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Meet the team

Meet the whole team from the Public Engagement and Impact Unit (PE&I) and the Berlin School team members. While all members of the PE&I Team contribute to the Berlin School through their associated research projects and support, the Berlin School Team has a dedicated focus within the unit. Click on the profiles to see who works where.

Dr. Alina Loth

 Head of Public Engagement und Impact

alina.loth@mfn.berlin

Dr. Ana Faustino

IETI Acting Head and Research Associate

ana.faustino@mfn.berlin

Beeke Bartelt

Public Engagement Coordinator Third Mission School

beeke.bartelt@mfn.berlin

Katja Loginova

Public Engagement Science Officer at the WiNoDa Knowledge Lab

katerina.loginova@mfn.berlin

Halina Rachelson

Public Engagement Coordinator Einstein Centre

halina.rachelson@mfn.berlin

Iris Geigenmueller

Public Engagement Coordinator

iris.geigenmueller@mfn.berlin

Dr. Jana Wendler

Public Engagement Coordinator

jana.wendler@mfn.berlin

Konstanza Jochim

IETI Impact Project Coordinator

konstanza.jochim@mfn.berlin

Kristin Bauer

Creative Engagement Manager

kristin.bauer@mfn.berlin

Luise Proske

IETI Student Assistant

luise.proske@mfn.berlin

Dr. Mhairi Stewart FRSE

Deputy Head of Public Engagement and Impact

mhairi.stewart@mfn.berlin

Niklas Marzinek

Project Manager PEX

niklas.marzinek@mfn.berlin

Nina Borchmann

Student Assistant Public Engagement and Impact

nina.borchmann@mfn.berlin

Sonja Hammann

Project and Team Manager

sonja.hammann@mfn.berlin

Victoria Shennan

Deputy Head of the Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science

victoria.shennan@mfn.berlin

Dr. Zinaida Vasilyeva

Research Associate IETI

zinaida.vasilyeva@mfn.berlin

Dr. Alina Loth

Head of Public Engagement and Impact

alina.loth@mfn.berlin

Alina is the head of the Public Engagement & Impact department and the project lead of IETI and the Berlin School. Alina is responsible for strategy development, internal and external consulting and cultural change in the area of Public Engagement. She also develops and manages collaborations and research projects on Public Engagement & Impact. Prior to taking over as head of the department, Alina worked in Public Engagement, culture change and impact at the Universities of St Andrews and Cambridge in the UK.

Dr. Ana I. Faustino

IETI Acting Head and Research Associate

ana.faustino@mfn.berlin

Ana is the Acting Head and Research Associate of the IETI project. She is responsible for project management, research and communications, and leads the work package on culture change and co-creation. With a research background in behavioural biology, she has been working in the field of Public Engagement since 2018. Ana has worked in Portuguese, European and German institutions and projects, mainly using capacity building, co-creation, impact and participatory action research approaches to promote change.

Beeke Bartelt

Public Engagement Coordinator Third Mission School

beeke.bartelt@mfn.berlin

Beeke coordinates the development and implementation of Public Engagement trainings as part of the “Third Mission School”, a project of the Berlin School within the joint project “Zukunft findet Stadt”. With a background in architecture and experiences in academic project management and consulting and facilitating diverse collaborations, she added further education in intercultural training, change management and new work to her portfolio. In her work she values experimentation, with a fascination for multi-disciplinary and co-creative processes.

Katja Loginova

Public Engagement Science Officer at the WiNoDa Knowledge Lab

katja.loginova@mfn.berlin

Katja oversees Public Engagement research and practice within the WiNoDa Knowledge Lab | Data Competence Centre. With a background in archaeology and expertise in Public Engagement, she designs, implements, and manages educational training focused on Public Engagement within and beyond the project. Through analysis and evaluation, she gauges the effectiveness and impact of these initiatives within the broader WiNoDa framework. Prior to joining our team, Katja worked as a researcher at Heidelberg University.

Halina Rachelson

Public Engagement Coordinator Einstein Centre

halina.rachelson@mfn.berlin

Halina currently works as a Public Engagement Officer for the Einstein Center where she is developing strategies for interdisciplinary exchange of stakeholders interested in public health. Before joining our team, she worked in various fields (e.g. post-growth economics, international cooperation, and sustainable urban and regional development) in Europe and North America. Her interests in creative facilitation, conflict resolution, intercultural relations and movement building led her to the field of Public Engagement.

Iris Geigenmueller

Public Engagement Coordinator

iris.geigenmueller@mfn.berlin

Iris coordinates the Berlin School’s training programmes, with a specific focus on supporting and further developing the community of Public Engagement practitioners in Germany. With a solid background in Global Health and significant experience as an e-learning specialist, she is skilled at connecting research with the public and translating academic work into practical, everyday use. Previously, she worked as an e-learning coordinator at the Charité hospital in Berlin.

Dr. Jana Wendler

Public Engagement Coordinator

jana.wendler@mfn.berlin

Jana develops and coordinates the Berlin School’s training programmes and Academies for researchers, and supports the team in building networks and collaborations. Previously, she worked as a freelance Public Engagement practitioner and researcher in Manchester (UK). Jana has an academic background in urban and cultural geography, and developed participatory formats for public spaces as a game designer. She is passionate about bringing people and research together through creative and playful methods.

Konstanza Jochim

IETI Impact Project Coordinator

konstanza.jochim@mfn.berlin

Konstanza coordinates research and co-creation processes aimed at driving a sustainable cultural change in research, and integrating impact-oriented Public Engagement into the research at the MfN. In her previous job, she worked in international development cooperation and in an EU Horizon 2020 research project. There, she coordinated, in collaboration with civil organisations, research institutions, and political stakeholders, initiatives for sustainable development through innovation promotion and participatory approaches. She completed her academic training in the fields of Geography and Design Thinking.

Kristin Bauer

Creative Engagement Manager

kristin.bauer@mfn.berlin

As Creative Engagement Manager, Kristin drives innovative learning and Public Engagement methods. She supports the training programme with creative collaboration techniques and enhances the training portfolio with insights from future research. Furthermore, Kristin conducts research on creative engagement methods while supporting associated projects. With a background in design and transformation science, Kristin has led diverse initiatives, including biodiversity games for urban planning and technology ethics dialogues, bridging creative design with meaningful researcher-public interactions.

Luise Proske

IETI Student Assistant

luise.proske@mfn.berlin

Luise supports the IETI team as a working student, and is assisting in writing and translating reports as well as the upkeep of the project’s website and social media. She is interested in Public Engagement and how it can break the stiff boundaries of academics, and influences research and the generation of knowledge through its’ focus on lived experience. Luise studies sociolinguistics and anthropology at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Dr. Mhairi Stewart FRSE

Deputy Head of Public Engagement and Impact

mhairi.stewart@mfn.berlin

Mhairi supports strategic culture change and policy development at institutional, national, and international levels, and advises policy makers, funders, and senior managers in research institutions. Her personal practice and research focuses on the reflective benefits and impacts of Public Engagement to academic stakeholders. She leads on the PEX, and ECEDI research and engagement projects. Mhairi previously worked in Public Engagement and research culture change at the Universities of Glasgow and St Andrews, and chaired the Scottish Public Engagement Network.

Niklas Marzinek

Project Manager PEX

niklas.marzinek@mfn.berlin

Niklas manages the German-South African Public Engagement Exchange (PEX) programme to support researchers and PE professionals in developing leadership and innovation in the field. Previously, he has built a global network of Science Engagement practitioners and co-hosted community gatherings in Mexico, Japan, and South Africa. Niklas studied political science and sociology in Bonn, Berlin, and Cairo. He is passionate about connecting people and building bridges between science and society.

Nina Borchmann

Student Assistant Public Engagement and Impact

nina.borchmann@mfn.berlin

Nina supports the team as a working student, and especially focuses on creative tasks and the monthly newsletter. She studies biology at the University of Potsdam. Nina is fascinated by how Public Engagement can tackle societal challenges and raises awareness about environmental issues. Her affinity for nature enhances her creativity and knowledge, which she integrates into her studies, work, and leisure activities.

Katy Maronde

Project Assistant Public Engagement & Impact

katy.maronde@mfn.berlin

Katy takes on administrative and organizational activities for the project Public Engagement & Impact as part of the future plan and offers support in the commercial area. She has an academic background in neurobiology,
is qualified as a Management Assistant for healthcare and has previously worked in various positions in the healthcare sector. At the Museum für Naturkunde, she is taking the opportunity to gain her first experience in the field of public engagement and to support the teams in their diverse approaches.

Victoria Shennan

Deputy Head of the Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science

victoria.shennan@mfn.berlin

Victoria leads the development of strategic initiatives at the Berlin School, fostering culture change in academia through partnerships and professional development in engagement. She guides the team in delivering core training and collaborative projects such as KAPAZ, WiNoDa, and TMS. Victoria’s journey into Public Engagement began through transdisciplinary art-science collaborations. Prior to joining the Berlin School, she worked in national Public Engagement, Community Science, and educational programmes at the Natural History Museum, London (UK).

Dr. Zinaida Vasilyeva

Research Associate IETI

zinaida.vasilyeva@mfn.berlin

Zina is an anthropologist and evaluation researcher. As part of the IETI project, Zina studies how the Natural History Museum Berlin as an institution understands, practices, and evaluates its institutional and societal impact. Her aim is to develop tools for institutional self-evaluation and promote reflexivity within institutions. She is interested in the politics of knowledge and relations between science, technology, and society. Prior to joining the MfN, she worked at several research institutes in Germany, Switzerland, Russia, and the USA.

Fb3, Natural
History Museum Berlin

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