Two new members join the WSL Directorate

Dr. Nadine Salzmann will represent the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) on the WSL Directorate following the retirement of Prof. Dr Jürg Schweizer. 

In her research, the geographer examines how climate change affects processes in high mountain regions, particularly snow and ice. She also investigates its impact on the environment and society, and develops measures to mitigate climate risks in mountain regions. For over 20 years, she has been working on climate adaptation projects in the Alps and various mountain ranges around the world (the Andes, the Himalayas).

After completing her PhD at the University of Zurich and a postdoctoral fellowship in the USA, Nadine Salzmann taught and conducted research at the University of Fribourg. She was one of the first to integrate climate models with impact models in complex high-mountain landscapes. She also launched several long-term observation programmes on ice and snow in extremely remote high-mountain regions, including the use of cosmic ray sensors (CRS).

In 2021, Salzmann took over as head of the newly established ‘Alpine Environment and Natural Hazards’ research unit at the SLF, which is affiliated with the CERC (Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions) research centre. She has been head of the CERC since January 2026.

“The WSL’s core research foci are highly topical and, at the same time, pose an immense challenge for society,” she says. “As a member of the Directorate, I will work to ensure that the WSL’s topics and its role within the Swiss higher education landscape are further strengthened.”

Prof. Dr. Arthur Gessler will take over responsibility for the forest thematic focus within the WSL’s directorate following the retirement of Dr. Thomas Wohlgemuth.

Arthur Gessler’s work aims to explain the processes that govern forest growth, nutrient cycles and interactions between organisms, both at the molecular level and within tree stands. This knowledge is crucial for understanding the current changes in ecosystems and landscapes, for example in the context of climate change or shifting land use.

Gessler studied biology in Konstanz and Freiburg im Breisgau, where he completed his PhD on nitrogen supply in beech trees. Following research visits to Australia, France and Germany, he headed the Long-term Forest Ecosystem Research (LWF) programme at the WSL from 2014 onwards. He now leads the newly established Research Unit for Forest and Soil Ecology as well as the Swiss Forest Lab research network. Gessler is a titular professor at ETH Zurich and has co-authored around 370 scientific articles. Since 2023, he has been listed among the most cited scientists in the field of ‘Plant and Animal Science’ on the ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ list published by Clarivate Analytics.

Gessler is not only passionate about research, but also about engaging with the public and students, as well as putting scientific findings into practice. “Through my work on the Directorate, I want to help ensure that the WSL can continue to fulfil and expand its vital role in facilitating the transfer of knowledge between innovative research and practice,” he says.

The WSL Directorate would like to express its sincere thanks to the two resigning board members, Thomas Wohlgemuth and Jürg Schweizer, for their dedication to the WSL and the SLF.

• Press release of the ETH Board