Sebastian Scholz

Dr. Sebastian Scholz is an Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. He previously held positions at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and conducted research at institutions such as Darmstadt University of Technology and Ruhr University Bochum. His research focuses on sensor-media environments, technocultures of tracking, and the epistemological dimensions of visibility in media. He is a member of key organizations including the German Media Studies Society (GfM) and CLUE+, an interfaculty research institute.

Education: PhD (Summa Cum Laude) in Media Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt (2017), MA in Media Studies (Ruhr University Bochum), and BA in Film & Television Studies (Ruhr University Bochum). His doctoral work explored media epistemologies of 'making visible' through case studies of microphotography and contemporary imaging.

Research interests include the intersection of media, science, and technology studies; aesthetics of self-tracking; and algorithmic governmentality. Recent work examines sleep-tracking devices as 'care structures' and sensor-media ecologies in algorithmic cultures. He has presented at major conferences like NECS and ECREA, and co-organized events such as the XVII International Film Studies Spring School.

Awards include DFG and German Academic Foundation fellowships. He teaches courses on media historiography, media aesthetics, and mediatised environments at both BA and MA levels, coordinating programs in Media, Art, Design, and Architecture (MKDA).

Grants include funding for open-access publication of his monograph Epistemische Bilder. His work bridges media theory with critical analyses of contemporary techno-cultural phenomena, emphasizing media's role in shaping knowledge and governance.