We are deeply saddened to announce that Ms. Stella Silbermann, a member of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, passed away on 01. July 2023 after a serious illness.

Stella Silbermann was born on December 19, 1988 in Leipzig and grew up in Löbau. After graduating from high school in Löbau, she initially enrolled for two semesters in Maritime Technology at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences before deciding to return home and study Energy and Environmental Engineering at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. In 2018, she also successfully completed her Master's degree in "Mechanical and Energy Engineering" in the field of "Plastics Technologies".

Stella Silbermann has worked as a research assistant on various research projects at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Process Engineering, Process Automation and Metrology (IPM) at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences since 2015. She worked in the working group of Prof. Frank Hentschel in the project "LaNDER³ - Lusatian Natural Fiber Composites: Decentralized Energy, Raw Materials, Resources, Recycling" and in the research training group "New Systems for Resource Conservation" led by Prof. Jens Meinert. Since April 2021, Ms. Silbermann has been employed at the Department of Energy Systems Engineering under Prof. Matthias Kunick in the project "^SBRS-AC2 - Fast calculation of real gas mixture properties in the program system ^AC2". She made valuable contributions to these and other projects with great dedication. Stella Silbermann was held in high esteem by all members of the faculty, not least because of her friendliness and collegiality. She made many friends in the faculty, who describe her as a kind, self-sacrificing and modest person.

In addition to her work at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Stella Silbermann was a volunteer instructor and administrative assistant in the German Life Saving Association (DLRG Bezirk Zittau e. V.). This also shows how important the well-being of other people was to her and how selflessly she worked.

We mourn the loss of Stella Silbermann, who will be greatly missed as a person and as a colleague.

On behalf of the Rectorate and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.