Network for committed university lecturers: Dr Sebastian Schellhammer accepted into the Academy for Excellent University Teaching

Dr Sebastian Schellhammer, research assistant at the Institute of Applied Physics at TU Dresden, has been accepted into the Academy for Excellent University Teaching. He was chosen from numerous applicants in a competitive selection process. In addition to his many innovative teaching approaches in STEM degree programs, he is committed to research in academic teaching and promotes collegial exchange between educators through the Stammtisch Lehre@MINT (Teaching@STEM round table) at TU Dresden.

In teaching, Dr. Schellhammer advocates a learning-promoting approach that embraces heterogeneity and a student-centered design that explicitly involves students in course development. This was particularly evident in the course ‘Applications in Physics’ for physics teacher students, for which he was awarded both the Teaching Prize of the Association of Friends and Sponsors of TU Dresden e. V. and the Ars Legendi Faculty Prize for Physics in 2025. He is currently particularly involved in the further development of physics lab courses.

With the admission of Dr Schellhammer in the Academy, TU Dresden not only gains recognition for excellent teaching: membership opens up direct access to established teaching innovations, collegial advice and inter-university cooperation. The experience gained from the academy flows back into courses, program development and exchanges with colleagues as concrete impetus, thus sustainably strengthening quality development in TUD’s studies and teaching.

"Our members share what works – and develop it further together. Sebastian Schellhammer will enrich this exchange and, at the same time, act as a multiplier, bringing innovative approaches to TU Dresden," says Prof. Dr. Hannes Saas, Chairman of the Academy for Excellent University Teaching.

About the Academy

The Academy for Excellent University Teaching e.V. is a nationwide network of outstanding, active lecturers. In face-to-face and online formats, it creates spaces for collegial exchange, member initiatives, shared responsibility and joint learning – with the aim of highlighting and further developing excellent university teaching. The network is growing in a quality-assured manner through a review-based admission process. Further information: www.ausgezeichnete-hochschullehre.org

Contact:
Dr. Sebastian Schellhammer
Research Assistant
Light-Emitting and eXcitonic Organic Semiconductors Group (LEXOS)
TU Dresden
Email:
Tel. +49 351 463 42407