Curriculum Vitae
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Catrin Gersdorf
Qualifications and Career
Since 2012 – Full Professor of American Studies, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany
2009-2012 – Researcher, DFG Excellence Cluster “Languages of Emotion”, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
2004 – Post-doctoral dissertation (Habilitation), University of Leipzig, Germany
2000-2009 – Various Positions, Scholarships, and Guest Professorships at German and US-American Universities (Universities of Hanover, Kiel, Arizona, California, Irvine, Freie Universität Berlin)
1993-1999 – Assistant Professor, Institute for American Studies, University of Leipzig, Germany
1987-1993 – Lecturer, Department of English Literature and American Studies, University of Leipzig, Germany
1987 – Dr. phil. in American Literature, University of Leipzig, Germany
1980-1984 – Studies in English and American Studies, German Literature, and Pedagogy, Karl-Marx-Universität Leipzig, Germany
Academic and Professional Organizations
Since 2021 – Reviewer for the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Since 2017 – Reviewer for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
2017-2021 – Executive Director, German Association for American Studies
2009-2017 – Advisory Board Member, German Association for American Studies
2008-2012 – Executive Board Member (Treasurer), European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment (EASLCE)
2004 – Founding Member of the European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment (EASLCE); member since then
University Governance
Since 2023 – Member of the Extended Executive Board of WueLAB (Sustainability Lab), Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany
Since 2020 – Deputy Director of the Graduate School of the Humanities, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany;
Since 2020 – Ombudsperson for Scientific Misconduct
2019-2021 – Head of English and American Studies, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany
2013-2017 – Member of the Faculty Council, Faculty of Arts, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany
2012-2014 – Head of the Institute of Modern Languages, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany
Scholarly Publishing and Communication
Since 2012 – Advisory board member, Ecozon@: European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment
Since 2006 – Advisory board member, Spatial Practices Series: An Interdisciplinary Series in Cultural History, Geography and Literature
Initiatives and Outreach
2020 – Public Panel “Ton | Macht | Politik: Ein Gespräch über Sprache und Öffentlichkeit“, organised in cooperation with the catholic academy of the Diocese of Würzburg
External Funding
Since 2022 – Project of Literature, Culture and Sustainability as part of REKLINEU (Regional Pathways for Creating a Carbon-Neutral University), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
2018 – 8th Biennial Conference of the European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment (EASLCE) on the topic “The Garden: Ecological Paradigms of Space, History, and Community”, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany
2016 – International Conference “The Biopolitics of America: Bodies, Environments, and the Liberal Imagination”, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
2014 – International Conference “America After Nature: Democracy, Culture, Environment”, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
2000-2002 – Habilitation scholarship of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Supervision of Researchers in Early Career Phases
Since 2012 – (Co-)Supervision of 11 doctoral researchers
Since 2012 – (Co-)Supervision of 3 postdoctoral researchers
Since 1987 – Supervision of numerous master’s, bachelor’s and teaching degree theses