About Me

The Not-So-Traditional "Story"

On the 88^th day of the year 1981 anno domini, a woman gave birth to a child that was soon to be baptized in the name of the commander of the Army of God, though the child may have preferred to be called Ishmael.

Little did the youngling's parents know that their son was to undertake the original sin by taking a bite from the Tree of Knowledge rather than having unquestioning faith in a transcendental being, knowing that the presence of the being’s absence does not necessarily equate to its presence by way of its absence.

Everything that has happened since has happened, be that because of the intervention of some superior life form (a.k.a. destiny), because I chose so or because it is merely randomness that determines our existence, and made me what I am today, but may no longer be tomorrow or the day after; definitely not five years down the road.

I could tell you my life story, but whatever I would tell you would be merely re-creations of events and feelings of the past (if not constructions altogether), events and feelings re-created in a way to give them meaning ... from a future point in time (which, paradoxically, turns out to be the present moment), looking back at things that were ... supposedly. What would it be good for to tell you of my life? You out there. Some anonymous being cruising on the data-superhighway—a word as extinct in the present day as humankind will be in a not-so-distant future. Would you know me from reading my life story? Would you think to know me? I don't care. I don't feel the need to broadcast myself.

Aware of the paradox contained within the previous lines I am, living with it I can. Why? Because I contain multitudes. Is this now the end with a bang or a whimper? This, mon hypocrite lecteur, I leave you to decide ...

The Traditional Key Dates

Education

• 03/2012: Doctor philosophiae in English & American Studies, University of Graz, Austria
• 03/2007: Magister philosophiae in English & American Studies, University of Graz, Austria (started studying in fall 2003)

Jobs in Academia (*)

• 09/2024-02/2025: Visiting Assistant Professor for American Studies, University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 10/2023-08/2024: Adjunct Lecturer in American Studies and Media Studies, University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 05/2022-08/2024: Postdoc in the Project 'Delocating Mountains: Cinematic Landscapes and the Alpine Model,' funded by the Austrian Science Fund, University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 04/2021-03/2023: Adjunct Lecturer in Anglophone Literatures & Cultures, University of Oldenburg, Germany
• 04/2022-09/2022: Postdoc in the Project 'Fiction Meets Science II: Varieties of Science Narratives Across Genres & Media,' Sub-Project 5b: Science in TV Series: Media-Specific Forms and Functions of Representing Science in the "(New) Golden Age of Television,"' funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, University of Oldenburg, Germany
• 04/2021-04/2022: Postdoc in the Project 'Fiction Meets Science II: Varieties of Science Narratives Across Genres & Media,' Sub-Project: 'Pandemic Meets Fiction,' funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, University of Oldenburg, Germany
• 04/2020-04/2021: Postdoc in the Project 'Fiction Meets Science II: Varieties of Science Narratives Across Genres & Media,' Sub-Project 5b: Science in TV Series: Media-Specific Forms and Functions of Representing Science in the "(New) Golden Age of Television,"' funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, University of Oldenburg, Germany
• 10/2019-08/2020: Postdoc in the Project 'Interpreneurship: Styria Meets America,' funded by the Styrian Government, University of Graz, Austria
• 02/2016-01/2020: fixed-term Assistant Professor for American Studies, University of Graz, Austria
• 03/2019-08/2019: Postdoc in the European Research Area Project 'Gendering Age: Representations of Masculinities and Ageing in Contemporary European Literatures and Cinemas,' University of Graz, Austria
• 03/2015-08/2015: Adjunct Lecturer in American Literature, University of Graz, Austria
• 12/2014-03/2015: Visiting Lecturer in Anglophone Literatures and Cultures (Maternity Leave Cover), University of Siegen, Germany
• 05/2014-09/2014: Postdoc in the Research Project 'Transcultural Urban Spaces in North America', University of Graz, Austria
• 03/2014-07/2014: Adjunct Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland, Austria
• 03/2012-03/2014: Adjunct Lecturer in American Studies, University of Graz, Austria
• 10/2009-09/2011: Research and Teaching Associate in American Visual Culture, University of Graz, Austria

(*) for any potential future employers comparing this list with my official CV, this is a less detailed version that does not account for all the different contracts I've signed over the years at different universities (there've been 8 at my current employer alone)

(**) the image you can see on this page is taken from a virtual lecture, where I honestly did not aim to create that "halo"