Dr. Felix Dillenberger has been appointed as interim professor of material simulation and mechanics in the Faculty of Engineering as of October 1, 2024. After completing his bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Felix Dillenberger obtained his doctorate at the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Design in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Professor Dillenberger has been working at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF since 2012. Dillenberger initially worked in the field of plastics as a research assistant and group leader, focusing on the mechanical behavior and simulation of plastic materials. Since 2023, he has been deputy head of the Plastics Processing and Component Design department and has headed the Reliability Division at the Fraunhofer High-Performance Center GreenMaterials for Hydrogen.

What aspect of your research fascinates you the most?

I realize every day that a topic is never fully explored and that there are always new exciting details to discover. I am fascinated by the behavior of materials, in particular, predicting their behavior in order to design components safely. I also care about how my research can be applied to real-life. It is exciting to see how theoretical concepts are successfully put into practice and how future applications are influenced by the results of research.

What does “good teaching” mean to you?

For me, good teaching means showing interest in my students and developing content together to convey correlations, motivate and, in the best case, create a culture of excitement.

What did you want to be growing up?

I grew up wanting to become an explorer and environmentalist. I guess that wish never left my mind - some aspects of it are still part of my current research on sustainable material concepts.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I find balance by spending a lot of time with my family and my two children, making music and playing the electric guitar.