Ewine van Dishoeck receives Karl Schwarzschild Medal 2019

The award recognises distinguished international astrophysicists for outstanding scientific contributions. Ewine van Dishoeck is an expert on submillimeter and infrared astronomy. With the highest award for astronomical research in Germany, the Astronomical Society honours her research on the boundary of astronomy, molecular physics and chemistry. She has made important contributions to our understanding of the matter between stars: large clouds of gas and dust that are the birthplaces for solar systems like ours. By using observations, theory and experiments, she has shown how molecules form and evolve in these interstellar clouds. By studying interstellar molecules, she made significant impact on the understanding of the formation of stars and planets. 

Ewine van Dishoeck is also the president of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), holds many national and international science policy functions and already received a number of awards for her accomplishments.