At the start of the winter semester 2023/24, the university once again welcomed several new professors to its campuses. Where they come from, which teaching areas they will be responsible for in the future, and what particularly appeals to them about their teaching activities – the campuls editorial team talked to them.
Faculty of Interdisciplinary and Innovative Sciences
Prof. Dr. habil. Claudia Muth
Age: 39, Place of birth: Grünstadt (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Future position at Hof University of Applied Sciences: Professorship for Applied Design Sciences in the field of Communication Design at the Faculty of Interdisciplinary and Innovative Sciences
Education: studies in cultural design, cognitive science and information design; doctorate and post-doctorate in psychology
Last positions: Substitute professor at Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle (April 2022 to September 2023), before that research and teaching at the University of Bamberg (October 2011 to February 2022) and director of the hands-on museum “Tower of the Senses” in Nuremberg (February 2011 to August 2013)
Prof. Muth, please describe your first impressions of the university!
I experience the university as a friendly, open place with a family atmosphere and very warm colleagues.
What are you particularly looking forward to?
I am particularly looking forward to working with young people. I find the supervision of their project work and the exchange about design and design processes very enriching. I also appreciate collaborations, for example in teaching or in the context of research projects. I’m excited to see what connections between theoretical, empirical and creative approaches to design we will develop in the coming semesters.
Prof. Dr. Dirk Reinel
Age: 39, Place of birth: Plauen
Future job at Hof University of Applied Sciences: teaching data management, especially for health data; health informatics module in the Innovative Health Care degree program (Faculty of Interdisciplinary and Innovative Sciences) at the Kronach campus
Education: Computer science studies (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) at Hof University of Applied Sciences, followed by research assistant in the AIS research group (Prof. Dr. Jörg Scheidt) at the Institute for Information Systems (iisys), cooperative PhD with the University of Bamberg, successful completion in April 2018
Last stations: Research associate in the AIS research group at iisys until the end of 2018, founder and shareholder-managing director of smartlytic GmbH (together with former fellow students and work colleagues Johannes Drescher and Florian Wogenstein).
Biggest project: headache registry of the DMKG, in collaboration with the university / iisys (FG AIS and FG Law) and the German Migraine and Headache Society (DMKG), start in June 2020. The project has been running since then and is continuously being developed further
Prof. Reinel, you have already completed your bachelor’s and master’s degrees as a student at our university, worked as a research assistant at iisys and also completed a cooperative doctorate here. It is therefore not necessary to ask you about your first impressions at Hof University of Applied Sciences. Rather, we are interested in the question of whether and how your view of the university may have changed with your professorship.
I (still) know the Hof campus very well and am also regularly on site, primarily because of joint projects with iisys. The rapid development of the university is always visible. The Kronach campus, where I will be teaching the health informatics module in the Innovative Healthcare program, is a very small campus with a great faculty that is being gradually expanded and built up, especially the laboratories. A lot of new things are being created there right now, also with regard to the degree programs. I’m looking forward to networking with colleagues from Coburg on the Lucas Cranach Campus.
During my “re-entry”, I noticed how friendly and helpful my colleagues are, regardless of whether they are from the administration/personnel office, IT service or former and new colleagues from research and teaching. Of course, this makes it much easier to get started and you feel immediately welcome (again). A big thank you for that!
I am particularly looking forward to old and new employees from all faculties, an exciting exchange with the students, new insights and experiences, especially in the health sector. And, of course, to the opportunities for co-design at Hof University of Applied Sciences, in the Innovative Healthcare program, at the Kronach Campus, and beyond.”
Prof. Dr. Dirk Reinel
Faculty of Economics
Prof. Dr. Michaela Gebele-Ruhland
Age: 49, Place of birth: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Future position at Hof University of Applied Sciences: Professor of Human Resource Management
Education: forwarding merchant, graduate in business administration (Univ.)
Last stations: HR Director in a listed US corporation
Prof. Gebele-Ruhland, what are your first impressions of the university?
Hof University has a very welcoming and familiar atmosphere; I already noticed this during my first visit and it has been reinforced by further encounters
. I have discovered a willingness to help, openness and an approachable manner here – it is simply great to be allowed to be a part of this university family.
What are you looking forward to most about your new teaching position?
I’m looking forward to working with students on HR management topics from different perspectives, to arousing their curiosity and interest, and
to learning new things with them. The events in the winter semester, such as “Sustainable HR Management,” are ideal for this.
Prof. Dr. Christian Purucker
Age: 40, Place of birth: Bad Windsheim
Future role at Hof University of AppliedSciences: professor of applied psychology with a focus on cognitive psychology and human factors
Education: Diploma in psychology (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg) and doctorate in economics (University of St. Gallen)
Last stations: Würzburg Institute of Transportation Sciences (WIVW GmbH), where I conducted industrial research in the last 10 years in the area of driver assistance and vehicle automation, as well as usability engineer on behalf of national and international OEMs and suppliers; before that, research position for customer insight at the University of St. Gallen
The colleagues and staff I have met so far have been very friendly; the facilities and labs make a good impression. I was especially pleased to discover the driving simulation (SILAB) of my previous employer!
Prof. Dr. Christian Purucker on his first impressions at Hof University of Applied Sciences
What are you particularly looking forward to?
First and foremost, I am now looking forward to the contact with the students and the chance to establish teaching in my field at Hof University of Applied Sciences. I am also looking forward to meeting my new colleagues and am already very excited to learn more about the research projects at Hof.
We would like to thank all our interview partners and wish you all the best for your start at the university!
