Franziska Lessky

Dr. Franziska Lessky serves as Assistant Professor at the University of Innsbruck's Institute for Psychosocial Intervention and Communication Research within the Department of Pedagogical Professionalization and Consulting as well as Education and Further Education. She also holds a Senior Fellow position in the Higher Education Research Group at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) since 2023. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Social and Economic Sciences from WU Vienna (2015-2021, passed with distinction), an MSc in Socioeconomics from WU Vienna (2012-2015, passed with distinction), and a BA in Development Studies from the University of Vienna (2008-2012).

Dr. Lessky's research focuses on educational equity, particularly examining First-in-Family students' experiences navigating higher education systems. Her work investigates how familial dynamics influence educational pathways, how students balance work and study commitments, and how social and gender inequalities manifest across fields of study. Her methodological approach integrates both qualitative and quantitative techniques to provide nuanced insights into student experiences and institutional practices, with particular attention to how term-time employment affects academic success and graduate outcomes.

Her recent publications analyze the roots and routes of First-in-Family students into higher education, gender and social selectivity across academic disciplines, and student civic engagement from an equity perspective. Her 2023 monograph 'Studium als Balanceakt' examines the life management strategies of working First-in-Family students, while her 2024 co-edited volume analyzes the academic profession in Austria.

• Stephan-Koren-Prize for excellent dissertations (2022)
• ACSES Visiting Scholarship of Curtin University (2024)
• Award for Outstanding Research Achievements from WU Vienna (2020)
• Dr. Maria-Schaumayer-Award for Master's Thesis (2016)

Dr. Lessky actively contributes to the academic community as co-convenor of the Bourdieu Study Group of the British Sociological Association and the German Society for Higher Education Research. She serves on the Early Career Researcher Board of Higher Education Quarterly and as a reviewer for multiple journals including International Journal of Comparative Sociology and European Journal of Higher Education. Her international collaborations span institutions in Australia, France, and Germany, with recent research visits to Sciences Po Paris and multiple Australian universities as part of the MpowerFiF project investigating First-in-Family students' transition into graduate employment.