Ms. Martina Gastl, who has been the director of the Weihenstephan Research Center for Brewing and Food Quality (BLQ) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) since April 2022, was appointed as an honorary professor in the field of brewing technology in a ceremony presided over by Prof. Dr. Thomas Hofmann, the President of TUM. In doing so, she follows in the footsteps of Prof. Fritz Jacob, who officially retired on March 31, 2023.
A year prior to this appointment, Prof. Jacob had already handed over the leadership of BLQ to Ms. Gastl. Prior to this, she had worked as a research group leader at the Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology under Prof. Thomas Becker.
Ms. Gastl has been closely connected to the brewing industry for nearly 30 years. Between 1994 and 1996, she completed her training as a brewer and maltster at the Klosterbrauerei Andechs in Andechs and at the Malzfabrik Weyermann in Bamberg. Subsequently, from 1996 to 2002, she pursued her studies in brewing and beverage technology, graduating as a Dipl.-Ing. at TUM in Weihenstephan. From 2002 to 2005, she worked as a scientific staff member at the Chair of Brewing Technology I at TUM. In the year 2006, she obtained her Ph.D. in Engineering (Dr.-Ing.) at TUM under the supervision of Prof. Werner Back.
In the same year, she initially took over the laboratory management of the GC/HPLC laboratory for two years and later managed the malt laboratory for another two years both at the Chair of Brewing Technology at TUM. In 2009, she became the head of the research group focused on raw material-oriented brewing and beverage technology at the Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology before taking over as the director of BLQ in the past year.
As stated by the TUM Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology in a post on social media, this recognition "is proof of dedication, expertise, and relentless pursuit of excellence in the field of brewing. It reflects not only Ms. Gastl's personal commitment but also underscores the efforts of our research institute and our entire team in promoting knowledge and leadership qualities in the industry.
"We look forward to continuing our journey under her leadership and expertise in the world of brewing technology and brewing and food quality here at the Weihenstephan Research Center for Brewing and Food Quality and at the Technical University of Munich," the announcement concludes.
