Change in the President’s Council: Two months ago, Prof. Dr. Mirjam Hey took over as Vice-President of Academic & Student Affairs. The chemistry professor began her role on March 1, 2023, succeeding Prof. Dr. Alexander von Birgelen, Professor for Plant Use, who served the position for three challenging years and helped to shape the push for digitization of university teaching as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to pushing academic teaching, digitization will remain a priority for Prof. Dr. Mirjam Hey who wants to promote the development and introduction of innovative teaching and learning formats. “The role of lecturers is set to change as we will move away from traditional university teaching towards learning coaching,” she said during her introduction to the extended senate of Hochschule Geisenheim University, which elected her unanimously in the first round of voting. Her term of office is three years.

“Our society is facing multiple challenges. In addition to teaching professional knowledge, we must equip our students with the skills to adapt to new situations in their future careers and to independently develop adequate adaptation strategies and solutions. Across all programs, we will also focus even more on sustainability as an interdisciplinary subject,” emphasized the new Vice-President of Academic & Student Affairs.

Prof. Dr. Mirjam Hey completed her doctoral degree in 2003 at the Institute of Food Chemistry at Goethe University Frankfurt. She continued her scientific career at the Department of Wine Analysis and Beverage Research of the former Geisenheim Research Center. In December 2009, she was appointed to the Professorship for Chemistry at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences – Geisenheim Faculty, which became Hochschule Geisenheim University in 2013.