Research Awards
With their research, the scholars at Leuphana University of Lüneburg make important contributions to facing the academic and social challenges of civil society in the 21st century. Through their exceptional contributions to the often highly specific contexts of the individual disciplines, the researchers recognized here have proven themselves as recognized members of their respective scientific communities.
With these awards, Leuphana University of Lüneburg highlights excellent research that is competitive in the German and international research landscape and is making important contributions to the reputation of the University. To account for the different research cultures in the various subjects and disciplines represented at Leuphana, three researchers are honored in the Research Prize category. The Research Prizes were presented at dies academicus 2014 for the sixth time. The award categories and winners are as follows:
Prof. Dr. Christian Welzel
The Faculty of Cultural Studies has presented the Leuphana Research Prize to Prof. Christian Welzel.
Professor Welzel is not only the most prolific researchers of the Faculty of Cultural Studies. He is also one of the few scholars of cultural studies whose publishing activity is so prominent in international journals that he is listed in citation databases that typically place the publication culture in the humanities and social sciences at a disadvantage. In this respect, he even ranked in the top-tier group throughout the University.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Jamme
Another member on the Faculty of Cultural Studies, Prof. Christoph Jamme, has also received the Leuphana Research Prize.
Professor Jamme is recognized in the scholarly community as a tightly networked researcher at the international level. He has contributed decisively to shaping and further developing the areas of his demonstrated expertise. These areas include modern philosophy with an emphasis on German Idealism, the philosophy of myth, cultural studies, phenomenology and hermeneutics.
Prof. Dr. Klaus Kümmerer
The Faculty of Sustainability has presented the Leuphana Research Prize to Prof. Klaus Kümmerer.
A leading figure in the research world. In his work, he impressively realizes the guiding principle of a sustainable, action-oriented and humanistic University and provides a clear demonstration that scientific excellence is compatible with a problem or solution orientation.
One of the University's most active researchers, Prof. Kümmerer is also one of the University's highly visible scholars internationally.
LEUPHANA MONOGRAPH PRIZE
Prof. Dr. Markus Mühling
Once again this year, the Monograph Prize is presented in recognition of a special work of scholarship drawn from the Leuphana University bibliography and published in the previous year (2013). This year's Monograph Prize of Leuphana University of Lüneburg goes to Prof. Markus Mühling for his work, Liebesgeschichte Gott. Systematische Theologie im Konzept.
Professor Mühling is the author of several monographs. As a Heisenberg Fellow he has focused particularly on the relationship between the natural sciences and theology, and on ideological and religious influences in social action.
LEUPHANA FUND-RAISING PRIZE
Prof. Dr. Kurt Czerwenka
Prof. Kurt Czerwenka has been recognized as the University's most successful fund-raiser for the second year in a row. In 2013, he and his team raised more than EUR 1 million in funding for the Leuphana Summer Academy - 15 times the national average in the discipline field of education.
Professor Czerwenka is a member of the Institute of Educational Sciences, and for many years he was head of the Institute for Research on School and Higher Education. As a valued source of inspiration, for decades he has participated in teacher education, both at the University and in the region.
LEUPHANA CITATION PRIZE
Prof. Dr. Jörn Fischer
The 2014 Leuphana Citation Prize has been presented to Prof. Jörn Fischer. Professor Fischer is a winner of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award presented by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Together with his externally funded working group, he has conducted research at Leuphana University of Lüneburg since 2010. He is a member of the He is a member of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry and of the Research Center Futures of Ecosystem Services.
Professor Fischer's research is highly interdisciplinary and enjoys international visibility. His works include landscape ecology, ecosystem and biodiversity research and the exploration of ecosystem services.
Dr. Anne Marit Wöhrmann
All three of her summa cum laude-rated cumulative doctoral dissertation, "Post-retirement career planning: An application of social cognitive career theory," were published in peer-reviewed, English-language journals, two of them in the leading international journal in the field, the Journal of Vocational Behavior. Along with these portions of her dissertation, Dr. Wöhrmann wrote four additional peer-reviewed articles and two book chapters – an outstanding publication record indeed.
Anne Hemkendreis
Her art and media science-oriented dissertation on the interiors of Norwegian painter Villem Hammershoi, which was unanimously rated as outstanding by all of the evaluators and reviewers, represents a substantial and innovative contribution to research in the field of visual studies. Although rather unusual and exceptionally challenging for work in art history, Ms. Hemkendreis already published two major publications during her doctoral studies, one of them an international title.
Dr. Basil Bornemann
Rated summa cum laude when submitted, Dr. Basil Bornemann's dissertation, the title of which translates as "Policy integration and sustainability. Integrative policy in the sustainability strategy of the German federal government," far exceeds the expectations that usually apply at this qualification stage. From the point of view of the evaluators, the innovative analytical approach in Dr. Bornemann's pioneering study and its empirical findings will certainly influence ongoing discussions in policy research, government studies and sustainability research. This is why the dissertation, published by Springer Verlag, is to be regarded as a landmark publication.