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Elisabeth Fünfrocken - Chemical Engineer
Its all in the mix!
Elisabeth Fünfrocken is a chemical engineer who works at Saarland University in the Department of Inorganic Solid State Chemistry as well as in Facility Management. She is also a very successful basketball player, playing on various teams including the women’s national over-55 team. But that's just a very small peek into what Elisabeth has been doing since she joined Saarland University in 1996. After completing her traineeship to become a utility and waste management specialist at Saarbergwerke AG, Elisabeth completed her higher education entrance qualification at evening classes and continued on to complete her university studies in chemistry.
After writing her final-year thesis at the former Institut für Umweltkompatible Prozesstechnik (Institute for Environmentally-Friendly Process Engineering – upt), Elisabeth began her career at Saarland University in 1996, working for nearly ten years at upt on various research and development projects. After the institute closed, the chemistry wastewater treatment facility still needed expert supervision, and Elisabeth took on the role as a permanent employee in 2008. Since then, she has worked on many different projects in various areas and in different departments.
‘There is always something new happening. I never get bored.’
‘I like hands-on work, whether it's outside or in the lab. I enjoy working analytically, finding solutions and tinkering and adjusting things until a problem is solved. We’ve divided up the tasks in our team – my colleague does more of the writing and I do more of the practical tasks.’ Currently, Elisabeth Fünfrocken works in the field of inorganic chemistry at the Environmental Analysis Research Unit and in Facility Management. As a part of the water monitoring team, Elisabeth performs water analysis and supervises the measuring stations. She also performs analyses of drinking water and wastewater as well as risk assessments as part of the Facility Management Water Management Unit. ‘I am always excited when I get to do something new. I'm never afraid of exploring new things. I also have a lot of freedom in my work regarding what I do and when. I like to take responsibility for my own planning and organization.’
And why did Elisabeth Fünfrocken decide to work at Saarland University? She wanted to stay in Saarland because of her husband and, of course, because of her hobby – playing basketball. ‘The real reason is that I wanted to stay in Saarland, but I couldn’t find a position. Since I had written my final-year thesis at the institute and had worked there as a research assistant, when a project came up and there was funding, they were able to offer me a temporary position.’ That was not an opportunity she was going to turn down. ‘I really liked the role. I just happened into it and it was a good fit. And that is how it went with all the other projects since.’
Highlights and lowlights: ‘I’m ready for any obstacle’
Elisabeth Fünfrocken’s highlights have a sporty flair. For example, she’s participated in several departmental ‘ski seminars’ with her colleagues. Never heard of a ski seminar before? In Elisabeth's case it means a week in Schladming in Austria, where she and her colleagues spend their days skiing and their evenings attending lectures and seminars. Another one of Elisabeth’s highlights was the FIMBA (Federación Internacional de Maxibasquetbol) European Championships. Elisabeth was able to take time off to participate as a part of the German Women’s 55+ team.
For most of us, things don’t always go perfectly, and that's true of work as well. One challenge that Elisabeth Fünfrocken faced was the time when the wastewater neutralization system failed. The system’s pumps stopped working due to a power outage and the cellar where the system was located filled with water. In simple terms, the solution was to set up a small auxiliary pump — which Elisabeth installed herself — that would start up as soon as the system turns on and thus prevent the cellar from continuing to fill with water.
Because Elisabeth’s water monitoring work requires her to venture out of her office in Dudweiler, the workday can often bring unexpected events that require her to go the extra mile — like a broken power line on a container, the aftermath of a flood, or a stolen company car, just to name a few. And there hasn’t yet been a problem that she wasn’t able to help solve. ‘I’m ready for any obstacle,’ Elisabeth says with a smile.
‘I’ve been playing basketball since I was 18. I must have played in 400 or 500 games by now.’
Whether basketball, dragon boat, tennis, yoga or sailing, Elisabeth has always been passionate about sport and has found particular success in basketball. She currently plays in the DJK Saarlouis Roden club. When it comes to tournaments, nowadays she 'only' plays in the top games. Most recently she competed in the European Championships in Pesaro, Italy, where her team placed third. And her next goal? The 2025 World Championships in Switzerland.
Besides basketball, Elisabeth has also discovered a passion for sailing. She got her sailing licence in 2018 and joined Saarbrücken’s water sports club, the Akademischen Wassersport Club Saarbrücken, where she's even now chairperson! ‘I would love it if some of my university colleagues would join us for a taster sail session at Bostalsee Lake.’