Jury

Independent experts dedicate their knowledge and time in the selection process of the CLAAS Foundation's initiatives.

The jury panels of the CLAAS Foundation guarantee an objective, independent assessment of all submissions to the CLAAS Foundation in terms of Helmut Claas-Scholarship and AgTex Doctoral Thesis Prize. They work in an international field.

Jury | Helmut Claas-Scholarship

The jury of the Helmut Claas-Scholarship cinsists of various experts of the international agricultural sector. They evaluate all submissions for the first ever scholarship of the CLAAS Foundation. Submission languages are English and German.

German Jury

Prof. Dr. agr. habil. Sandra Rose

Study of agricultural sciences at Humboldt-Universität of Berlin
Research scientist at Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and bioeconomy at Potsdam (2002-2014)
PhD (2002, „Investigation of mechanical stress on the udder at different milking systems" und Habilitation (2013, "The development of the individual quarter milking and its effect on the process elements of animal, human, milking equipment and product quality") at HU of Berlin
2014 - 2024 Professor for agricultural machinery at University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg (process technology in animals and plants, Precision Farming, milking techniques)
Since 2024 Professor in the field of ‘Agricultural Process Engineering’ at the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rostock

Prof. Dr. agr. Patrick Ole Noack

1991 - 1997: studies of Agriculture at the Technical University of Munich
1997 - 2013: software developer, sales manager and project manager at geo-konzept
2013 PhD at the Chair of Agricultural Engineering at the Technical University of Munich on yield mapping with combine harvesters
since 2013 Professorship at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences and Dean of the Agricultural Engineering programme as well as head of Centre for Digital Agriculture

Dipl. Ing.-agr. Mechthilde Becker-Weigel

Studied Agricultural Sciences at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn, and ETH Zurich
Founded wda wirtschaftsdienst agrar – market analysis, communication, coaching, in 1998 in Cologne.
2009 - 2018: Editor-in-Chief of the online news portal agrarticker.de, DLG Verlag, Frankfurt am Main
2018 - 2025: Editor-in-Chief of Bauernblatt Schleswig-Holstein and LandApp SH, Rendsburg; Main topics are international agricultural markets, agricultural policy, trade
Since 2025: wda wirtschaftsdienst agrar
Member of the Women in Agribusiness WiA Network

English Jury

Dr. Kim Blackburn

Born 1977
Mechanical Engineering at the University of Reading
PhD-program at Cranfield University
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Current research in the areas of off-road dynamics also traction and agricultural technology

Alastair Tulloch MIAgrE

Born in 1950
Ordinary National Diploma in General Engineering
National Diploma in Agricultural Engineering
CLAAS UK Ltd. - After Sales Dept. - Regional Service; National Service Manager
CLAAS UK Ltd. - After Sales Manager and Co. Director; Deputy CEO
Chairman of the Agricultural Engineers Association Training Committee (2010 - 2015)
Member of EurAgEng & The Institution of Agricultural Engineers - Award of Merit 2018

David White

Senior lecturer Engineering Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire.
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institution of Agricultural Engineers and many more
Trustee of the Douglas Bomford Trust, mentor of Arkwright Scholarships Trust

Jury | AgTex Doctoral Thesis Prize

The jury of the Agricultural Technology Excellence Doctoral Thesis Prize consists of three renowned experts in agriculture and agricultural engineering. They evaluate all entries for the new doctoral thesis prize introduced in 2022. Submission language is English.

Prof. Dr. Ludger Frerichs

Born 1959
Studies on Mechanical Engineering at University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück and Technische Universität Braunschweig
PhD at University of Hohenheim: “Fundamentals of Electronic Tractor Plow Management”
CLAAS CSE, Harsewinkel, development engineer, diverse management functions, final position Head of Advance Engineering
STILL GmbH, Hamburg, KION Group, Director Product Development
Technical University Braunschweig, Director of the Institute and Professor for "Mobile Machines and Commercial Vehicles“
Editor of the Yearbook Agricultural Engineering
Member of VDI (Association of German Engineers), ATZheavyduty Scientific Advisory Board, …

Prof. Giovanni Molari

Born 1973
1998 Master degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bologna and license to practice as an Engineer
2003 PhD in Engineering of Materials at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Since 2016 full professor of Agricultural Machinery and Mechanization at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the University of Bologna
2018-2021 Head of Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the University of Bologna
Since November 2021 Rector of the University of Bologna (2021-2027)
Research topics: design and reliability testing of agricultural tractors, sprayers, homologation standards for agricultural machinery, soil mechanics, biomass use for energy production

Dr. Toby W. Waine BEng (Hons) EngD MIAgrE

Family Farming background, Hertfordshire, UK
Studied Agricultural Engineering at Cranfield University (1995)
Engineering Doctorate at Cranfield University, ‘Non-invasive soil property measurement for precision Farming’ (1999)
Research Scientist in Land Resources Monitoring with Remote Sensing, Cranfield University (2004-2018), supervised over 40 MSc, MPhil/MRes and 8 PhDs in Agrifood and Environment related topics
Since 2018, Reader and Head of Applied Remote Sensing Group at Cranfield University
Supervised over 60 MSc and PhDs in Agrifood and Environmental Sciences

CLAAS Foundation | Jury

Jury

German Jury

English Jury