University Senate of Universität Heidelberg Elects Five Vice-Rectors

Rohini Kuner studied pharmaceutical biotechnology at the University of Bombay (India) and gained her doctorate at the University of Iowa (United States). She then did research at the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University and the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. After two years working in industry, she transferred in 2000 to Ruperto Carola’s Institute of Pharmacology. In 2005 she earned her habilitation at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg. Rohini Kuner was appointed to the Professorship for Pharmacology and Toxicology in 2006; since 2009 she has been Director of the Institute of Pharmacology. She is the spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Centre “From Nociception to Chronic pain: Structure-Function Properties of Neural Pathways and their Reorganization” (CRC 1158). For three years Rohini Kuner has been Dean of Research at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg.

Guido Kanschat graduated in mathematics at the University of Bonn. He then earned his doctorate at Heidelberg University and joined the academic staff there. In 2004 followed his habilitation. After six years as professor at Texas A&M University in the United States he returned to Ruperto Carola in 2012. Since then, he has taught and based his research at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing. In 2021, Prof. Kanschat was the founding Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences of Heidelberg University and has held this office until now. From 2014 to 2016 he was Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science.

Jan Christian Gertz studied theology at the universities of Bonn, Vienna and Hamburg, and completed his First Theological Examination in Hanover. His doctorate followed in 1993 and his habilitation in 1998 at the University of Göttingen. In 2000 he was appointed to a Professorship of Old Testament at the University of Mainz. He has taught and pursued research as Professor of Old Testament Studies / Hebrew Bible at the Theological Seminary at Heidelberg University since 2004. From 2006 to 2010 Prof. Gertz was Director of the International Academic Forum Heidelberg (IWH) of Ruperto Carola. From 2008 to 2010 he was Dean and from 2019 to 2021 Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Theology. In addition, he has contributed to several bodies of the German Research Foundation (DFG), including in the Senate and Approval Committee for research training groups.

Silke Hertel graduated in psychology at the Technical University of Darmstadt. She completed her doctorate in 2007. As academic staff, Silke Hertel moved to what was then the German Institute for International Educational Research and in 2009 took on a Junior Professorship in Adaptive Learning Environments at the interdisciplinary IDeA Centre and the Department of Educational Science at Goethe University Frankfurt. Since 2013, she has taught and done research as Professor for Staff Skills in the School Context at the Institute for Education Studies at Heidelberg University. Prof. Hertel has belonged to the Rectorate since 2023; before that, she was, inter alia, Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Behavioral and Empirical Cultural Studies and spokesperson for Field of Focus IV “Self-Regulation and Regulation: Individuals and Societies”.

Marc-Philippe Weller studied law at the universities of Heidelberg and Montpellier (France) and obtained his doctorate at Ruperto Carola, while also employed as an associate advocate. After earning his habilitation at the University of Cologne, where he worked as a research assistant, the legal scholar in 2008 accepted a professorship at the University of Mannheim and in 2011 transferred to the University of Freiburg. Since 2014 his teaching and research has been at Heidelberg University as Professor of Civil Law, Commercial Law, International Private Law and Comparative Law. Since then, he has been a director at Ruperto Carola’s Institute for Comparative Law, Conflict of Laws and International Business Law. Prof. Weller has held visiting professorships at universities in Austria, France, Sweden, Taiwan and the United States. He has been a member of the Rectorate of Ruperto Carola since 2019.