What do you like most about your job?

Many things! I love the inspiring and dynamic academic environment, the freedom to choose what to research and to teach, and the stimulating discussions with amazing colleagues and students. The opportunity to contribute something meaningful to society through teaching and research is also incredibly motivating. But most importantly, I have the best colleagues!

Which project from the past year are you most proud of?

Over the past few years I have become increasingly interested in sustainable diets. In this year’s MSc course ‘Sustainable & Ethical Marketing’ I collaborated with ProVeg, an organisation that aims to transform the global food system. My students worked on consultancy-type projects, advising ProVeg on how to best market their new Veggie Challenge Teams App to (large) organisations. To personally experience the App and the struggles of adopting a plant-based diet, my students, some colleagues and I participated in a competitive 30-day plant-based challenge together. Not only did we adapt our diets, but students also did an excellent consulting job: they came up with creative and theoretically-based recommendations. ProVeg is currently discussing how to implement some of them! Over the past year I have also been collaborating on several research projects related to plant-based diets with our PhD students and scholars from within and outside our faculty. If you're interested, you can learn more about the projects here.

What might your colleagues not know about you?

I don’t ski. I was born in Austria, and many people assume that everyone in Austria knows how to ski. But I actually grew up in one of the flattest regions of Austria, close to the border to Slovakia.