Group Leader

Prof. Dr. Milan Kivala

 

Curriculum Vitae

Milan Kivala was born in Rakovník, Czech Republic. He received his M.Sc. degree in 2003 from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. In 2008 he completed his Ph.D. studies under the supervision of Prof. Dr. François Diederich at the ETH Zürich, focused on the synthesis of functional carbon-rich architectures, charge-transfer chromophores, and super-acceptors based on acetylenic scaffolding. After a short postdoctoral stay at the same institution, he joined in 2009 the group of Prof. Dr. Klaus Müllen at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Reasearch in Mainz, Germany, where he was dealing with polycyclic aromatic systems displaying liquid crystalline behavior and self-assembly for application in organic electronic devices.

In April 2011, he resumed his current position at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg as junior group leader at the Institute of Organic Chemistry. Since 2013 he has been pursuing his Habilitation under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Rik R. Tykwinski which he successfully concluded in 2016. His research program focuses on functional π-electron systems and materials science creating novel molecular entities that assemble into functional devices. The focal point of his research, is of course, organic synthesis providing the opportunity to design novel molecular architectures.

Experience

• since 2017
  Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
  Lehrstuhlvertretung / Interim Professorship (W3)
• 2013 – 2016
  Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
  Habilitation with Prof. Dr. Rik Tykwinski
• 2011 – 2013    
  Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
  Junior group leader
• 2009 – 2011 
  Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
  Postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Dr. Klaus Müllen
• 2008 – 2009 
  ETH Zürich, Switzerland
  Postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Dr. François Diederich
• 2001 – 2002 
  Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
  Visiting researcher with Prof. Dr. Krister Holmberg

Education

• 2004 – 2008 
  ETH Zürich, Switzerland
  Ph.D. with Prof. Dr. François Diederich

• 2003               
  Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic
  Diploma thesis with Prof. Dr. František Liška

• 1998 – 2003 
  Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic
  Undergraduate studies in chemistry

Awards and fellowships

• 2017 
  Emmy-Noether-Habilitationspreis des Universitätsbundes Erlangen-Nürnberg e.V.
  Forschungspreis der Dr. Otto Röhm Gedächtnisstiftung
• 2014   
  EAM Starting Grant, Cluster of Excellence EAM (FAU)
  Junior Scientist Participation Program Fellowship, 49th Bürgenstock Conference

• 2012   
  Fonds der Chemischen Industrie Grant

• 2011   
  Dr. Hertha and Helmut Schmauser Foundation Grant

• 2010   
  Humboldt Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers

• 2009   
  Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship
  ETH Medal for the most outstanding Ph.D. Thesis

• 2003 
  Honor Award of Josef Hlávka
  President of the Institute of Chemical Technology Award for the best graduate of the class of 2003

• 2001   
  Hlávka Foundation Fellowship
  Erasmus Fellowship

Affiliations

German Chemical Society
Swiss Chemical Society

Other Memberships

Principle Investigator in SFB 953 ‘Synthetic Carbon Allotropes’
EU-Project ‘InTechSE’ (FP7 Marie Curie Actions)
Solar Technologies Go Hybrid (Free State of Bavaria Initiative)