Katharina Lobinger

Katharina Lobinger serves as Associate Professor for online communication at the Institute of Digital Technologies for Communication (ITDxC) within the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society at the University of Italian Switzerland (USI) in Lugano, Switzerland. Her academic appointment is based at Palazzo principale, Office 412 (Level P4), Via Buffi 13.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Journalism and Communication from the University of Vienna (2010), where her dissertation on Visual Communication Research received the Doctoral Dissertation Award “Media-Culture-Communication”. Prior academic positions comprised Doctoral Researcher at the University of Vienna (2007-2011), Post-doctoral Researcher at the University of Bremen's Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (2011-2016), and Associated Junior Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Delmenhorst (2014-2016).

Professor Lobinger's research critically examines the intersection of visual practices and digital technologies, with particular focus on networked photography's societal implications, evolving digital visual cultures, and ethical frameworks for contemporary communication. Her methodological expertise spans creative visual research approaches and open data applications in visual scholarship, reflecting her commitment to innovative interdisciplinary inquiry.

Her professional recognition includes the Doctoral Dissertation Award “Media-Culture-Communication”. She actively shapes her field through leadership roles including presidency of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research (SGKM), editorial board membership for Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS), and prior chairmanship of the visual communication division within the German Communication Association (DGPuK).

Research leadership defines her current trajectory, notably through Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)-funded projects including "From pixels to peace: the role of visual communication in conflict transformation" and prior initiatives such as "Visualisierte Beziehungen – Funktionen und Problemfelder" (Visualized relationships – functions and problems) and the dissemination project "Doppio sguardo: Riflessioni visive". Her service extends to editorial roles including editorship of the "Handbuch Visuelle Kommunikationsforschung" (Handbook of Visual Communication Research).

Professor Lobinger maintains active affiliations with major international associations including the International Communication Association (ICA) and European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), demonstrating sustained engagement with global scholarly communities.