Davide G. is always up for a crazy idea, or – to use his own words – he helps create "a good atmosphere at work." Here's an example from last year: "A few of us from KIT rented city bikes and rode all the way to Hornisgrinde. It was 160 kilometres round trip, with 1,600 meters of elevation gain. It was so much fun!" Did the expert in flow simulation consider his position on the bike during that trip? Absolutely! “In my field, computer models are incredible tools for visualizing things you can’t actually see—like air currents. It's amazing that we can simulate how pollutants spread through the atmosphere or how heat moves through a room. It’s so exciting! ”When he’s not researching the aerodynamics of bodies, the 38-year-old is teaching—and he’s been doing that for 10 years now. He came to KIT after studying in Milan and earning his PhD in Darmstadt. "Teaching young people is incredibly meaningful to me. I really feel like I have a positive impact on my surroundings. And it’s awesome to see so many students choosing to do research in the same field!” Davide plans to stay at his institute for the next few years, continuing to foster a great atmosphere—and making sure the cake trays don’t stay full for long:
“I’m kind of famous for my appetite! So if there’s cake in the kitchen, you’d better grab a piece before I do!”

When Karl-Heinz G. first walked through the gates of what was then the Nuclear Research Center – now known as KIT's North Campus – in February 1980, he had just finished his training and simply wanted to 'take a look' at this so-called 'Holy Grail' of research. Forty-five years later, he's still there, smiling: "I'm still proud to be part of it." Karl-Heinz thinks he knows everyone and everything. He's worked in loads of different areas over the years, from radiation technology and plant safety to purchasing. Now 64, he's spent more than 30 years in procurement, and though he could retire, he's decided to stick around a bit longer. He's going to spend the next year training his successor in all the different parts of the job. "My coolest purchase was the hydrogen bus that shuttles between the KIT campuses. I also bought the container for the KATRIN neutrino detector and a few buildings, too! These days, the group leader doesn't get nervous signing contracts – even when they're for entire lab buildings costing eleven million euros. But he still gets a good feeling when he walks across campus and sees the things he helped bring there: "Purchasing is a key aspect of everything we do!" He tries to share that enthusiasm with the younger ones, organising tours of the institutes to show how the things they buy are actually used in research. "In industry, money's made in purchasing. But that's not the case here. We just want to buy what's best for science."

Gunther S. left KIT for a while, but ended up coming back. The computer scientist studied at KIT, then worked in the private sector for a while, before eventually returning – because he was so passionate about science. As a digital privacy expert, Gunther believes knowledge should be shared openly and made accessible to everyone for the benefit of society. But for him, it’s not just about having knowledge—it’s about putting it into action. He’s the kind of person who dives deep into complex topics so he can represent academic staff effectively in KIT’s convention and committees. At his institute, the 58-year-old not only teaches but also supports his colleagues in securing research funding so that they can focus on their work the stress of financial uncertainty. “I’ve been at KIT for nearly 25 years, and I want to give something back to the institution,” he says. “In the committees, I try to highlight the important contributions academic staff make. And at the institute, I want to make sure researchers can concentrate on their work. I’ve been through years of fixed-term contracts too. That's really stressful." Gunther has found his stride in what could be called an unofficial management role. What’s kept him at KIT all these years is the freedom he’s had to grow and evolve. “I’ve really been able to develop here. I’m kind of a mix between a researcher and a manager—but at the end of the day, I think of myself as an enabler.”

Math was always her favorite subject in school—juggling numbers and letters, solving complex equations, and celebrating when everything added up. Xian L. was certain she’d study math at university in Beijing. But what a surprise it turned out to be! "There wasn't much talk of numbers, just definitions, formulas, theories, and proofs," she remembers. "It took me a while to get used to the language of math." But she got the hang of it. She earned her PhD in Paris, then worked in Prague, Beijing, and Bonn. In 2018, she accepted a tenure-track professorship at KIT. Since then, Karlsruhe has become home in more ways than one—her daughter was born here. The fact that there's loads of green spaces, plenty of playgrounds for her now five-year-old, and short distances across the city give Xian the work-life balance she appreciates. “I’m really happy here. Karlsruhe isn’t huge, but it has everything—even a university!” she jokes. In Beijing, she says, you have tons of options—but commuting two hours each way on public transportation is completely normal. That’s a real disadvantage. Now, with more time and space to think, Xian can dive deeper into her field: partial differential equations. These are the mathematical foundation for modeling a wide range of phenomena in physics, chemistry, and biology. “My work sits at the intersection of abstract theory and real-world application. I study whether certain theorems exist and whether they’re reliable,” she explains. “The real fun begins when things don’t work the way they’re supposed to! That’s when I get to dig in and figure out where the problem lies. And the best part? I get to do math within mathematical analysis—which I love.”

When Sabine G. talks about KIT, it sounds almost like a commercial—she calls it a “paradise” and even her “lottery win.” But she’s completely serious! At 46, Sabine has a bright smile, a quick wit, and an infectious enthusiasm. She’s passionate about her role as an institute assistant, which she began in October 2023. Whether it’s organizing business trips, managing budgets, or handling doctoral paperwork, she takes care of all the administrative tasks for “her” institute and a large research group. “Every Monday, I’m filled with excitement, wondering what the day will bring. I’m so curious—I just want to ask questions and keep learning,” she says. It's not every day that you get the chance to see a Nobel Prize winner give a lecture, or to be part of a foam-filled fire safety training session in the lab! But for this true crime podcast fan, her job doesn’t need that kind of drama to feel fulfilling. What matters most to Sabine are the people and the culture at KIT. She’s impressed by the respectful way colleagues treat each other, the thoughtful decision-making, the long-term commitment to employees—and especially the shared drive to contribute something meaningful to society. "That's completely new to me. In the private sector, it was all about sales, sales, sales!" she says. Sabine is grateful she took the advice of a KIT master’s student and applied for the position. “I thought everyone at KIT would be stingy and super serious, and that I wouldn’t fit in—but that couldn’t be further from the truth!” At 3 p.m., she waves at the camera with a big smile. It’s time to head home to her partner, child, dog, and cat. “That’s something new, too—I’m actually cutting back on my overtime,” she laughs. “I’ll say it again: KIT is my lottery win.”

When Imanuel was exploring degree programs, he knew he wanted something technical. “There wasn’t anything suitable at the university in my hometown of Freiburg,” he explains. So he moved to Karlsruhe to study at KIT. His choice? Mechanical engineering. He wasn’t put off by the program’s reputation for being tough—or by the fact that more than half of students drop out. “I told myself: I’ll take on this challenge—and I’ll see it through,” he says. Imanuel almost failed his technical mechanics exam. “I was allowed to retake it—that was a bit of a wake-up call,” he recalls. Now, Imanuel is working on his PhD in mechanical engineering, where he develops image-based methods for detecting surface damage across a variety of applications. Imanuel says, "It’s best to replace a component while it’s still working—so you avoid an emergency if it fails and don’t waste its remaining useful life." In addition to his research, he lectures on machine tools at KIT and he's in charge of the dual-degree program with Tongji University in Shanghai. He'll be spending a year at Tongji in February 2025, teaching and doing research. “I’m really excited about the new challenges this role will bring,” he says. “And I’m looking forward to improving my language skills, too.” Imanuel speaks German and English natively, is fluent in French, and knows some Chinese. When he’s not developing algorithms or giving lectures, he enjoys cultural activities in Karlsruhe with his wife, playing sports, or organizing a weekly soccer training session for students and staff that is great fun for everyone involved.

How many times will Jean-Claude H. be called out today? Once, three times, maybe even five? It’s all happened before, says the 40-year-old. On average, the KIT plant fire department at the North Campus responds to around 400 calls a year. Whether it’s a transformer fire, a gas leak, or a person in distress, the firefighters must be prepared for anything.

“We’re the special forces of our plant,” explains the deputy head of security. “We know every building, what hazardous materials are stored there, and where all the entrances are. That gives us a crucial advantage.”

In 2022, Jean-Claude H. left his job as a site manager in civil and cable engineering to turn his passion into a career. “It was the best decision of my life,” he says. His years in the volunteer fire brigade—where he still serves as a youth leader—helped prepare him for the unpredictable calls, even the ones at 3 a.m. But shifts at KIT have their own rhythm: “We’re on duty for 24 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the next day. We train together, eat together, and respond to emergencies together. The team is like a second family.”

And when he finally gets home to his own family, the tension eases—at least for the next 24 hours, he won’t have to be ready to sprint to the fire engine in 90 seconds.

"She’s like MacGyver, Sherlock Holmes, and Donna Paulsen from Suits all rolled into one!” Katharina D. smiles when she hears what her colleagues say about her. “Well, I just remember what I hear, so I usually have an answer when people ask,” the 40-year-old says matter-of-factly.

But answering questions is just a small part of what she does. Since joining KIT in 2019 after a parental leave, Katharina has become a backbone of her 24-person department. She writes reports, manages payments, juggles appointments, and lends a listening ear to both colleagues and students. And: Without her, things wouldn’t just be less efficient—they’d also be a lot less fun. Her cakes, for example, are legendary.

Not long ago, she baked an alpaca-shaped cake—complete with ears and sunglasses. “Baking is my hobby,” she says. “But my husband isn’t big on sweets, and I don’t want my two kids eating too much sugar. So I bake a small cake for home and a big one for work.”

But that isn’t the only reason why apprentices in the department never want to leave. “We get a lot done and contribute real value to the students and KIT. Plus, we have a great sense of humor, lots of understanding, and everyone is accepted just as they are. It’s simply a great place to be.”

Armen B. was supposed to retire two years ago: "But I can't live without my work." 100 billion neutrinos fly through this fingertip. You can't see them, but they change our understanding of the world. That's real adrenaline - and a divine feeling!"

The “fingertip” that thrills the 68-year-old scientist so much is KATRIN: the most precise scales in the world at the KIT's North Campus, where researchers from seven countries have been trying to weigh the lightest particles in the universe since 2006. Day in, day out, the trained electrical engineer checks that the conditions of the huge facility remain stable.

For example, the electrical voltage: "It's 18,600 volts. It must be maintained to within a millivolt, otherwise we cannot use the measurements. The same goes for the vacuum in the container, the temperature and the atmospheric pressure in the hall. "All this data forms a network, and I am the spider in the middle that transmits it to a central database.

It was not foreseeable that the native Armenian would find his professional fortune in Karlsruhe. Before that, he worked at the Physics Institute in Yerevan, at the German Electron Synchrotron in Hamburg and was involved in the construction of a telescope on La Palma.

"I am surrounded by fantastic people at KIT who form a real team. The fact that Armen B. often treats his colleagues to an ice cream after lunch certainly contributes to this - and since 2001 he has ensured that one of the world's most important physics experiments runs smoothly.

Conny did it again. Cornelia S., known to everyone at her institute as "Conny", has once again succeeded in realizing an impossible research idea. The 45-year-old is a precision mechanic. She works in quality assurance, building and testing reactors for chemical processes such as synthetic fuels. From thumb-sized to car-sized, from feather-light to lead-heavy, always highly complex: “The young researchers often have great ideas, but they lack the technical background to build the appropriate facility. That's where I come in. I order the parts, assemble them, and work out the details with them. That's why the researchers sometimes refer to Cornelia as the "mother of all PhD students. The problem solver appreciates this gratitude – and returns it. "I learn something new every day and have been able to develop over the years. The topics in her field are constantly changing, depending on which approaches prove to be promising for the future. As a result, only a fraction of what she does today is related to her current position. Cornelia is not thinking of changing jobs, even though she has been working at the same institute since completing her training as an industrial mechanic at KIT in 1999. "Why should I? It's just never boring! The great thing about science is that you are a small part of how a big - sometimes crazy - idea becomes something big. That makes me a bit proud.

Comfort zone? Not with her. Linguist Andressa C. is always looking for a challenge: "I like to experiment, to learn new things, whether they are easy or difficult. I like to surpass myself." That's how she ended up teaching herself to code, even though it didn't fit her original profile.

In her native Brazil, Andressa was both a postdoc and a German teacher for renowned institutions. At KIT, she has found like-minded people who appreciate complexity. The 46-year-old researches polarized debates in science communication, using both her linguistic and IT expertise. "We have a very nice exchange in our team: open, cooperative, constructive. That is enriching."

She could use her skills in the private sector, but her love is the academic world. There, she has the space and resources to fulfill her ambitions. In return, her versatile skills are appreciated. "I am now also the IT officer at my institute. I'm not restricted here. That spurs me on every day!"

Nadine knows KIT inside and out. Whether it’s working at an institute, the dean's office, or handling digital course administration — since joining KIT in 2007, the economics graduate, who currently holds two positions, has seen, organized, and shaped a lot. "Back then, I helped a newly appointed professor build up the department from scratch, out of empty rooms," she recalls, fondly referring to it as "her" chair.

For Nadine, KIT is literally family history: her husband works at KIT, and one of her two daughters studied here. So it's no surprise that the 57-year-old strongly identifies with the institution. Even if, as in every family, there are occasional issues and moments of frustration.

Nadine does not want to return to the private sector, where she worked for many years. KIT has always given her room to grow. "There are plenty of opportunities here, and doors are open," she says. What she loves most about her job is the variety of tasks and the connection with students and colleagues. "When you're part of a great team, it motivates you to go the extra mile. I've experienced the opposite too, and no amount of money can make up for that."

Nadine and KIT: it looks like this family story is far from over.

"There’s always a way," says Marco K., who manages the entire IT operations of a large KIT institute. He procures, sets up, maintains, and repairs computer systems and servers, while providing expert advice. Marco is also responsible for restructuring and modernizing the institute's networks, IP and email structures.

But his role doesn't stop there. Marco steps in when measuring instruments malfunction, when critical data is at risk of being lost, or when older computer systems need to be integrated into virtual computing environments. Especially when it comes to very tricky problems that require both a screwdriver and IT knowledge, the fact that Marco trained as a precision engineer 37 years ago - at the age of 15, he was the youngest apprentice in his year – is invaluable. "There is always a way to repair, salvage or improve something," says Marco. After earning his master craftsman's diploma, Marco transitioned into materials testing. As digitalization expanded, so did his passion for IT.

Today, Marco not only oversees IT infrastructure but also plays an active role on the institute's steering committee. "I am grateful to KIT for giving me the opportunity to get involved as a father for my three children, alongside my work," he says. He was able to take parental leave at a time when this was not common practice in other companies. "I’d do anything for my kids," Marco says. "They’re all grown up now — two are in college, and the youngest is finishing high school." He adds: "For the sake of my children and future generations, I would like to work more sustainably — even here at KIT," he explains. “It would be great, if we could recycle unwanted electronics and furniture via an electronic bulletin board at KIT. Everything that is decommissioned in one of our institutes may still be used in another area.”

Janine S. has been working as a security specialist at KIT since December 2023. Rain, snow or sunshine - the colleagues in Campus Security are on duty day and night, seven days a week.

Janine, a mother of two children aged 10 and 13, appreciates the regular shifts at KIT and has some very funny stories to tell about her work, such as the time a blue smurf suddenly rode across campus on a bicycle. In her free time, she is either out and about with her children or tending to her vegetable garden.

But most of all, her heart beats for soccer: "Soccer is my balance to work, which is why I work part-time at KSC as an area manager. In this role, she is responsible for assigning stewards to the North Stand at home games, overseeing admission control, and acting as a liaison for fans. "When I'm not working at KIT on the weekends, I really enjoy going to KSC's away games and cheering on the team," she says.

She has one request for all KIT employees and students: "Please lock everything and turn off the lights when you leave the office or institute in the evening!" 

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