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Professional Career

since 01/2007 Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Faculty member at the Department of Chemistry, Pharmacy, and Geosciences. Habilitation & venia legendi for Geochemistry.
since 04/2005 Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
Research group leader in the Biogeochemistry Department (M. O. Andreae). Research & teaching: chemistry, physics, and biology of aerosols and their effects on climate and human health; atmosphere-biosphere-climate inter­actions (aircraft and ground-based field measurements, laboratory experiments, mathematical models).
01/1999 - 03/2005 Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Research group leader at the Institute of Hydrochemistry (R. Niessner) and head of an independent junior research group (AFO2000, CARBAERO). Habilitation & venia legendi for Chemistry. Research & teaching: analytical & physical chemistry, environmental science & technology (synthesis, transformation, and measurement of aerosols and nanoparticles in laboratory experiments, ambient air, and combustion exhaust).
10/1997 - 12/1998 Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
Research scientist in the group of P. J. Crutzen, Atmospheric Chemistry Department. Research areas: Chemical reaction mechanisms and numerical simulations (photochemistry of ozone and organic trace gases; polar stratospheric clouds and denitrification).
03/1996 - 09/1997 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. Postdoctoral fellow in the group of M. J. Molina, Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory & Center for Global Change Science (Departments of Chemistry and of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences). Research area: Chemical kinetics and mass spectrometry (formation and condensation of sulfuric acid).
09/1993 - 02/1996 Technical University of Graz, Austria. Research assistant in the group of K. Hassler, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry. Research area: organometallic chemistry and molecular spectroscopy (synthesis and structure elucidation of silicon compounds).


Miscellaneous Professional Activities

Lecturer & student advisor at the Technical Universities of Munich and Vienna (1999-2005), Inter­na­tional Max Planck Research School (since 2005), and University of Mainz (since 2007). Quality assurance manager, Institute of Hydrochemistry, Technical University of Munich (2000-2005). Department speaker, Biogeochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (since 2005). Referee for international scientific journals and funding organizations (since 1996). Coordinator for international scientific projects and conferences (since 2000). Initiator and chief executive editor of the international scientific journal “Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics” (ACP), www.atmos-chem-phys.org (since 2001). Atmospheric sciences division president (since 2003-2007), and publications committee chairman (since 2006) of the European Geosciences Union (EGU, www.egu.eu).


Membership in Scientific Societies

American Geophysical Union (AGU), Association for Aerosol Research (GAeF), European Geosciences Union (EGU), German Chemical Society (GDCh)


Education

1993 - 1995 Doctoral Studies in Technical Chemistry, Technical University of Graz, Austria. Doctoral thesis at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (K. Hassler) on the subject “Synthesis, spectroscopy, and structure of selectively functionalized cyclosilanes“; doctoral exams (07.11.1995) and graduation with distinction as "Doctor technicae“ (Ph.D. equivalent).
1991 - 1993 Diploma Studies in French, Karl-Franzens-University of Graz, Austria. Institute of Romance Languages.
1988 - 1993 Diploma Studies in Technical Chemistry, Technical University of Graz, Austria. Diploma thesis at the Institute of Inorganic Chemical Technology (G. Herzog) on the subject “Thermoelectricity of oxidic semiconductor ceramics“; diploma exams (04.06.1993) and graduation with distinction as "Diplom-Ingenieur" (M.S. equivalent).
1980 - 1988 Secondary School, Klagenfurt, Austria. Foreign language focus (English, French, Latin), final exams (23.06.1988) and graduation with distinction.
1976 - 1980 Elementary School, Klagenfurt, Austria.


Awards and Scholarships

1991-1994 Student and research scholarships of the Technical University of Graz, the Pro Scientia Foundation, and the Austrian Science Foundation
1996 Scholarships of the Industrial Union of Carinthia and the Josef Krainer Foundation
1996 Research Award of the Austrian Federal Minister of Arts and Science
1996 Schrödinger Scholarship of the Austrian Science Foundation
1996 Graduation “Sub Auspiciis Praesidentis” by the Austrian Federal President (highest award in the Austrian educational system)
2000 Young Scientist Award of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
2005 Union Service Award of the European Geosciences Union


Language Skills

German (native), English (fluent), French (conversation level).