Portraits of theUM

Tomasz Hueckel, professor emeritus at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, United States), joins the growing community of honorary doctorate recipients at the University of Montpellier. An engineer, researcher, and educator, he has been collaborating with teams at the University of Montpellier for more than 15 years, particularly those at the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC). The ceremony on May 16, 2025, provided an opportunity to trace his journey step by step, from his native Poland to the United States, as well as to highlight his significant contributions to the field of civil and environmental engineering.

Noémie Coulon, a postdoctoral researcher at the Marbec laboratory, is one of nine young researchers selected by the Institut de l’océan to cover the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice in early June. This task is a perfect fit for this specialist in the impact of climate change on rays and sharks in Europe.

Through the Amarok Observatory, Professor Olivier Torrès has dedicated his research to improving the health of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) executives. His career was recognized twice: with the Julien Marchesnay Prize in 2024 and with his appointment as a Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2025.

Mircea Sofonea is an epidemiologist at the Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections (PCCEI) laboratory. While his field has only become widely known since the COVID-19 pandemic, for him it has been a calling for a very long time. A portrait of a researcher who knows how to stay the course.

As holder of the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry at Heidelberg University and director of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Lutz Gade has, over the years, developed world-renowned expertise in his field. In addition to his academic achievements, it was also in recognition of his commitment to fostering cooperation between the University of Heidelberg and the University of Montpellier that he was awarded an honorary doctorate from theUM in February 2025.

After studying the impact of human activities on marine biodiversity, David Mouillot is now examining the potential role of coastal marine resources in reducing human poverty. A professor at the University of Montpellier and a researcher at the Marbec laboratory, he has just been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant to conduct transdisciplinary research on this new topic.