Prof. Dr. Claus Mattheck ~ A brief biography:

Born in Dresden, Germany in 1947, Claus gained a PhD in Theoretical Physics in Dresden in 1973, qualified to lecture in Failure Analysis at Karlsruhe University in 1985, and now lectures on biomechanics as a professor. He is head of department of Biomechanics at the Institute for Materials Research II of the Karlsruhe Research Centre, licensed consultant on the mechanics and fracture behaviour of trees, on wood decomposing fungi and on fatigue fractures in engineering components.

During his career Claus has received many prestigious awards, including:

• Science Award of the Industrial Research Foundation for the computer simulation of biological growth in 1991
• Literature Award of the Karl Theodor Vogel Foundation for technical journalists in 1992
• Georg Winter Award of the European Society for Biomaterials in 1993
• Science Award of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences in 1998 (founded by the Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Foundation)
• Chadwick Award of the ISA for arboricultural research in 1998
• Henry Ford European Conservation Award (environment technology)
• Inge & Werner Grüter Award for science journalism in 1999
• English Arboricultural Association Annual Award 2002
• Honorary Membership of the Urban Tree Diagnosis Association Japan 2003
• German Environmental Award 2003