Research

Ursula M. Staudinger is a lifespan psychologist and an internationally acknowledged aging researcher. Her research focus is on the opportunities and challenges of a society of longer lives. She investigates the potentials of aging and studies the plasticity of the aging process. Her findings provide helpful advice for living, work and education in times of demographic change.

Further information: www.ursulastaudinger.com

Career

• since 2020 Rector of the Technische Universität (TU) Dresden, Germany
• since 2013 Robert N. Butler Professor in Sociomedical Sciences und Professor of Psychology, founding director of the Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA
• 2003-2013 Professor, Dean and Vice President, Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany
• 2003 Visiting Professor, Stanford University, USA
• 2001-2003 Professor of Psychology (C4), University of Dresden, Germany
• 2000 Visiting Professor, University of Florida, USA
• 1999-2003 Executive Director, Institute for pedagogically and developmental psychology, University of Dresden, Germany
• 1999-2001 Professor of Psychology (C3), University of Dresden, Germany
• 1997-1998 Visiting Professorship, Developmental Psychology, University of Halle, Germany
• 1997 Habilitation in Psychology, Free University Berlin, Germany
• 1992-1999 Leader of a Research Unit, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
• 1988-1992 Senior Research Scientist, Committee on Aging and Societal Development, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany
• 1988 Research Internship Aging Unit, United Nations Office, Vienna, Austria
• 1988 Ph.D. (Dr.phil.), Free University Berlin, Germany
• 1985-1988 Predoctoral Fellow Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Education, Berlin, Germany
• 1984-1985 Research Associate, University of Bielefeld, Germany
• 1984 MA in Psychology (Dipl.-Psych.), University of Erlangen, Germany
• 1978-1984 Graduate studies in psychology at the University of Erlangen, Germany; Clark University, Worcester, USA

Projects

• 2012-2017 German Research Foundation, Graduate School 263 “Bremen International Graduate School of the Social Sciences BIGSSS”
• 2008-2012 German Research Foundation, Graduate School 263 “Bremen International Graduate School of the Social Sciences BIGSSS”
• 2008-2011 Volkswagen Foundation: “Mobilität und Entwicklungserfolg: Gibt es kumulative Effekte von beruflicher Mobilität auf die Entwicklung der kognitiven und persönlichkeitsbezogenen Adaptivität? ”
• 2007-2010 Federal Ministry of Education and Research: “Auswirkungen von Passung/Nichtpassung zwischen Aspekten des Human- und Sozialvermögens, der Unternehmensstrategie und der Arbeitsorganisation auf die körperliche und psychische Gesundheit von Arbeitnehmern” (demopass)
• 2005-2006 Robert Bosch Foundation: “Was ist Alter?”, Heidelberger Academy of Sciences and Humanities
• 2004-2006 Robert Bosch Foundation: “Bewegtes Alter”
• 2003-2008 Jacobs Foundation: “Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development”
• 2003-2006 Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth: “Persönlichkeitsentwicklung im Alter: Eine quasi-experimentelle Interventionsstudie”   
• 1993-2000 MacArthur Foundation Network on Successful Midlife Development: “Beliefs and Expectation about Midlife Development”

Functions

• 2013 Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Federal Institute for Population Research
• since 2010 Member of the Industry-Science Research Alliance of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
• 2010-2012 Member of the Demography Advisory Group to the German Federal Government
• since 2009 Member of the Board of Trustees, Volkswagen Foundation
• since 2009 Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German part of the “Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies” (PIAAC), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• 2009-2011 Member of the Joint Academies’ Initiative “Future with Children – Fertility and Social Development” of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences
• 2008-2010 President, Vice President (2006 - 2010), German Psychological Society (DGPs)
• 2007-2017 Vice President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, which was appointed the National Academy of Sciences, in 2008
• 2004-2012 Member of the Scientific Board, German Centre of Gerontology
• since 2004 Senior Fellow Max Planck International Research Network on Aging (MaxNetAging)

Honours and Memberships

• 2017 Seneca Medal, Industrie-Club Düsseldorf
• 2014 Braunschweiger Forschungspreis
• since 2014 Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America
• since 2013 Member of the Academia Europaea
• since 2011 Fellow Association for Psychological Science (APS)
• since 2002 Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• since 2002 Corresponding Member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, Germany
• since 1999 Fellow, American Psychological Association (APA)
• 1985-1988 Doctoral Fellowship (Volkswagen Foundation), Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Education, Berlin, Germany
• 1980-1981 Fulbright Fellowship, Clark University, Worcester, USA