Dear Maike, could you please briefly introduce yourself?
I've been with HErZ for four years now as Head of the "Model development" competence area, and I promote collaboration with all projects that include a model development component. My expertise lies in the area of boundary layer, convection, and cloud processes. Currently, my own research interests on clouds over the Southern Ocean and boundary layer modeling at the sub-km scale overlap with research projects from Frankfurt and Hamburg. The collaboration is particularly close at the moment, also because I'm co-supervising a doctoral student.
If you had to define HErZ in one sentence…
The Hans Ertel Centre connects research partners from all over Germany with the DWD (German Meteorological Service) and promotes close collaboration through joint research projects, teaching, and early career scientists.
What small and large HErZ successes are you particularly proud of?
It's always a success, of course, when basic research developments from our partners can improve the DWD's operational services after a few years. There are several examples of this (here on pages 17-24, and here). But I also greatly appreciate how the close collaboration with the HErZ partners inspires and promotes the DWD's own developments. Furthermore, for me, every student or early career scientist who successfully launches their career in the research landscape or at the DWD through the HErZ network is a success.
What else is planned at HErZ that you find particularly exciting
The second phase of the VITAL measurement campaign will take place in the greater Cologne/Bonn/Aachen area in the summer of 2026. The data will help us better understand boundary layer development in urban and rural areas and will be combined with satellite data from the recently launched MTG sounder using a new data assimilation method. I'm very much looking forward to the new insights we can gain from the campaign.