Friedrich Seifert

Friedrich Alfred Seifert(born 8 May 1941) is aGermanmineralogistand geophysicist. He is the founding director of Bayerisches Geoinstitut atUniversity of Bayreuth.Asilicate mineral,seifertite,is named after him.

Life and work

Seifert was born inDresden,Germany in 1941. He studied mineralogy at theUniversity of Kieland theUniversity of Zurichand received his PhD degree from theUniversity of Zurichin 1966 for his work on the rock metamorphosis at high temperatures and pressures. For his post-doctorate work, Seifert moved toUniversity of Bochumand defended ahabilitationthesis in 1970. In 1972, he became professor at the University of Bochum. He then stayed at theCarnegie Geophysical LaboratoryinWashington, DC,where he appliedMössbauer spectroscopyto study the kinetics of the formation of rocks and minerals. After returning to Germany in 1974, he assumed a professor position at the University of Kiel. Seifert changed to theUniversity of Bayreuthin 1986 and became the first director of the newly founded Bayerisches Geoinstitut at the university.

Awards and honors

Seifert is a member of several academic societies, includingAcademia Europaea(1990),German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina(1991),Göttingen Academy of Sciences(1992) andBavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities(2006). In 1987, he was awarded theGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize,worth 2.5 million euro.In 1994, he received anhonorary doctoratefrom the Faculty of Science and Technology atUppsala University,Sweden.In 2004, he received theAbraham Gottlob WernerMedal for achievements in the experimental and theoreticalpetrologyand spectroscopy of minerals and silicate melts.

In 2008, a high-pressurepolymorphofquartz(SiO₂),seifertite,was named after Seifert. This mineral and its name are officially recognized by theInternational Mineralogical Association.