the team
Prof. Dr. Melanie Jaeger-Erben
Psychologist and sociologist. Professorship for “Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research” at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at TU Berlin. Specialist expertise in the fields of consumer research, changes in social practices, social science technology research and material culture. Methodological competencies in qualitative social research, mixed methods and transdisciplinarity.
Prof. Dr. Jana Rückert-John
Social scientist, associate. Holder of the professorship “Sociology of Food” at the University of Fulda. Speaker of the DGS-Section “Sociology of Agriculture, Agriculture and Nutrition”. Membership in the DGS-Section “Environmental Sociology”, the Consumer Sociology of the European Sociological Association (ESA) and Chair of the “Network Nutrition Culture”. Expertise in the fields of environmental sociology, sustainable consumption and nutrition, and gender research. Methodological competencies in quantitative and qualitative social research and statistics.
Dr. René John
Social scientist. Specialist expertise in the fields of innovation and social change, social engagement, organisational research and gender studies. Methodological competencies in qualitative and quantitative social research.
Alexandra von Brunn, M.Sc.
Environmental and resource economist. Studied economics and resource management at the University of Augsburg, Humboldt University Berlin and University of Dayton. Since 2023 Research Associate at the Institut für Sozialinnovationen, Berlin. Expertise in alternative economies, urban climate resilience and sustainable land use. Methodological competences in qualitative and quantitative social research, especially actor-network analyses and qualitative interviews. Research interests are socio-ecological systems approaches, especially in the context of urban and regional transformations.
Frederic Grobler, M.Sc.
Philosopher, sociologist and natural resource manager. Studies at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Humboldt University Berlin and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Expertise in happiness research, climate migration, food systems, complexity and facilitation. Methodological knowledge in quantitative and qualitative social research. Research interests focus on normative approaches to transformation in the context of socio-ecological systems.
Jun Chu, M.A.
Sociologist and cultural anthropologist. Studies and doctorate at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Since October 2023 research associate at the Institut für Sozialinnovation, Berlin. Expertise in the fields of critical urban and migration research, citizenship, civil society, governance and socio-spatial change. Methodological competences in qualitative and quantitative social research, especially ethnography and qualitative interviews.
Marieke Luisa Marken, M.Sc.
Environmental and sustainability scientist with a focus on the socio-ecological transformation of society. Studied environmental sciences at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg and natural resource management at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Since fall 2023 Research Associate at the Institut für Sozialinnovation in Berlin. Professional expertise in environmental justice, urban climate resilience and adaptation, climate policy and governance, sustainable agriculture and nutrition. Methodological skills in evaluation as well as in qualitative and quantitative social research, especially in interview research.
Anna Petzenhammer, B.SC.
Nutritionist and household scientist with a focus on education, politics and society. Studied Oecotrophology at Fulda University of Applied Sciences and Public Health at Oslo Metropolitan University. Since June 2023 Research Associate at the Institute for Social Innovation in Berlin. Research interests are nutritional science and consumer-related research topics.
Jonas John, B.A.
Japanology student at the Free University of Berlin. Since 2018 working as a student assistant at the Institut für Sozialinnovation in Berlin. Research interests are social science research on Japan in the field of politics, gender and nutrition.
Prof. Dr. Inka Bormann
Educationalist, Professor of General Education at the Free University of Berlin. Expertise in the areas of innovation and transfer research, innovations in the educational system, knowledge transfer, indicators and organizational theory.
Dr. Holger Braun
Sociologist. Expertise in the fields of participatory research of social problems and innovations and theories of social transformation
Dr. Sigrid Gronbach
Political scientist, lecturer at the Centre for Health, Rehabilitation and Care of Diakonie Deutschland. Specialist expertise in the fields of inclusion of people with disabilities, analysis of the welfare state (especially labour market and basic security policy), concepts of justice in social policy and socio-political reform discourses
Prof. Dr. Melanie Jaeger-Erben
Psychologist and sociologist. Professorship for “Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research” at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at TU Berlin. Specialist expertise in the fields of consumer research, changes in social practices, social science technology research and material culture. Methodological competencies in qualitative social research, mixed methods and transdisciplinarity.
Dr. René John
Social scientist. Specialist expertise in the fields of innovation and social change, social engagement, organisational research and gender studies. Methodological competencies in qualitative and quantitative social research.
Dr. Melanie Kröger
Social scientist. Specialist expertise in the fields of sustainable agriculture, sustainable consumption, organic farming, multifunctionality of rural areas and gender research as well as in the cross-cutting theme of inter- and transdisciplinarity. Methodological competencies in qualitative social research
Dr. Antonia Langhof
Sociologist at the University of Bamberg. Specialist expertise in the fields of organisation research and organisation theory.
Magdalena Meissner, M.A.
Gender studies and religious studies. Specialist expertise in the fields of recognition and distributive justice, consumer and sustainability research, civil sciences, social inequalities, heteronormativity and racism research and migration research.
Dr. Götz Richter
Social scientist and management consultant. Specialist expertise in the areas of consulting (tailor-made and targeted personnel placement, shift plan design, personnel development, quality assurance in customer contact, innovation-friendly corporate culture, group work, personnel management, intercultural communication, management of networks, operational work design and demographic change), Research (labour market policy, company working hours, professional biographies and labour market processes, biographical research, modernisation processes in the public sector, organisational development, intergenerational solidarity, part-time work) and evaluation (networks between business, science and administration and development cooperation, networks of training providers).
Prof. Dr. Jana Rückert-John
Social scientist, associate. Holder of the professorship “Sociology of Food” at the University of Fulda. Speaker of the DGS-Section “Sociology of Agriculture, Agriculture and Nutrition”. Membership in the DGS-Section “Environmental Sociology”, the Consumer Sociology of the European Sociological Association (ESA) and Chair of the “Network Nutrition Culture”. Expertise in the fields of environmental sociology, sustainable consumption and nutrition, and gender research. Methodological competencies in quantitative and qualitative social research and statistics.