Professor Beatrice Kuhlmann
Current job:
Professor of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Mannheim
Studies in Mannheim:
Psychology
Highest degree:
Diplom/
Career
During the Psychology program at the University of Mannheim, I worked as student assistant for four years and I completed a research internship in the US. Both experiences were groundbreaking for me and I decided to pursue a career in academia. After I had earned my Diplom, I decided to pursue a doctorate in the US. During my time there, I worked as a research and teaching assistant. Then I returned to Germany and worked as academic staff member (postdoc) at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf for two years. I was a special honor for me to be appointed junior professor of Cognitive Psychology with a focus on Cognitive Aging at my alma mater. In February 2020, I got tenure as W3 professor for this subject. My research focuses on techniques to improve memory performance, in particular, in late adulthood. I teach general and developmental psychology.
Tips for starting your career
If you are interested in an academic career, Mannheim is the place for you as the university employs internationally acclaimed researchers. It is best to gain research experience as soon as possible, for example during a research internship or a position as student assistant. Tell your professors that you are interested in academic work and that you would like to actively contribute to a project. Benefit from the professors’ international contacts. I got my research internship in the US through a research cooperation of the professor for whom I worked as a student assistant. It’s nice to be in Mannheim, but in research, it is important to get to know various perspectives and approaches. Thus you should be willing to live, work and research elsewhere for a while, even abroad. And maybe you are as lucky as I am and are able to return to Mannheim.
Relevance of the studied program
The Psychology education in Mannheim is excellent, in particular, if you want to pursue an academic career. I acquired an extensive methodological knowledge and was able to pursue a doctorate without any issues. The statistics courses in my doctoral program in the US, the were mostly repetitions of methods I already learned during my Diplom program in Mannheim. At the Department of Psychology, we could experience research hands-on, for example during internships or as student assistants.
Last updated: February 2023
Credit: Daniela Haupt