Student Statements
Klaus Swarowsky (Federal Environment Agency)
“I value very much the excellent education and the close individual support from the teaching staff during my studies that allowed me to pursue own research ideas and to find my field of interest. A cooperation of the university with the German Federal Environment Agency enabled me to gain experience in the environmental risk assessment of pesticides. I qualified for a traineeship in the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and am now working in the field of pesticide risk assessment at the Federal Environment Agency, Germany.”
Klaus Swarowsky (Master Ecotoxicology, UBA)
Lamin Jaiteh (National Environment Agency-The Gambia)
“The Masters Ecotoxicology program comes with a full package of chemical assessment and management modules. Coming from a regulatory institution the National Environment Agency (NEA,The Gambia), the Program gave me the opportunity to fully understand pesticides’ registration approaches by the EFSA through the risk assessment, methods and models modules. Furthermore, through the program, I conducted my internship (AMEO) at the German Environmental Protection Agency (Umweltbundesamt) in the Plant Protection Division where I did independent research on hazard profiling of pesticides. Finally, in my master’s thesis, my research team (MAGIC) gave me free will to conceptualize an independent research topic coined to suit my country’s priorities “Developing a Chemicals Monitoring Scheme for Surface Water Bodies in The Gambia” that is now in the planning phase of implementation.“
Lamin Jaiteh (MSc Ecotoxicology, National Environment Agency-The Gambia)
Larissa Zoë Herrmann (University of Landau)
“One of the few opportunities to study ecotoxicology in Germany is in Landau, where I was happy to experience diversified education and thorough support to establish and pursue my research and career interests. Wide-ranging cooperations of the university and a broad spectrum of research teams enabled me to get to know the studies application fields and consolidate my interests in data processing and risk assessment. Currently I am working as a research assistant and am planning my doctorate with the research group Ecotoxicology and Environment.”
Larissa Zoë Herrmann (Master Ecotoxicology, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau)
Elena Adams (Bayer Crop Science)
“The broad range of ecotoxicological topics that were covered during the studies as well as the practical skills I got during various lab courses really helped me to find my field of interest. During my studies, I had the chance to do an internship in an ecotoxicological laboratory of the Crop Science division of the Bayer AG. Now after my PhD studies here in Landau, I joined Bayer again as an expert for the risk assessment of plant protection products for terrestrial vertebrates.”
Elena Adams (PhD, Bayer AG – Crop Science Division)
Verena Sesin (Trent University)
"The master’s program was an excellent choice to gain comprehensive theoretical knowledge in ecotoxicology and ecological risk assessment, combined with hands-on training in research methods. I particularly enjoyed my thesis in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada, for which I assessed the sensitivity of non-target macrophytes to herbicides used for invasive plant control. I was awarded the Ontario Trillium Scholarship to continue my research in the scope of a PhD at Trent University, and I’m excited to contribute to environmental protection efforts in Canada."
Verena Sesin (PhD, Trent University, Canada)
Simon Lüderwald (BASF SE)
“During my time as a student I enjoyed the interdisciplinary education the Master’s programme in Ecotoxicology had to offer. Gathering theoretical as well as practical knowledge on study design and interpretation of data, fundamental insights in aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicology, but also a solid understanding for risk assessment and management of chemicals, facilitated the first steps of my professional career. I did a PhD assessing the impact of nanomaterials on aquatic invertebrates in the group Functional Aquatic Ecotoxicology at the Campus LD and am now working as an Ecotoxicologist at BASF SE.”
Simon Lüderwald (PhD, BASF SE)
Rebecca Bundschuh (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry)
“I am working since 2016 for the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) a not-for-profit professional organization operating worldwide. The society brings together scientists dedicated to environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology in a wider sense. I am responsible for the certification of environmental risk assessors, awards and many other tasks, where my background in ecotoxicology is essential. During my study at the University of Koblenz-Landau I had the opportunity to experience SETAC and its network from the scientist perspective, which helps me now - together with my in-depth knowledge of the scientific field - in my daily business. Particularly the wide network that I built during my time in Landau is of immense value.”
Rebecca Bundschuh (PhD, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry)
Viktoriia Ovcharova (RIFCON)
“Driven by my passion for environmental protection I was lucky to pursue my Master in Landau. This multifaceted program offers a great blend of complex theoretical and practical courses in an inspiring multicultural environment. Several highlights of my studies were undoubtedly AMEO, which enabled me to intern in the Terrestrial Ecotoxicology Team at Bayer AG, the RPC, where in close supervision I could immerse myself into complexities of meta-analysis and data management, being certainly also a beneficial experience for the final thesis, and the course of Environmental Risk Assessment with integrated guest lectures from industry and regulatory agencies, which solidified my interest in regulatory affairs and after graduation, I am working as a Regulatory Ecotoxicologist at RIFCON GmbH.”
Viktoriia Ovcharova (MSc Ecotoxicology, RIFCON GmbH)
Afolarin Ogungbemi (Helmholtz Centre for Env. Research)
“Deciding to study ecotoxicology Master program at University of Koblenz-Landau was the perfect opportunity for me to gain interdisciplinary knowledge which bridges my previous chemistry background with toxicology. Thanks to the flexibility of the program, I was able to gain practical experience during an internship in France as well as in the Netherlands. The Ecotoxicology program gave me the needed foundation and confidence to start and finish a doctoral degree in Ecotoxicology. Overall, I have now acquired the expertise to contribute to chemical safety assessment leading to environmental sustainability.”
Afolarin Ogungbemi (PhD, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)