New minds and successes: University of Greifswald celebrates personnel changes!

New minds and successes: University of Greifswald celebrates personnel changes!

At the University of Greifswald there is a lot of movement in human resources policy and interesting developments in the various departments. As of July 1, 2025, Dr. Rick Tazelaar took up his new position as a consultant in the Rectorate. Born in Rotterdam, he studied history and philosophy in Utrecht, Amsterdam and Jena and received his doctorate at the University of Munich with a thesis on the Nazi burden on the Bavarian ministerial administration after 1945. Tazelaar previously worked as a lecturer in contemporary history and international relations in Leiden and Utrecht and gained experience as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Greifswald itself.

Another important office was with Dr. Jenny Linek, who has headed the university's Central Equal Opportunities Officer since June 1, 2025, has been appointed. As a historian, she brings a lot of expertise with her, including from the Baltic Sea Escape Project and the InkE Project. The University of Greifswald has already proven itself in terms of equality policy: it has been reconfirmed in the program to promote equality and can apply for up to three start-up funding for the first appointment of women to permanent W2 or W3 professorships as part of the women professorship program. The proportion of female professors at the University of Greifswald is currently 17 percent, and nationwide it is 23 percent.

New professors and ambitious projects

In June and July, Greifswald gained several new professors. Prof. Dr. Josephine Thomas, who previously worked at the University of Kassel and led a junior research group, is now active in the field of machine learning at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Also Prof. Dr. Laura Schmitt has taken up her position in the area of ​​civil law and labor law at the Faculty of Law. Schmitt comes from the University of Hamburg.

The team at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is also led by Prof. Dr. Claudia Wrozyna and her permanent professorship in paleontology have been strengthened. Wrozyna has been a tenure-track professor at the University of Greifswald since 2021. The latest appointments also include Prof. Dr. Martin Siegel, who focuses on general economics, health economics and econometrics. With an impressive curriculum vitae and international collaborations, Siegel brings a lot of experience.

Research achievements and awards

The scientific community in Greifswald can look forward to further outstanding achievements. PD Dr. Denis Gümbel received a professorship at the University Medical Center Greifswald and PD Dr. rer. medic. Daria Antonenko has taken on a Heisenberg professorship in the field of neuromodulation of cognitive functions after completing her habilitation in experimental neurology in 2024. Alex Teumer has been appointed professor of genetic epidemiology at the University Medical Center.

Particularly noteworthy is the commitment of Paula Strittmatter, who was awarded the 2025 Poster Prize for her work at the 131st Congress of the German Society for Internal Medicine (DGIM). In addition, Dr. Anna-Henrikje Seidlein and Eva Kuhn were honored for their ethical contributions to medicine for the elderly, which represents further evidence of the high quality of research activities at the university.

Ruth Terodde, the equal opportunities officer, spoke positively about the development of equality policy. The University of Greifswald is also committed to increasing the number of women in leadership positions. Among other things, the university will receive funding of 1.1 million euros for the next three years in the CareerWegeMentoring MV joint project to specifically support young women on their path to becoming managers.

The University of Greifswald is not only active in knowledge transfer, but also shows that equality and diversity are becoming increasingly important in the academic landscape.