I have been a professor of moral theology at the University of Augsburg since 2015, and completed my doctorate and post-doctorate studies in Regensburg, where I also studied Catholic religious studies and German language and literature for teaching at grammar schools. At the moment, I am most concerned with my membership in the German Ethics Council. I have been active here since 2020 and in times of Covid-19 there is a lot of work to be done. This involves, for example, the justification of Corona measures or questions of fair vaccine distribution. In addition to the ubiquitous Corona, other current ethical topics such as (medical) assisted suicide or artificial intelligence are also on the agenda.

My learning, research and work in interdisciplinary and collegial exchange at the university.

As an academic at the University of Augsburg, I am working on a third-party funded project (together with Prof. Dr. Werner Schneider) on the topic of self-determined living in nursing homes. Here I work closely with the team at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Health Research and with many colleagues. At the User Centre for Materials and Environmental Research, and especially the student laboratory of the University of Augsburg and its team, new types of projects for sustainable education can be developed.  

In the digital setting, my main challenge in teaching is to maintain contact with the students - and to do so in as many different ways as possible. I want to introduce students to explosive ethical issues and enable them to make decisions. In my work as the content director of the interdisciplinary Master’s programme in environmental ethics, I am happy when graduates find their way to interfaces such as NGOs, or the theology graduates find their way into pastoral professions and into school and then report back from practice.

The best thing about my job

The best thing about my job is the versatility (including university committee work). As an ethicist, you are an all-rounder, and you always have to familiarise yourself with new topics. You have your ethical basis, but the subject matter changes: from medical research to the topic of climate resilience. As a theological ethicist, my foundation is theology (Bible, tradition, newer theological approaches). It is very important to me to have contacts with congregations and local players in churches and environmental organisations.

I am particularly looking forward to working in the international doctoral programme Environmental Thinking, which has just been approved by the Bavarian Elite Network (together with the Rachel Carson Centre in Munich). Thinking through new ways of social and individual transformation with many young researchers will be a challenging task for me in the coming years, but one that will also trigger storms of enthusiasm.

Work at the University of Augsburg 

The University of Augsburg is a network university, which should also be reflected in relationship networks at the university. I met exciting colleagues and topics in many interdisciplinary seminars. During my involvement in committees as a women's representative, I learned a lot for my current job. I would like to give young female academics some advice: above all, get a taste of other things (Erasmus lectureship, research semester even in the post-doctorate phase, visiting scholar in the doctorate phase), and especially participation in international conferences.

At many points, however, it also takes patience and tenacity to achieve goals, which you also have to bring with you as an academic. Thanks to all past and present staff members in the department, but also at the university (administration and library).

Chair of Moral Theology

Biography and publications