On 1 April 2017, Dominique Derome will become the new Head of the Laboratory for Multiscale Studies in Building Physics. She takes over from Jan Carmeliet, who wants to focus more on his research in the area of urban physics at Empa and on his professorship at ETH Zurich.
Dominique Derome has studied architecture and holds a PhD in civil engineering. She has been working at Empa since 2008, initially as a Senior Scientist and, since 2012, as a Group Leader in the Laboratory for Multiscale Studies in Building Physics, for which she will now take over responsibility. The change in leadership of the lab was triggered by the desire of Jan Carmeliet, the previous lab head, to devote more time to research and teaching in the future.
Last October, Empa’s Board of Directors publicly advertised the open position based on the lab’s current research activities. Following a recruitment process lasting several months, the seven-member selection committee unanimously nominated Dominique Derome as the new Laboratory Head in late January 2017. The Board of Directors approved the nomination and appointed Dominique Derome as the new Head of the Laboratory for Multiscale Studies in Building Physics as of 1 April 2017.
Since taking on the role in 2008, Jan Carmeliet has restructured the lab significantly, spun off some activities and repositioned its focus. Today, it is one of the world’s leading research groups investigating the transport of water in porous materials and the importance of this with regard to the durability and energy management of buildings. It has a similar leading role regarding the investigation of the urban climate in relation to wind comfort, the transportation of pollutants and summer overheating in densely populated areas. The lab makes use of both modelling and experimental investigations in all its areas of activity.
The Board of Directors is very grateful to Jan Carmeliet for his great efforts, without which such progress would not have been possible, and is delighted to have found a new lab head, Dominique Derome, who will certainly continue this success story.
