Willibad Plessas is an Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of Graz, an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA), and a long-standing President of the Society of Friends of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. From 2003 to 2008, he also served as Chair of the University Council of the KUG. In all his roles, Willibald Plessas has earned numerous and exceptional merits to the advancement of young people in the university sector.
As a professor at the Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Plessas gained international recognition for his research into the structure of matter, particularly protons and neutrons. His work in the field of hadron physics brought the ‘Graz School’ to worldwide prominence. Equally influential was his work as a university lecturer and mentor, inspiring and supporting generations of students and young researchers in their scientific pursuits. His commitment to international scientific collaboration was also of great significance. He helped organize the Schladming University Weeks for Theoretical Physics, initiated the Oberwölz Symposia and, together with Heinrich Mitter, founded the journal *Few-Body Systems*, which developed into a prestigious international publication.
Particular mention should be made of his work at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. As President of the Society of Friends of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, he has, since 2012, supported numerous students with great dedication by allocating available funds for scholarships and project grants according to transparent criteria, and by securing significant additional funding. This financial support has thus served, not least, as a recognition of the students’ academic achievements.
The Institute of Physics and the Department of Theoretical Physics extend their warmest congratulations to Willibald Plessas on being awarded the Golden Medal of Honour