Rolf Tarrach Award 2026

Les Amis are delighted to invite you to the 15th edition of the Rolf Tarrach Award ceremony on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, at the Chambre de Commerce du Luxembourg (Kirchberg). The laureate of the award for the best doctoral thesis at the University of Luxembourg is Dr Thomas Lavigne.

The programme for the evening will be as follows:

Start: 18:00

• Welcome address by Dr Gérard Hoffmann, Chairman of Les Amis de l’Université du Luxembourg
• Retrospective by Mrs Alexandra Da Silva, Vice-President of the Luis y Antonio Portabella Foundation
• Presentation of the laureate by Prof. Dr Stéphane Bordas, Professor of Computational Mechanics
• Thesis presentation by Dr Thomas Lavigne, Doctoral Researcher in Biomechanics and Poromechanics
• Keynote address by Prof. Dr Rolf Tarrach, Rector Emeritus of the University of Luxembourg
• Closing remarks by Prof. Dr Jens Kreisel, Rector of the University of Luxembourg

Cocktail reception at 19:30

The evening will be moderated by Sherley De Deurwaerder, journalist and alumna. The University of Luxembourg Choir will provide the musical accompaniment. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management Luxembourg and the Luis y Antonio Portabella Foundation provide funding for the prize.

Keynote speaker and laureate information

Rolf Tarrach’s lecture: “Randomness against Biases” | In academia and research, biases are a major source of injustice and unreliability. The thoughtful use of randomness can help restore fairness and trust.

Thomas Lavigne’s thesis: “Biomechanical Response of Human Skin: A Hierarchical Porous Media Framework” | This thesis combines computational modelling and experimental methods to investigate how prolonged physical pressure restricts blood flow and can damage human skin. The work aims to help healthcare professionals better predict and prevent severe skin injuries, such as pressure ulcers, in vulnerable patients. This dissertation perfectly illustrates the interdisciplinarity that characterises both the work of Stéphane Bordas, one of the supervisors of this cotutelle thesis (Uni.lu and ENSAM), and the aspirations of the University of Luxembourg. This work was AFR FNR Funded (No. 17013182).

Please register now:

First Name & Last Name *

E-Mail Address *

Captcha

Please enter the characters shown in the CAPTCHA to verify that you are human.