Christian Teichert studied physics in Germany and, after completing his doctorate in 1992, worked as a postdoc at Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Wisconsin Madison, USA, and at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle/Saale. From 1998 to 2025, he taught at the Institute of Physics at the Montanuniversität. His research was in the field of materials physics and surface science with a focus on semiconductor nanostructures and atomic force microscopy, often in the context of international project partners as well as international diploma and doctoral students of TUL. In 2023–2024, he was President of the Austrian Physical Society, where he particularly promoted the activities of the Energy and Sustainability Committee. He feels cosmopolitan and likes to hike and to experience other cultures and ways of life up close.

Frank Melcher has been head of the Chair of Geology and Mineral Deposit Theory at the University of Leoben since 2013. After studying geology in Mainz and earning a master's degree in petrology and mineralogy in Innsbruck, he received his doctorate in 1993 from the University of Leoben on gold and manganese deposits in Ghana. After a postdoctoral year at the Minnesota Geological Survey and a position as an assistant professor in Leoben, he habilitated in petrography and mineralogy in 2000. From 2000 to 2013, Melcher worked at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources in Hanover with research on the supply of critical raw materials to the EU and the development of fingerprinting methods for conflict minerals from Central Africa. Additional research focuses on domestic mineral raw materials, microanalytical methods, and proof of origin methods. Melcher was President of the Austrian Mineralogical Society from 2017 to 2020. From 2021 to 2025, he was a member of the Austrian Advisory Council for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste. He is also the author of more than 350 publications, including over 120 in peer-reviewed journals.

Mitch Walking Elk, born in 1950, is a Native American singer-songwriter. He endured the inhumane treatment of Native American children who were separated from their families. He works as an educator, social worker, and teacher. As a ceremonial master, he passes on his tribe’s ancient, enduring traditions to new generations.