Curriculum Vitae
Michael Sander
Titular Professor
Research Group Leader
Lecturer in Environmental Chemistry
ETH Zurich
Universitaetstrasse 16
CHN H 50.3
(building location | room location)
8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone: + 41 44 632 83 14
Fax: +41 44 632 11 22
E-mail:
Education and postdoctoral training
Postdoctoral Associate (2005 - 2007)
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
Advisor: Professors René P. Schwarzenbach and Kristopher McNeill
Ph.D., Chemical & Environmental Engineering (2002 - 2005)
Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Thesis: Irreversibility of Organic Compound Sorption to Natural Organic Matter Solids
Thesis Advisors: Professors Joseph J. Pignatello and Menachem Elimelech
M.S., Chemical & Environmental Engineering (2001 - 2002)
Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Diplom (M.S.), Geoecology (1997 - 2000)
Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
Thesis: Nonequilibrium Sorption of Pesticides in Two Tropical Soils as Assessed by Column Flow Experiments
Thesis Advisors: Professors Kai Uwe Totsche and Wulf Amelung
Vordiplom (B.S.) Geoecology (1995 - 1997)
Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
Professional experience
Senior Scientist (permanent position) (2017 - 2021)
Environmental Chemistry
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
Research Group Leader (permanent position) (2013 - 2016)
Environmental Chemistry
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
Oberassistent (Research Subgroup Leader) (2007 - 2013)
Environmental Chemistry
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
Honors & Awards
external page Best Environmental Technology Paper 2016, Environmental Science & Technology; for Walpen, N., M. Schroth, and M. Sander 2016. Environ Sci Technol., 2016, 50, 6423-6432; DOI: external page 10.1021/acs.est.6b01120 • Excellence in Review Award, Environmental Science & Technology (2013) • Eurosoil Conference, Best Poster Award by "Biology and Fertility of Soils" Journal for poster Electrochemical characterization of the redox properties of humic substances (2012) • external page Best Environmental Science & Technology Science paper of 2009; Second Runner Up for Aeschbacher, M., M. Sander, and R.P. Schwarzenbach, 2009. Environ Sci Technol . 44 (1), 87-93 (2010) • Travel Stipend, German Science Foundation (DFG) (2006) • Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award, American Chemical Society (ACS) (2005) • Graduate Student Poster Award. Honorable Mention. Gordon Research Conference, Environmental Sciences: Water. Plymouth, NH. (2004) • United States of America National Council of the International Water Association (IWA), Student Membership Scholarship (2003) • Graduate Student Assembly Travel Stipend, Yale University (2004) • Francois Fiessinger Scholar 2003, Environmental Research and Education Foundation (2003-2006) • Yale University Graduate Fellowship, Yale University (2001) • ‘external page Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst e.V.’, Scholarship for studies of Geoecology (1995-2000) • Oskar-Karl Forster Stipend, University of Bayreuth (1999)
Short Bio
Michael Sander received his B.S. and M.S. degrees (i.e., Vordiplom and Diplom) in Geoökologie (Environmental Sciences) from the University of Bayreuth (Bayreuth, Germany) in 1997 and 2000, respectively, and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (focus: Environmental Engineering) from Yale University (New Haven, USA) in 2005. Following postdoctoral research with Prof. René Schwarzenbach at ETH Zurich (Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics) from 2005 to 2007, he became research group leader (Oberassistent) in 2008. Michael Sander was promoted to the position of a research group leader (permanent position) in 2013 and senior scientist (permanent position) in 2017, both in the research group of Environmental Chemistry at ETH Zurich.
Michael Sander runs his own independent research subgroup which currently has three main research areas: Redox Biogeochemistry, Environmental (Bio)Macromolecular Chemistry, and Environmental Chemistry of Micropollutants
Curriculum Vitae
A short CV can be downloaded here. For an extensive CV, please contact me