Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz, President of Hochschule Geisenheim University, has been granted the title “Honorary Research Lecturer” by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV). Since 1973, the ASEV has honored individuals with an outstanding national or international reputation who are actively involved in scientific research. So far, 39 scientists from different fields of research in viticulture and enology have been granted the distinction. After the Braunschweig chemist Prof. Peter Winterhalter, Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz is the second German recipient. The title was conferred at the 72nd ASEV National Conference on Thursday, June 24, 2021 where he also delivered his honorary research lecture entitled „From Canopy Systems to Water Relations to Climate Change – An Unsteady Path in an Ever Changing Environment“.
“This distinction has an international appeal. I am surprised and very proud to be selected as Honorary Research Lecturer this year and I would like to thank the ASEV very much”, says Prof. Dr. Schultz. “The title emphasizes that international cooperation and a close exchange in research are essential – especially in viticulture, enology and agricultural disciplines. In the light of climate change, environmental protection and sustainability, these aspects will become even more important in the future – a fact that has been reflected in teaching and research at Hochschule Geisenheim University for many years.”
In addition to Geisenheim, Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz has also conducted research in the United States, France and Australia and has published 245 papers. He has been working on many different topics with a focus on climate change and its effects on viticulture for more than 20 years. In the speech to honor Prof. Dr. Schultz, the ASEV put a special emphasis on his achievements to initiate and build the FACE research infrastructure, which enables Geisenheim scientists to simulate carbon dioxide levels our planet might face in 2050 in order to assess the effects of rising CO2 levels on grapes.
Because of his research and his commitment to viticulture, Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz is an internationally recognized expert. He chairs the expert group "Sustainability and Climate Change" of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) and received the OIV honorary award in 2019 in recognition of his outstanding achievements. For more than 12 years he was part of the scientific council of the Institute de Science de la Vigne et du Vin at Bordeaux University and the French excellence initiative LabEX Cote (continental to coastal ecosystems). He is an active member of the advisory board of the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, the Vine and Wine Innovation Platform of Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal, the National Wine Technology Platform in Madrid, Spain, and the Laimburg Research Institute in northern Italy.
About the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV)
The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) was founded in 1950 by a group of researchers and winemakers and is dedicated to the interests of enologists, winemakers and other professionals in wine and grape research and production. The ASEV National Conference provides a platform for exchanging latest scientific information relevant to winemaking and grape cultivation.
