Ulrike Diebold

Diebold was born on 12 December 1961 in Kapfenberg, Austria. She spent much of her high school years reading, skiing, and agonizing over what to major in at the university. She ultimately settled on engineering physics, an area with good job prospects that was also general enough to accommodate a variety of future directions. After completing her diploma in engineering physics (TU Vienna, 1986), she became increasingly enthusiastic about experimental physics while working on her master's thesis, and ultimately completed a Doctor of Technology (Dr. techn.) in this area with Prof. Peter Varga{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuwien.at/en/studies/news/news/obituary-dr-peter-varga-1946-2018/|title=Obituary Dr. Peter Varga (1946 –2018)|access-date=24 August 2020}} (TU Vienna, 1990).{{Cite book |last1=Madsen |first1=Lynnette|title=Successful Women Ceramic and Glass Scientists and Engineers:100 Inspirational Profiles|publisher= Wiley |date= February 2016|isbn= 978-1-118-73360-8}}

Diebold's first appointment after graduation was as a post-doctoral research associate in the group of Theodore E. Madey in the department of physics at Rutgers University (1990–1993). It was there that she was first introduced to oxide surfaces, an area that she would later come to refer to as "the love of her scientific life". {{r|Profiles}} Her first faculty appointment followed, at Tulane University, New Orleans, USA, where she was an assistant professor (1993–1999), associate professor (1999–2001), and professor of physics (2001–2009), and also an adjunct professor of chemistry (1993–2009). During this time period, she also completed her habilitation in experimental physics (TU Vienna, 1998), held the Yahoo! Founder Chair in Science and Engineering (2006–2009), and was the associate department chair (2002–2009).

In 2005, Diebold and her group were forced to temporarily evacuate from New Orleans, which experienced massive flooding and power outages from the impact of Hurricane Katrina.{{Cite journal|title = Tales from Tulane: Professors Ulrike Diebold and Larry Byers are anxious to get their labs running again|last=Wilson|first=Elizabeth|journal=Chemical & Engineering News|volume=83|pages=15–16|issue=47|date=21 November 2005|doi=10.1021/cen-v083n047.p015 }} They were hosted by the group of Theodore E. Madey at Rutgers University during this challenging period.{{Cite journal|last1=Feder|first1=Toni|journal=Physics Today|volume=58|year=2005|doi=10.1063/1.2155745|title=Science Community Rallies to Aid Students and Researchers Displaced by Hurricane Katrina|issue=11|pages=22–23|bibcode=2005PhT....58k..22F|doi-access=free}}

In 2010 she moved to the Institute of Applied Physics at TU Wien where she is currently a professor of surface science and deputy department head,{{Cite web|url=https://www.iap.tuwien.ac.at/www/surface/group/diebold/index|title=Ulrike Diebold [IAP/TU Wien]|website=www.iap.tuwien.ac.at|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}} and retains the title of research professor at Tulane University.{{Cite web|url=http://www2.tulane.edu/sse/pep/faculty-and-staff/faculty/ulrike-diebold.cfm|title=Tulane University – Department of Physics and Engineering Physics – Faculty|website=www2.tulane.edu|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}{{r|Profiles}}. Since 2022 she also serves as Vice President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.{{cite web |title=New Presiding Committee of the OeAW elected |url=https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news/new-presiding-committee-of-the-oeaw-elected |website=www.oeaw.ac.at |access-date=10 November 2023}}

Ulrike Diebold is well known for her influential work in the fields of surface science, materials and physical chemistry, and condensed matter physics. In particular, she has contributed greatly to the understanding of atomic-scale surface structure and electronic surface structure of metal oxides. For her work, she mainly employs Ultra-high vacuum technology and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.

In 2013, Diebold was the sole recipient of Austria's highest research award across all disciplines, the Wittgenstein Award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-funding/open-access-policy/open-access-testimonials/diebold-ulrike/|title=Diebold Ulrike|website=www.fwf.ac.at|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}} The award, which comes with substantial unrestricted research funds, is bestowed in support of the notion that scientists should be guaranteed the greatest possible freedom and flexibility in the performance of their research. It enabled Diebold's research activities to flourish without restriction. Other honors include:

• 2004 Fellow, American Physical Society, "For groundbreaking research on the role of defects in the interplay between bulk and surface properties of transition-metal oxides and on STM imaging of their surface structure.",{{Cite web|url=https://www.aps.org/units/dmp/fellowship/index.cfm?year=2004|title=Division of Materials Physics APS Fellowship|access-date=31 August 2020}}
• 2005 Fellow of the American Vacuum Society{{cite web |title=Fellow of the Society |url=https://avs.org/Awards-Recognition/Society-Honors/Fellow-of-the-Society/ |publisher=AVS |access-date=18 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601192922/https://avs.org/Awards-Recognition/Society-Honors/Fellow-of-the-Society/ |archive-date=1 June 2016}}
• 2007 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science{{Cite web|url=https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/aaas_ar_07.pdf|access-date=31 August 2020|title=AAAS Annual Report 2007}}
• 2011, 2019 Advanced Grants by the European Research Council, for work on "Microscopic Processes and Phenomena at Oxide Surfaces and Interfaces" (2011), and "Water at Oxide Surfaces: a Fundamental Approach" (2019).{{Cite web|url=https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/erc-funded-projects/results?search_api_views_fulltext=Diebold|publisher=European Research Council|access-date=31 August 2020|title=ERC Funded Projects}}
• 2013 Arthur W. Anderson Award of the American Chemical Society, for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Surface Chemistry.{{Cite web|url=https://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i34/ACS-2013-National-Award-Winners.html|title=ACS 2013 National Award Winners|access-date=31 August 2020}}
• 2013 Wittgenstein Award{{cite web | url=https://pf.fwf.ac.at/de/wissenschaft-konkret/project-finder?search%5Bwhat%5D=%22Ulrike+DIEBOLD%22 | title=FWF Project Finder - Auswahlmaske }}
• 2014 European Academy of Sciences {{Cite web|url=http://www.eurasc.org/members/members.asp?Cognome=d|title=European Academy of Sciences – List of Members|website=www.eurasc.org|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2014 Elected as a Full Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oeaw.ac.at/m/diebold-ulrike/|title=ÖAW Mitglieder Detail|website=www.oeaw.ac.at|language=de|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2015 Blaise Pascal medal in Materials Sciences by the European Academy of Sciences, for "Surfaces of Metal Oxides, Studied at the Atomic Scale".{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurasc.org/medals/pb_medals_15.asp|title=European Academy of Sciences – Blaise Pascal Medals 2015|website=www.eurasc.org|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2015 Debye Lecturer at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, entitled "Surface Science Studies of an Iron Oxide Model Catalyst" .{{Cite news|url=https://www.uu.nl/en/research/debye-institute-for-nanomaterials-science/archive/debye-lectures|title=Debye Lectures|date=13 January 2015|work=Utrecht University|access-date=18 March 2018|language=en}}
• 2015 21st Annual Schrödinger Lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, with the title "An Atomic-Scale View at Oxide Surfaces".{{Cite web|url=http://www.tcd.ie/Physics/news-events/events/schrodinger/index.php|title=Schrödinger Lecture Series – School of Physics – Trinity College Dublin|website=www.tcd.ie|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2015 R. Brdička memorial lecturer at the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Prague, entitled "Surface Science of Metal Oxides".{{Cite web|url=http://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/www/lecture.php?p=53|title=J. Heyrovsky Institut of Physical Chemistry|website=www.jh-inst.cas.cz|access-date=18 March 2018|year=1997}}
• 2015 Elected to the Leopoldina, the national academy of sciences in Germany,{{Cite web|url=https://www.leopoldina.org/en/de/press/news/neue-mitglieder-klasse-i-2016/|title=Neue Mitglieder Klasse I 2016|website=www.leopoldina.org|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.leopoldina.org/de/mitglieder/mitgliederverzeichnis/member/8107/|title=Mitgliederverzeichnis|website=www.leopoldina.org|language=de|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2019 Science award of the city of Vienna.{{Cite web|url=https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Preis_der_Stadt_Wien#Naturwissenschaften_und_Technische_Wissenschaften_.281981_-_dato.29|title=List of awardees|website=www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at|language=de|access-date=8 August 2020}}
• 2020 Gerhard Ertl Lecture Award{{Cite web|url=https://www.fhi.mpg.de/news-institute/ulrike-diebold-wins-2020-gerhard-ertl-lecture-award|title=Ulrike Diebold wins 2020 Gerhard Ertl Lecture Award|website=www.fhi.mpg.de|language=en|access-date=8 August 2020}}
• 2021 International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences{{Cite web|url=https://www.amacad.org/news/members-elected-2021-class-section|title=Members Elected in 2021, by Class & Section|website=www.amacad.org|language=en|access-date=11 November 2023}}
• 2022 Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Diebold has served in a number of editorial roles and on a number of advisory boards for scientific journals. These include:

• 2003–present Surface Science Reports advisory editorial board{{Cite book|url=https://www.journals.elsevier.com/surface-science-reports/editorial-board|title=Surface Science Reports Editorial Board}}
• 2006 – 2007 Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter Surface, Interface and Atomic-Scale Science editorial board
• 2006 – 2007 Chemical Physics, guest editor of special issue "Doping and Functionalization of Photoactive Semiconducting Metal Oxides" with C. Di Valentin and A. Selloni {{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.chemphys.2007.09.022 |title=Doping and functionalization of photoactive semiconducting metal oxides |journal=Chemical Physics |volume=339 |issue=1–3 |pages=vii–viii |year=2007 |last1=Di Valentin |first1=Cristiana |last2=Diebold |first2=Ulrike |last3=Selloni |first3=Annabella |bibcode=2007CP....339D...7D }}
• 2007 – 2010 Open Journal of Physical Chemistry, advisory editorial board {{Cite book |title=Successful women ceramic and glass scientists and engineers : 100 inspirational profiles|last=D.|first=Madsen, Lynnette|isbn=978-1118733608|location=Hoboken, New Jersey|oclc=929332211|date=February 2016}}
• 2009 - 2009 Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter "guest editor of special issue on Non-thermal Processes on Surfaces, dedicated to the memory of Theodore E Madey and perspectives on surface science" with Thomas M. Orlando {{Cite web|url=http://iopscience.iop.org/issue/0953-8984/22/8|title=Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Volume 22, Number 8, 3 March 2010 – IOPscience|website=iopscience.iop.org|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2016–present npj Quantum Materials, advisory editorial board member {{Cite web|url=https://www.nature.com/npjquantmats/about/editorial-board|title=Editorial Board {{!}} npj Quantum Materials|website=www.nature.com|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2017 – 2019 ACS Energy Letters, editorial advisory board {{Cite web|url=https://pubs.acs.org/page/aelccp/editors.html|title=Editorial Board|website=pubs.acs.org|language=en|access-date=18 March 2018}}
• 2019 – 2021 Physical Review Research, editorial board{{Cite web|url=https://journals.aps.org/prresearch/staff|title=Physical Review Research Staff Editorial Board|date=30 April 2019 |access-date=24 August 2020}}
• 2020 – 2021 Science, board of reviewing editors{{Cite web|url= https://www.sciencemag.org/about/editors-and-editorial-boards#|title=Science Editors and Advisory Boards|access-date=25 August 2020}}

Diebold holds dual citizenship of both Austria and the US. She is married to Gerhard Piringer{{Cite web|url=https://www.oiav.at/news/gerhard-piringer-physiker-und-umwelttechniker/|title=Gerhard Piringer- Physiker und Umwelttechniker|access-date=25 August 2020}} with whom she has two sons, Thomas (born 1996) and Niklas (born 1999).{{fact|date=December 2023}}

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Category:1961 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century Austrian physicists

Category:Austrian women physicists

Category:Austrian physical chemists

Category:Academic staff of TU Wien

Category:Surface science

Category:20th-century American physicists

Category:20th-century American women scientists

Category:21st-century American physicists

Category:21st-century American women scientists

Category:People from Kapfenberg

Category:Fellows of the American Physical Society