Curriculum Vitae

Qualifications and Career

Since 2012 – Full Professor of American Studies, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

2009-2012 – Researcher, DFG Excellence Cluster “Languages of Emotion”, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

2004 – Post-doctoral dissertation (Habilitation), University of Leipzig, Germany

2000-2009 – Various Positions, Scholarships, and Guest Professorships at German and US-American Universities (Universities of Hanover, Kiel, Arizona, California, Irvine, Freie Universität Berlin)

1993-1999 – Assistant Professor, Institute for American Studies, University of Leipzig, Germany

1987-1993 – Lecturer, Department of English Literature and American Studies, University of Leipzig, Germany

1987 – Dr. phil. in American Literature, University of Leipzig, Germany

1980-1984 – Studies in English and American Studies, German Literature, and Pedagogy, Karl-Marx-Universität Leipzig, Germany

Academic and Professional Organizations

Since 2021 – Reviewer for the German Research Foundation (DFG)

Since 2017 – Reviewer for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany

2017-2021 – Executive Director, German Association for American Studies

2009-2017 – Advisory Board Member, German Association for American Studies

2008-2012 – Executive Board Member (Treasurer), European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment (EASLCE)

2004 – Founding Member of the European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment (EASLCE); member since then

University Governance

Since 2023 – Member of the Extended Executive Board of WueLAB (Sustainability Lab), Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

Since 2020 – Deputy Director of the Graduate School of the Humanities, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany;

Since 2020 – Ombudsperson for Scientific Misconduct

2019-2021 – Head of English and American Studies, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

2013-2017 – Member of the Faculty Council, Faculty of Arts, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

2012-2014 – Head of the Institute of Modern Languages, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

Scholarly Publishing and Communication

Since 2012 – Advisory board member, Ecozon@: European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment

Since 2006 – Advisory board member, Spatial Practices Series: An Interdisciplinary Series in Cultural History, Geography and Literature

Initiatives and Outreach

2020 – Public Panel “Ton | Macht | Politik: Ein Gespräch über Sprache und Öffentlichkeit“, organised in cooperation with the catholic academy of the Diocese of Würzburg

External Funding

Since 2022 – Project of Literature, Culture and Sustainability as part of REKLINEU (Regional Pathways for Creating a Carbon-Neutral University), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

2018 – 8th Biennial Conference of the European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment (EASLCE) on the topic “The Garden: Ecological Paradigms of Space, History, and Community”, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

2016 – International Conference “The Biopolitics of America: Bodies, Environments, and the Liberal Imagination”, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)

2014 – International Conference “America After Nature: Democracy, Culture, Environment”, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)

2000-2002 – Habilitation scholarship of the German Research Foundation (DFG)

Supervision of Researchers in Early Career Phases

Since 2012 – (Co-)Supervision of 11 doctoral researchers

Since 2012 – (Co-)Supervision of 3 postdoctoral researchers

Since 1987 – Supervision of numerous master’s, bachelor’s and teaching degree theses