How I got here

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 2017Associate Professor
Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Austria
October 2012 – March 2018Deputy Head of the Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Austria
November 2016Habilitation in Geography, Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt. Thesis title “Theoretische Geomorphologie. Eine Annäherung”
February 2013 – December 2016Assistant Professor
Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Austria
February 2011 – February 2013Postdoc-Assistant
Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Austria
November 2010 – February 2011Lecturer
University of Vienna, Department of Geography and Regional Research, Austria
Collaborator within the Maria-Curie-Research and Training Network “Mountain Risks”
October 2010PhD 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 2010Research Assistant
University of Vienna, Department of Geography and Regional Research, Austria
February 2004 – October 2006Research Assistant
University of Bonn, Department of Geography, Germany
April 2003 – February 2004Parental leave
October 2002 – June 2003Research Assistant
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Onderzoeksgroep Fysisce en Regionale Geografie, Belgium
May 2002Diploma 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 2002Study of Geography (with Meteorology and Soil Sciences), University of Bonn, Germany and Cork University College, Ireland
May 1994A-Levels, Schulzentrum Bürgermeister-Smidt, Bremerhaven
Appraisal as third best of the cohort

Scientific functions

Executive EditorGeoscience Communication
International EditorNorwegian Journal of Geography
RefereeEarth 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 memberSpeaker 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
JuryGeographie-Fonds der ÖGG

Grants and awards

2015WiWi award for excellence in publishing, Faculty of Management and Economics, Klagenfurt
2013Award for promising young scientists in the Sciences/Technical Sciences, State of Carinthia, Austria
2011Springer Theses Prize – Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D Research
2011Hans-Bobek-Award 2010 of the Austrian Association of Geographers (ÖGG)
October 2010Dissertation award 2010 of the German Working Group on Geomorphology
September 2004 – October 2006Dissertation grant, Individuelle Graduiertenförderung, North Rhine- Westphalia, Germany
October 1997 – August 1998ERASMUS-studentship, University College Cork, Ireland