental partnerships, and the exciting next chapter ahead.