New heads and successes: University of Greifswald celebrates change of personnel!

New heads and successes: University of Greifswald celebrates change of personnel!

In the University of Greifswald there is a lot of movement in personnel policy and interesting developments in the various specialist areas. As of July 1, 2025, Dr. Rick Tazelaar started his new position as a speaker 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 work on the Nazi pollution of the Bavarian Ministerial Administration after 1945. Previously, Tazelaar worked as a lecturer in contemporary history and international relationships in Leiden and Utrecht and gained experience at the University of Greifswald as a postdoctoral student.

Another important office was with Dr. Jenny Linek, which has been headed by the university's central equality officer since June 1, 2025. As a historian, she brings a lot of expertise, including from the Baltic Sea Empty Project and the Inke project. The University of Greifswald has already proven itself in equality policy: it has been confirmed again in the program for promoting equality and can apply for up to three start-up financing for the initial ordering of women on permanent W2 or W3 professorships as part of the professor program. The proportion of professor at the University of Greifswald is currently 17 percent, 23 percent nationwide.

new professors and ambitious projects

Greifswald won several new professors in June and July. Prof. Dr. Josephine Thomas, who previously worked at the University of Kassel and headed a youth group, is now active in the Machine Learning area at the Mathematical and Science Faculty. Also Prof. Dr. Laura Schmitt has taken her position in the field of civil law and labor law at the Faculty of Law. Schmitt comes from the University of Hamburg.

The team of the mathematical and scientific faculty is also made by Prof. Dr. Claudia Wrzyna and her permanent professorship for paleontology. Wrzyna has been Tenure Track Professor at the University of Greifswald since 2021. The latest appointments is also Prof. Dr. Martin Siegel, who takes over the focus of general economics, health economics and economy. With an impressive curriculum vitae and international collaborations, Siegel brings a lot of experience.

research 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 in Greifswald and PD Dr. rer. Medic. Daria Antonenko took over a Heisenberg professorship in the area of ​​neuromodulation of cognitive functions after it was habilitated in 2024 in experimental neurology. Alex Teumer was appointed professorship for genetic epidemiology at university medicine.

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

Ruth Terodde, the equal opportunities officer, was positive about the development of equality policy. The University of Greifswald also has a matter of increasing the number of women in management positions. Among other things, the university will receive a funding of 1.1 million euros in the CARRIERIENGEMENTIORING MV.

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