Lukas Stötzer

Lukas Stötzer is a Professor of Quantitative Methods at the Department of Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Faculty of Business and Society, University of Witten/Herdecke since 2022. He also serves as the program director for the Social Data Science (B.Sc.) program since 2023 and leads the PPE Institute for Social and Institutional Change (ISIC).

• Education:
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political & Administrative Science, University of Konstanz (2009)
  • Master of Science in Political Economy (with Distinction), University of Essex (2010)
  • Doctorate (Dr. rer. soc.) from University of Mannheim (2015), awarded the Lorenz-von-Stein-Preis for best dissertation.

His research focuses on political sociology, democracy, and election forecasting. Key projects include analyzing coalition politics, polarization in German democracy, and the interplay of social inequality, migration, and populism. He employs quantitative methods and data science to model election outcomes and public opinion formation.

Notable scientific recognition includes the Lorenz-von-Stein-Preis (2015). His work has been featured in media outlets, particularly around the 2025 German federal election, where he leads forecasting efforts via the project "Zweitstimme.org".

Previously, he held research and teaching roles at Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Zurich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and University of Mannheim. His career spans roles as Senior Researcher, Lecturer, and Postdoctoral Fellow.