Prof. Dr. Hedwig Eisenbarth is a professor at the School of Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. From June to July and again from September to October, she will be a guest professor at the Chair of Psychology with a focus on Human-Machine Interaction (Prof. Dr. Susanne Mayr) at the University of Passau.
During her research stay, she will investigate the extent to which algorithms used on social media platforms like Facebook are capable of recognizing and predicting human emotional states. Her research project, titled “AI-based Modelling Emotion to Understand (Criminal) Behavior”, focuses in particular on the ethical and practical challenges of such technologies in a criminal justice context.
In collaboration with the Chair of Psychology with a focus on Human-Machine Interaction, the project aims to develop new interdisciplinary analytical tools while also raising awareness of the social and ethical implications of these developments.
Prof. Dr. Claudia Sadowski-Smith is a professor of English and American Studies at Arizona State University in the United States.
As a PICAIS Fellow in 2023, her research focused on social inequality, welfare states, and the racialization of post-Soviet migrants in the United States and Germany. Building on her previous findings, Prof. Sadowski-Smith will continue her research from June to August 2025 at the Chair of American Studies/Cultural and Media Studies (Prof. Dr. Karsten Fitz). Her work will focus on Ukrainian refugee migration to Germany and the United States, particularly in relation to political policies and the role of civil society and diasporic organizations - especially since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the onset of the war in 2022.
Her research includes collaborative projects, participant observations, and work on a book that compares national responses to refugee migration and analyzes their impact on global migration policies.
We wish both scholars an enjoyable and productive stay at the University of Passau!