Prof. Stefan Rohdewald is a Professor of East and South-Eastern European History at the University of Leipzig since 2020. Previously, he held positions at Justus Liebig University Giessen (2013-2020), University of Passau (2003-2012), and University of Zurich (1998-2001). His research focuses on transregional histories, religious memory, and intercultural communication in Eastern Europe and the Ottoman sphere. Key roles include coordinating DFG’s Transottomanica program and leading the GiZo partnership with University of Zagreb. Education: PhD (2004, University of Zurich), Habilitation (2012, University of Passau). Research interests span memorial discourses, Ottoman-Europe relations, and sport history. Major projects include studies on Serbo-Bulgarian religious figures and transottoman mobility dynamics. He chairs conferences on minority politics and Ottoman Europe, contributing to over 70 peer-reviewed publications. Award-winning publications include Götter der Nationen (2014) and Vlad der Pfähler (2017). His work bridges Eastern European, Ottoman, and transnational histories through innovative methodological frameworks.
Prof. Dr. Martin Johns serves as Chair of Application Security at the Institute for Application Security within the Carl Friedrich Gauss Faculty at Technical University Braunschweig. He joined TU Braunschweig after working as Research Expert at SAP Security Research, where he shaped security strategy and led software security teams. Prior to SAP, he worked as software engineer in Germany at companies like TC Trustcenter and Infoseek Germany. Academic qualifications include a PhD in Computer Science (University of Passau, 2009) and a Diploma in Computer Science (University of Hamburg, 2003). His research focuses on web security and software security , particularly secure programming , vulnerability detection , and attack mitigation strategies. Recent publications cover topics like GDPR compliance frameworks , WebAssembly security , federated learning privacy , and server-side request forgery (SSRF) defenses. His work appears in top conferences including IEEE S&P, CCS, WWW, and ACM CODASPY.
Prof. Anna Bonifazi holds a Professorship in Discourse Studies at the Department of Linguistics, University of Cologne. Her research spans Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics, Cognitive Linguistics, and Multimodal Communication with a focus on Ancient Greek Linguistics and Oral Epic traditions. She investigates phenomena like anaphoric cohesion in long texts, multimodal storytelling in film and oral traditions, and ancient Greek particles' discursive functions. Her work explores how multimodal elements (e.g., visual, musical, gestural) interact in communication, particularly analyzing films (e.g., mystery genres), ancient texts (e.g., Homeric epics), and South Slavic oral narratives. She examines cross-modal iconicity, viewpoint blending, and the cognitive underpinnings of discourse structures. Recent publications address topics like anaphoric strategies in crime stories and syntactic patterns in ancient Greek conversational frameworks. Prof. Bonifazi's research often bridges classical philology and modern cognitive theories, emphasizing embodied cognition and the interplay between language and other semiotic systems. She collaborates internationally on projects involving gesture analysis in storytelling and ancient papyrological studies. Her interdisciplinary work integrates linguistics with musicology, film studies, and cognitive science. Administratively, she oversees the Discourse Studies research group at Cologne and mentors assistants like Dr. Sandra Debreslioska and Madeleine Frings. Her lab focuses on multimodal discourse analysis using experimental and corpus-based methods.
Prof. Dr. Marc Nieper-Wißkirchen is a University Professor (W3) for Algebra and Number Theory at the Institute of Mathematics, University of Augsburg, since 2008. He has held visiting positions at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn and the University of Cambridge, and served as a Junior Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (2004–2008). Since October 2021, he has been Vice Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology (MNTF). Education: Diploma in Mathematics (2000) from the University of Cologne, preceded by preliminary diplomas in physics (1997) and mathematics (1997). His doctoral studies (2000–2002) under Prof. Daniel Huybrechts focused on characteristic classes and Rozansky-Witten invariants of hyperkähler manifolds. His research spans algebraic geometry, differential geometry, and mathematical physics, with a focus on hyperkähler manifolds, Hilbert schemes of points, irregular singular connections, and Stokes phenomena. He has contributed to the understanding of Rozansky-Witten invariants, Chern numbers, and topological aspects of differential equations. Recent publications include works on Betti structures of hypergeometric equations (2022) and Stokes matrices for confluent hypergeometric equations (2022), reflecting his ongoing exploration of differential equations' geometric underpinnings. Earlier works address Hochschild homology, equivariant cohomology, and operads in algebraic contexts. His computational contributions include software demonstrations for elliptic curve arithmetic, Collatz sequences, and Google Matrix simulations. Technical expertise includes programming languages (TeX, PHP, HTML) and systems (Unix/Linux, Zope/Plone).
Dr. Brigitta Mittmann is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of English and American Studies, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), holding the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship for Language and Cognition. Her work focuses on lexicography, phraseology, and comparative analysis of spoken English varieties.
Prof. Dr. Antje Wilton is a W2 Professor for English Linguistics with a Focus on Sociolinguistics at the Institute of English Philology (WE6) within the Department of Philosophy and Humanities at Freie Universität Berlin. She is a leading scholar in sociolinguistics, English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), and discourse analysis, with a focus on media, sports, and forensic linguistics. Education: Magistra Artium in English, German, and Sociology (1990-1997) PhD: English and Applied Linguistics, University of Erfurt (2006) Her research spans sociolinguistics , multimodal interaction , discourse analysis , and cross-cultural communication . Recent work examines language use in sports interviews, media discourse, and forensic settings. She has co-edited volumes on organizational language and European linguistic dynamics. Key article trends include analyzing interactional strategies in sports interviews, ELF usage in media, and discourse patterns in public security debates. She teaches courses on sociolinguistics, language and space, and global English.
Max Planck Institute for Security and PrivacyGermany
Tej Chajed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he conducts research in formal verification of systems software. His work focuses on building and proving the correctness of critical systems, particularly file systems and concurrent software. Dr. Chajed earned his PhD from MIT in the PDOS group, followed by a one-year postdoc at VMware Research before joining UW-Madison. His academic journey reflects a strong commitment to bridging theoretical formal methods with practical systems implementation. Chajed's research centers on formal verification techniques for systems software, with particular emphasis on concurrent and crash-safe systems . His work aims to eliminate bugs in critical software through mathematical proofs of correctness. Key contributions include DaisyNFS (a verified concurrent file system), the Perennial framework for reasoning about crash safety, and Goose for connecting proofs to Go code. His research spans the intersection of programming languages, operating systems, and formal methods, developing practical tools that bring verification to real-world systems. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory toward more practical and scalable verification techniques for increasingly complex systems. The research shows progression from foundational verification frameworks to applied work on specific systems like file systems, journaling, and distributed protocols. A notable trend is the focus on making verification more accessible and practical for systems developers, bridging the gap between theoretical formal methods and real-world software engineering. Dr. Chajed serves on numerous program committees including OSDI 2025 PC, PLDI 2024 PC, SySDW 2023 PC, ECOOP 2023 ERC, CPP 2023 PC, POPL 2023 PC, PLDI 2022 PC, POPL 2022 AEC, EuroDW 2021 PC, POPL 2021 AEC, PLDI 2020 AEC, POPL 2020 AEC, and SOSP 2019 AEC, reflecting his standing in the systems and programming languages research community. In teaching, Chajed has developed and instructed courses on systems verification, operating systems, and protocol verification. He previously helped create MIT's 6.826 (Principles of Computer Systems) during his PhD. His passion for technical communication was cultivated during his time as a Communication Fellow in the EECS Communication Lab at MIT, where he continues to offer guidance to students on writing and presentation skills. His research group at UW-Madison focuses on advancing the state of the art in systems verification, with current projects centered around practical verification frameworks for concurrent and crash-safe systems.
Surajit Chaudhuri is a Researcher at Microsoft , with a career spanning decades in database systems and data management . He has received the prestigious SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award (2011) for his contributions to query optimization , index tuning , and data lakes . Research Interests : His work focuses on database tuning , approximate query processing , fuzzy similarity joins , automated data transformations , and machine learning integration for scalable data systems. Recent Publications : In 2025, his research includes Auto-Test for unsupervised error detection in tables, Esc for budget-aware index tuning, and MMTU for multi-task table understanding benchmarks. Earlier works in 2024–2023 address spreadsheet formula recommendation , low-overhead index filtering , and time-series pattern recognition . Scientific Impact : He has co-authored influential papers in SIGMOD , VLDB , and IEEE Transactions , shaping practices in cloud databases , query optimization , and self-service BI . His collaborations span institutions like Microsoft, MIT, and ETH Zurich.
Bernhard Brehmer is a Professor of Slavic Linguistics at the University of Konstanz since 2020, holding a W3-professorship in Slavic Linguistics. He previously held academic positions at the Universities of Greifswald, Hamburg, and Tübingen, including a Juniorprofessur and W2-professorship. His research focuses on multilingualism, language attrition, heritage languages, and sociolinguistic aspects of Slavic languages. He earned his doctorate in Ostslavische Philologie from Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen in 2004 with a dissertation on politeness expressions in Russian. Brehmer has led numerous interdisciplinary research projects, including the DFG-funded 'Russian in Germany across Generations' (2021–2024) and the EU-funded 'Nachbarspracherwerb' initiative. His awards include the 2012 Junior Fellowship at FRIAS and the 2018 Sparkassen-Förderpreis for German-Polish collaboration. His scholarly contributions span monographs, edited volumes, and over 50 peer-reviewed articles. Key works include Politeness between Convention and Creativity (2009) and co-edited collections like Lost in Transmission (2020). He actively participates in academic governance, serving as director of Slavistik institutes and developing interdisciplinary programs like the Baltic Sea Region MA program. His research integrates corpus linguistics, sociolinguistics, and applied language policy, addressing contemporary issues such as minority language maintenance and digital language behavior.
Prof. Dr. Matthias Hoesch is a Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Trier since 2025. Previously, he held interim professorships at Trier University (2024) and served as Head of Project at the Cluster of Excellence 'Religion and Politics' at the University of Münster (2018-2022). His research focuses on Ethics of Migration , Political Philosophy , and Philosophy of History . Key Research Areas: Ethics of Migration Political Philosophy Normative Ethics Philosophy of History Digital Ethics Notable Academic Contributions: His recent publications examine refugee distribution ethics, integration obligations, and Kantian/Benthamite models. As convenor of the 2021-2024 Cooperation Group 'Normative Challenges of the European Asylum System' (ZiF), he advanced interdisciplinary migration policy analysis. He received the 2015 Society for Analytic Philosophy Prize for his essay on refugee admission quotas. Teaching: Offers courses on Introduction to Ethics , Philosophy of Digitalization , and Kant's Peace Treatise . His work bridges classical philosophical traditions with contemporary migration dilemmas, emphasizing secular reasoning and normative frameworks.
Prof. Dr. Notker Baumann serves as Professor in Ancient Church History, Patrology and Christian Archaeology at the Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Erfurt. He also holds significant administrative and representative roles at the university including: Professorial representative in the lay mentorship program, Appointment Officer of the Presidium, Deputy Ombudsperson for good scientific practice, and various committee memberships. Prof. Baumann's research focuses on Late Antiquity, particularly examining the Cappadocian Fathers with special emphasis on Gregory of Nazianzus and the theology of Augustine of Hippo. His research also encompasses mortality discourses, the Council of Nicaea, and the reconstruction of ancient rulers and their relationship with church and state. His recent publications demonstrate a broad range of interests within patristic theology and late antique history, including monographs on Gregory of Nazianzus' orations, articles on the transition from Julian to Jovian, theological implications of the Nicene Creed, and Augustinian concepts of humility and eschatology. He has also contributed to understanding church history in divided Germany and early Christian martyr interpretations. Prof. Baumann actively participates in several academic organizations including the German-speaking Church Historians' Working Group, International Association of Patristic Studies, and the Italian-German Working Group on Gregory of Nazianzus. He serves as editor for theological publications and contributes to various reference works.
Prof. Dr. Jörg Plassen is a Professor of East Asian Religions at the Chair of East Asian Religions, Faculty of East Asian Studies, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany. He is affiliated with the Centrum für Religionswissenschaftliche Studien and the CERES Research Department. His research focuses on Early Korean Hwaŏm and Samnon Buddhism, literary and pragmatic dimensions of Buddhist commentary literature, and religious transfer processes between Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in East Asia. His publications span over two decades, examining topics such as Huayan Buddhist philosophy, the influence of Taoist texts on Buddhist commentaries, and the role of meditation practices in Chan Buddhism. Key themes in his work include textual analysis, doctrinal interactions, and the cultural and intellectual history of East Asian religions. Affiliations: Chair of East Asian Religions, CERES Research Department. Research Interests: East Asian Buddhism, Huayan/Hwaŏm traditions, Buddhist-Taoist interactions, Korean religious history. Prof. Plassen has led projects such as 'Dynamiken von Textkorpora und Bildprogrammen' and 'Formen der buddho-konfuzianischen Interaktion im vormodernen Korea.' His work bridges textual criticism, historical contextualization, and comparative religious studies, contributing to broader understandings of East Asian religious thought.
Florian Haas is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at the Institute for English and American Studies , Friedrich Schiller University Jena , where he has taught since 2009 across BA, MA, and teacher training programs. His research focuses on recent morphosyntactic changes in English , contrastive linguistics , typology , and usage-based construction grammar , with a notable Habilitation thesis on the history of human impersonal pronouns in English. Education : PhD in Linguistics (2008, Free University of Berlin, summa cum laude), MA in European Master's Degree in Linguistics (2002), MA in English Studies (2002). His research interests span corpus-driven analysis of language change, cross-linguistic contrasts (particularly English-German), and cognitive approaches to grammar. His publications emphasize diachronic shifts in pronouns, genre-specific linguistic patterns, and constructionist analyses of syntax. He has supervised numerous student theses on topics like political framing, bilingualism, and sociolinguistic variation in English. Academic service includes roles as Erasmus coordinator, reviewer for journals like Journal of Pragmatics , and memberships in societies such as the Association for Linguistic Typology .
Professor Heidrun Dorgeloh is affiliated with Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), where she has served as an Außerplanmäßige Professorin for English Language and Linguistics since 2021. She is part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and contributes to the Department of English Language and Linguistics through research, teaching, and leadership roles. Education : Habilitation (2014), Ph.D. in English Linguistics (1994), studies at Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, London School of Economics, and Université de Paris II. Her research focuses on English syntax , discourse and genre theory , discourse processing , and argumentative discourse . She examines how syntactic structures interact with discourse functions across genres, including medical, scientific, and narrative contexts. Recent work explores genre bias in language models and argument annotation schemes. Her publications and grants reflect interdisciplinary approaches, including: Scientific awards : Beste Dissertation des Jahres 1995 (HHU Düsseldorf). Grants : eLearning and teaching grants for projects like 'Linguistics, Literature, and your Career' and 'Narrativity and evolution of English genres.' Dorgeloh has held leadership roles such as Head of the B.A. Students' Office and Vice President of the HHU Senate. Her career spans full-time lecturing, interim professorships, and visiting scholarship at Ohio State University.
Markus Kötter is a Professor at the University of Siegen within Faculty I , specializing in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) . His research focuses on vocabulary acquisition, inclusive education, formative assessment, and educational standards in early foreign language learning. Research Areas: Vocabulary integration, private speech analysis, formulaic language patterns, and inclusive pedagogical frameworks. Projects: Currently working on the Diagnose Englisch initiative with Klett publishers during his research semester in winter 2024/25. Publications span topics including: Vocabulary instruction in primary/secondary education Assessment methodologies and error analysis Technology-enhanced language learning (MOOs, CALL) Teacher education reforms (Praxissemester) Inclusive teaching practices and institutional challenges For courses, see his unisono.uni-siegen.de profile. Contact via koetter@anglistik.uni-siegen.de as he will be off-campus during the winter 2024/25 research semester.
