Hall of Femmes

(1) What I love about my current job is...
...having the opportunity to work with young people on innovative and practically relevant issues, sharing my professional experience with them, and thereby giving them a good start to their professional life.

(2) One of the highlights of my career so far has been...
...when, after a long period of searching for a suitable approach to my dissertation topic, and even briefly considering not pursuing a doctoral degree, I finally found the perfect, relevant, innovative solution – I knew then that all that time I’d invested and my perseverance and persistence in attempting to find a solution had paid off.

(3) When I look back on my career so far, I’d say that what has particularly shaped me has been...
…the fantastic support of many – in my case, exclusively male – managers who believed in me, saw potential in me and always gave me very interesting, and above all challenging tasks. They thereby gave me the chance to grow.

(4) I’d advise any young women wishing to pursue a career similar to mine to...
...just give it a go! Based on all the different experiences I’ve had, I think one of the key things I’d say is that: You always have more than one option. There are so many interesting careers, lots of different positions and paths you can take and enjoy...Take on challenges and just go for it! And sometimes all it takes is a little luck for you to be able to take that next step in your career.

(5) For me, gender equality will be achieved when...
...people no longer have to talk about whether a given position – especially a managerial position – is to be filled by a woman or a man. And when the male:female ratio in positions is so equally balanced that gender ultimately no longer plays a role when it comes to filling a position.

(6) I personally benefited from the equal opportunity measures in place at Paderborn University when I...
...was the Equal Opportunities Officer for the Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics. During this time, I gained a valuable insight into committee work, learned a lot about the organisation and decision-making structures at the university, but above all forged contacts with the faculty’s professors, some of whom I’m still in touch with today.

(7) I associate my time at Paderborn University with...
...a total of 17 years, during which I made many friends and good contacts for life, who I’m still in touch with today, both personally and professionally.

(8) For the next 50 years, I wish Paderborn University...
...to continue to attract interested and talented students, highly motivated academic staff and outstanding professors in order to promote the development of the university as a “University for the Information Society” through innovation.

(9) As a positive effect of the “Hall of Femmes” for readers, I hope that...
...it shows that anything is possible! And that there is a wealth of possibilities out there for us women.
Willpower, perseverance, resilience, hard work and courage, but above all good supporters are key on your path to a successful career – and, of course, a little luck of being in the right place at the right time to take advantage of opportunities.