On 3 December, the general assembly of Estonian Young Academy of Sciences (EYAS) was held and 13 new members were elected, four of whom were from TalTech: building scientist Martin Thalfeldt, electrical power engineer Toomas Vaimann, economist Tõnn Talpsepp, and mechanical engineer Vladimir Kuts.
There were a total of 32 candidates whose scientific achievements and motivation to participate in the activities of the Academy were assessed.
According to Maarja Grossberg, president of EYAS and Professor at TalTech, the election was somewhat difficult as there were so many good candidates. Before the secret ballot, a lively discussion lasting more than three hours was held, during which the scientific achievements of the candidates and the views expressed in their letters of motivation were reviewed. “We try to maintain a balance between different areas and institutions of various sizes to ensure that EYAS represents the widest possible range of interests of young scientists,” Grossberg noted.
Vladimir Kuts is a researcher at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, whose primary field of research is automation, robotics and control engineering. He defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Novel Digital Twin Development Methodology for the Robot Cell Connectivity in a Smart Industry Environment” at the Tallinn University of Technology in 2019.
Tõnn Talpsepp is a senior researcher at the Department of Economics and Finance, whose primary field of research is behavioural finance, market efficiency, and volatility. He is also an esteemed investing expert in Estonia. He defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Investor behaviour and volatility asymmetry” at the Tallinn University of Technology in 2010. He is currently completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Aalto University.
Martin Thalfeldt is a tenured assistant professor at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, whose primary field of research is indoor climate and energy efficiency of buildings. He is also the Programme Director of the Indoor Climate and Water Engineering curriculum. Additionally, he is a prominent expert on nearly zero-energy buildings in Estonia. He defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Total Economy of Energy-Efficient Office Building Facades in a Cold Climate” at the Tallinn University of Technology in 2016.
Toomas Vaimann is a senior researcher at the Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics, whose primary field of research is electrical machines and signal processing. He is also the Programme Director of the Energy Conversion and Control Systems curriculum. He defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Diagnostics of Induction Machine Rotor Faults Using Analysis of Stator Signals” at the Tallinn University of Technology in 2014.
The Estonian Young Academy of Sciences (EYAS) is an independent non-profit association established in 2017 representing the voices and interests of young scientists in Estonia. EYAS also seeks to contribute towards the development of research and betterment of society, while also clarifying and enhancing the role of research in society.