Holm Altenbach (1956) is since 2011 a Full Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany. Having obtained a Diploma Degree (1980) and a Doctoral Degree (1983) at the Leningrad Polytechnic he received the Facultas docendi in Engineering Mechanics in Magdeburg. In 1987 he obtained the Doctor of Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing.habil.) at the Leningrad Polytechnic. From 1987 up to 1995 he worked as a lecturer in the Institute of Material Science at the Magdeburg University. In 1996 he was appointed as a Full Professor in Engineering Mechanics at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg. His research activities were awarded by the Krupp fellowship (Ruhr-University Bochum), the Gold medal of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Politechnika Lubelska (Lublin, Poland) and Dr.h.c. at the NTU “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” (Ukraine), the Ovidius University Constanta (Romania) and the Vekua Institute of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (Georgia). He acts as Editor-in-chief of “Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik” (ZAMM, founded 1921) and Advisory Editor of “Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics”.Johannes Altenbach (1933) was Full Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Technology “Otto von Guericke” Magdeburg, Germany. Having obtained a Diploma Degree in Mathematics (1957) at University of Leipzig, a Doctoral Degree (1961) and in 1967 a Doctor of Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing.habil.) in Magdeburg. From 1957 up to 1968 he worked as an assistant and lecturer in the Institute of Mechanics, later in the Institute of Statics and Steel Structures at the Magdeburg University. In 1968 he was appointed as a Full Professor in Engineering Mechanics at the University in Magdeburg. His research activities were awarded by Dr.h.c. at the NTU “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” (Ukraine). He acts as Editor-in-chief of “Technische Mechanik”(founded 1980). He was retired in 1992. Wolfgang Kissing (1938) was a Professor of Engineering Mechanics/Strength of Materials at the University of Applied Sciences Wismar, Germany. Having obtained a Diploma Degree in Mechanical Engineering (1962), a Doctoral Degree (1967) and in 1982 a Doctor of Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing.habil.) at the University of Technology “Otto von Guericke” Magdeburg. From 1962 up to 1970 he worked as an assistant in the Institute of Statics and Steel Structures at the Magdeburg University. In 1970 he was appointed as an Associate Professor in Wismar, where he obtained a professorship in 1990. He was retired in 2004.
