My research focus lies in the Ethics of Digital Transformation, specifically the interplay between media ethics, political philosophy, and empirical social sciences. By applying a pragmatist lens to the normative foundations of social theory, I investigate how technological disruptions necessitate a re-evaluation of public communication and social justice.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

University of Vienna | Vienna, Austria Professor of Social Ethics | 2021 – Present

• Lead the Department of Social Ethics at the Faculty of Catholic Theology.

Munich School of Philosophy (HFPH) | Munich, Germany Professor of Media Ethics | 2013 – 2021

• Co-directed the Center for Ethics of Media and the Digital Society (zem::dg).

• Established interdisciplinary research frameworks for media responsibility and digital literacy.

University of Münster (WWU) | Münster, Germany Senior Researcher / Postdoctoral Fellow | 2009 – 2013

• Institute for Christian Social Sciences.

University of Bamberg | Bamberg, Germany Research Associate / Assistant Professor (Akademischer Rat) | 2002 – 2009

EDUCATION

Habilitation (Venia Legendi) in Christian Social Ethics | 2012 University of Münster, Germany Thesis: "Experience – Reason – Practice: Profiling Christian Social Ethics in Dialogue with Philosophical Pragmatism."

Ph.D. (Dr. theol.) in Social Ethics | 2006 University of Bamberg, Germany | Summa Cum Laude Awarded the Bavarian Culture Prize (2006) for the dissertation on Public Communication in the Knowledge Society.

Magister Artium (M.A.) | 2000 University of Bamberg, Germany Theology, Communication Science, and German Studies.

PUBLIC POLICY & ADVISORY ROLES

• Expert Member, Enquete Commission on Artificial Intelligence | 2018 – 2020 German Bundestag (National Parliament). Advised on ethical frameworks for AI implementation in society.

• Consultant/Advisor, German Bishops' Conference (Publizistische Kommission) | 2011 – 2021.

• Member, Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).