Stefanie Walch-Gassner to Receive 2026 Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COLLEGE PARK, MD, March 11, 2026 — The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) is proud to announce that Stefanie Walch-Gassner, Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Cologne and President of the German Astronomical Society, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award. The award will be presented during the 2026 AAPT Summer Meeting, held from July 18–22 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California.
The Klopsteg Award recognizes outstanding communication of the excitement of contemporary physics to the general public. Walch-Gassner is a world-renowned leader in the study of the interstellar medium (ISM) and star formation. Her research utilizes massive, three-dimensional supercomputer simulations to reveal how stars are born from cosmic gas and how their subsequent energy—in the form of radiation, winds, and supernova explosions—shapes the evolution of entire galaxies.
She is being honored for her significant efforts engaging a broad audience in contemporary astrophysics, including through The Shared Universe Engine (SUE), a new cloud-based portal that aims to connect users, at very different levels, to the “Machinery of Discovery,” which AAPT celebrates as a cutting-edge approach to science outreach. Walch-Gassner is the designated spokesperson for “Our Dynamic Universe,” a new Cluster of Excellence in Germany and, as the President of the German Astronomical Society (Astronomische Gesellschaft, AG), she has been a leading voice in our global scientific community.
Walch-Gassner is a distinguished German astrophysicist and a leading figure in theoretical astrophysics. Her academic journey began in Germany, where she studied physics at the University of Regensburg and at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich. She earned her Ph.D. in astrophysics from LMU Munich, after which she pursued postdoctoral research positions internationally. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Cardiff University in Wales and later at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) in Garching, Germany. These formative research experiences helped her develop expertise in computational astrophysics and the physics of the interstellar medium.
In 2013, Walch-Gassner was appointed as a full professor of theoretical astrophysics at the University of Cologne. In this role, she has been leading a research group and teaching astrophysics, while continuing to conduct cutting-edge research. Her scientific work focuses on the interstellar medium (ISM) – the gas and dust between stars – and its role in the life cycle of galaxies. She investigates how processes in the ISM, such as turbulence, star formation, and supernova feedback, drive the evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. Walch-Gassner is especially known for using advanced numerical simulations to model these complex astrophysical processes. This expertise in simulations and theory of the ISM is key to understanding how galaxies form and evolve within the cosmic web over billions of years.
Beyond her individual research, Walch-Gassner has taken on major leadership roles in collaborative scientific projects. She currently serves as the spokesperson (principal investigator) of Collaborative Research Centre 1601 (CRC 1601), a multi-institution research program funded by the German Research Foundation. CRC 1601, titled “The Cosmic Evolution of the Habitats of Massive Stars,” studies how massive stars form and impact their environments across different scales – from local star-forming regions to entire galaxies over cosmic history. Under Walch-Gassner’s leadership, this project connects researchers in Cologne, Bonn, and other partner institutions to unravel the “habitats” of massive stars, linking processes from subparsec scales (within stellar nurseries) up to megaparsec scales (the scale of galaxy clusters). Her roles as designated spokesperson for “Our Dynamic Universe,” a new Cluster of Excellence in Germany and as CRC spokesperson highlight her ability to coordinate large teams and drive complex research agendas.
About the Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award
Named for Paul E. Klopsteg, a principal founder, a former AAPT President, and a long-time member of AAPT, the Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award recognizes outstanding communication of the excitement of contemporary physics to the general public. The recipient delivers the Klopsteg Lecture at an AAPT Summer Meeting on a topic of current significance and at a level suitable for a non-specialist audience and receives a monetary award, an Award Certificate, and travel expenses to the meeting.
About AAPT
AAPT is the premier professional society established to advance the greater good through physics education. With the support of members worldwide, AAPT is an action-oriented organization designed to develop, improve, and promote best practices for physics education as part of the global need for qualified Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics teachers who will inspire tomorrow's leaders and decision makers. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.
For more information contact David Wolfe, Director of Communications, dwolfe@aapt.org, (301) 209-3327, (301) 209-0845 (Fax), www.aapt.org.
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