"The work demonstrates both her scientific precision and her scientific creativity. The dissertation has opened up a completely new field of science," said Anders Levermann, her PhD supervisor and Co-Chair of PIK's research domain Sustainable Solutions. In her dissertation, Leonie Wenz showed that over the past ten years, augmenting interconnectedness and the resulting growing economic interdependences of global supply relationships have led to an increased vulnerability of the economic system as these losses can be spread more easily across national borders. For this, the mathematician developed equations for the diffusion of production losses along the economic production network on the basis of psychological and economic literature.
The doctoral prize of the Leibniz Association is awarded annually for the best doctoral theses from Leibniz Institutes in the categories "Humanities and Social Sciences" and "Natural and Technical Sciences". It is endowed with 3,000 euros each. The eleven-person Leibniz Prize jury consisting of public figures and leading scientists, chaired by Leibniz President Matthias Kleiner, select the winners of the proposals made by the scientific sections of the Leibniz Association.
Weblink to the doctoral prize of the Leibniz Association: https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/medien/aktuelles/news-details/article/leibniz_promotionspreis_2017_100003268/
Publication of the dissertation: Wenz, L. & A. Levermann. Enhanced economic connectivity to foster heat stress-related losses. Science Advances 2 (2016). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv. 1501026.
Further Weblink: In May 2017 Leonie Wenz received the prize for the best dissertation at the PIK in 2016 from the Society of Friends & Promoters of PIK
