Academic Career
Since about 15 years I study the interplay of society and enviroment in different ways. My origins within this subject are research on natural hazards and multirisks, till my focus shifted somewhat towards self-organising systems and the associated questions of prediction and system steering. It was in this context that I was increasingly confronted with questions of geoscience communication; since 2018, I am one of the executive editors of the Journal Geoscience Communication.
| Since January 2017 | Associate Professor Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Austria |
| October 2012 – March 2018 | Deputy Head of the Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Austria |
| November 2016 | Habilitation in Geography, Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt. Thesis title “Theoretische Geomorphologie. Eine Annäherung” |
| February 2013 – December 2016 | Assistant Professor Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Austria |
| February 2011 – February 2013 | Postdoc-Assistant Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Austria |
| November 2010 – February 2011 | Lecturer University of Vienna, Department of Geography and Regional Research, Austria Collaborator within the Maria-Curie-Research and Training Network “Mountain Risks” |
| October 2010 | PhD in Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.), University of Vienna, Austria (1.0, with distinction). Thesis title: “System theory in geomorphology. Challenges, epistemological consequences and practical implications” |
| November 2006 – October 2010 | Research Assistant University of Vienna, Department of Geography and Regional Research, Austria |
| February 2004 – October 2006 | Research Assistant University of Bonn, Department of Geography, Germany |
| April 2003 – February 2004 | Parental leave |
| October 2002 – June 2003 | Research Assistant Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Onderzoeksgroep Fysisce en Regionale Geografie, Belgium |
| May 2002 | Diploma Degree in Geography, University of Bonn, Germany (1.2, outstanding) Thesis title: “Analysis of rockglacier kinematics with digital photogrammetry, Turtmanntal, Valais, Switzerland” |
| October 1994 – May 2002 | Study of Geography (with Meteorology and Soil Sciences), University of Bonn, Germany and Cork University College, Ireland |
| May 1994 | A-Levels, Schulzentrum Bürgermeister-Smidt, Bremerhaven Appraisal as third best of the cohort |
Scientific functions
| Executive Editor | Geoscience Communication |
| International Editor | Norwegian Journal of Geography |
| Referee | Earth Surface Processes and Landforms; Geomorphology; Journal of Flood Risk Management; Journal of Maps; African Journal of Agricultural Research; International Journal of Geo-Information; NHESS; Science of the Total Environment; Geoscience Communication |
| Speaker & board member | Speaker of the Austrian Research Group for Geomorphology and Global Environmental Change; board member of geographieverband.at (Austrian Association for Scientific Geography); board member of VGDH |
| Jury | Geographie-Fonds der ÖGG |
Grants and awards
| 2015 | WiWi award for excellence in publishing, Faculty of Management and Economics, Klagenfurt |
| 2013 | Award for promising young scientists in the Sciences/Technical Sciences, State of Carinthia, Austria |
| 2011 | Springer Theses Prize – Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D Research |
| 2011 | Hans-Bobek-Award 2010 of the Austrian Association of Geographers (ÖGG) |
| October 2010 | Dissertation award 2010 of the German Working Group on Geomorphology |
| September 2004 – October 2006 | Dissertation grant, Individuelle Graduiertenförderung, North Rhine- Westphalia, Germany |
| October 1997 – August 1998 | ERASMUS-studentship, University College Cork, Ireland |