vitae

Born: August 13, 1964, Bad-Saarow, Brandenburg, Germany

Computational Geophysics, especially Mantle and Lithosphere Dynamics
Parallel and High-Performance Computing (HPC), especially clustered computing
Data-assimilation and fluid dynamic inverse techniques for global geodynamic Earth models
Work at the interface of computational, theoretical and observational Geodynamics

Highschool, 1984, Clausthals-Zellerfeld
B.S. Geology, 1987, Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen
B.S. Physics, 1988, Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen
Ph.D. Geophysics, Fall 1996, University of California, Berkeley
Thesis title: Global Mantle Convection Models
Thesis advisor: Mark Richards

Research Assistant, 1986-88, Structural Geology
Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen
Research Assistant, January 1989 - May 1989, Mining Geology
Council for Mineral Technology (MINTEK), Johannesburg, South Africa
Graduate Research Assistant, 1990-1996, Geophysics
Los Alamos National Laboratory and UC Berkeley
European Union post doctoral scholar, 1997-1998
Invited to the Institut de Physique du Globe, Paris
Visiting Professor, June - July 1999
Laboratoire des Sciences de la Terre, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon
Assistant Professor, 1998 - 2003
Department of Geosciences, Princeton University
Professor and Chair of Geophysics, since 2003
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich

Fulbright Scholar, 1989-1990
Student Fellow "Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes", (top 0.1% German students)
1985-1991
PhD Fellow "Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes", (top 0.1% German PhD students)
1991-1996
Fellow of the University of California, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics
since 1996
Bernard Friedman award in Applied Mathematics
Department of Mathematics, UC Berkeley, 1997
Computerworld Honors Program, Smithsonian Institution, 2001
LMU Research Professor for Geophysics (Bundesexzellenzinitiative)
Member of the LMU Center of Advanced Studies since 2010

Reviewer for NSF, DFG, ERC and other funding agencies (since 1993)
Member National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA) resource allocation committee (2000-2003)
External advisor of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) (since 2001)
Member of the scientifc advisory board of the Geoforschungszentrum (GFZ) (2004-2007)
Associate and Guest Editor for various journals (e.g., Tectonophysics, Gondwana Research)
Editorial Board Member – Proceedings of the Royal Society A (since 2018)
President EGU Geodynamics Division (2007-2009)
Coordinator of DFG Schwerpunktprogramm (SPP) 1375 'SAMPLE' on South Atlantic Margin Processes (2008-2016)
ESA appointed lecturer in Geophysics to European Astronauts (since 2010)
Board of Trustees, Universitaet der Bundeswehr Muenchen (2016-2024)
Head, Commission of Geodesy and Glaciology, Bavarian Academy of Sciences (BAdW)
charged with directing geophysical and geodetic research of the BAdW
Resource Allocation Board Member, Leibniz Rechenzentrum (LRZ) Munich
German National Supercomputing Center (Tier-1 Supercomputer)
Permanent Secretary (speaker for the president of the BAdW) of the LRZ Advisory Board

Scientific Advisor for American Museum of Natural History (New York)
Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth ‘Deep Earth’ scientific display, charged with
development of video and explanation material for Deep Earth Dynamics (2000-current)
TV and radio presentations (e.g., BR, Arte, ZDF, RTL)
Frequent presentations to general audiences (e.g., Ars Electronica Linz) and decision makers (e.g., federal and state ministers) on HPC simulations applied to deep Earth dynamics