Ricarda Winkelmann

Prof. Dr. Ricarda Winkelmann serves as Director, Founding Director, and Managing Director at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology in Jena, Germany. She concurrently holds the position of Professor of Climate System Analysis at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and University of Potsdam.

Her research focuses on climate physics and Earth system science, with pioneering work on Greenland and Antarctic ice dynamics, past and future sea-level change, ecosystem resilience, and tipping dynamics. In her Department of Integrative Earth System Science, she develops novel approaches to investigate human-Earth system interactions, Earth system boundaries, critical thresholds, and intervention points for navigating Anthropocene crises.

Winkelmann leads the Tipping Point Modeling Intercomparison Project (TIPMIP) and has participated in scientific expeditions to Antarctica and the Andes, including the 'Expedition Anthropocene' by the German Young Academy.

• Young Scientist of the Year award by Academics and ZEIT Publishing Group
• E-Learning Award UP for innovative teaching
• Outstanding Early Career Scientists Award (EGU Cryospheric Division)
• Karl-Scheel-Prize by the German Physical Society

As an active member of the Earth Commission, she combines analytical and numerical modeling with field research while maintaining a strong commitment to science communication through diverse public outreach channels.