Karlsruhe/Wadern, May 2026. The renowned computer scientist Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dorothea Wagner has served as Chair of the Supervisory Board of Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz Center for Informatics since May 2026. She succeeds Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. Stefan Jähnichen in this role.
Career
Dorothea Maria Anna Wagner was born on June 22, 1957, in Trier, Germany. She studied Mathematics and Computer Science at RWTH Aachen University and graduated in 1983. She subsequently worked as a research assistant to Walter Oberschelp in Aachen until 1988, where she earned her doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) in 1986 with a dissertation entitled “Split Decomposition as a Method for the Decomposition of Discrete Structures.”
In 1988, Wagner moved to the Technical University of Berlin. There, she completed her habilitation in 1992 with a thesis entitled “Discrete Algorithms for Routing in Chip Layout.” In 1993, she held an interim professorship in Theoretical Computer Science at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. In 1994, she accepted an appointment to a full professorship (C4) in Computer Science at the University of Konstanz.
Since 2003, Wagner has been Professor of Algorithms at the University of Karlsruhe, now the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
Science Policy Engagement
In addition to her research activities, Dorothea Wagner has served on numerous scientific committees:
- 2000–2007: Fachgutachterin bzw. Fachkollegiatin für Theoretische Informatik der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
- Since 2004: Sprecherin des Fachkollegiums Informatik der DFG
- 2007–2014: Vizepräsidentin der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft
- 2015–2023: Mitglied des Wissenschaftsrates
- 2019: stellvertretende Vorsitzende der Wissenschaftlichen Kommission des Wissenschaftsrates
- 2020–2023: Vorsitzende des Wissenschaftsrates
In addition, Wagner serves, among other roles, on the University Council of TU Braunschweig, the university councils of the University of Konstanz and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, and on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation. From 2014 to 2020, she was a member of the Senate Committee for Strategic Initiatives of the Leibniz Association.
Research Interests
Wagner's work is situated at the intersection of theoretical foundations and practical applications of algorithms. Her current research focuses include:
- Algorithms for transportation-related problems, particularly route planning
- Optimization of energy systems
- Analysis and visualization of network data
She coordinated the EU Research Training Network “AMORE: Algorithmic Methods for Optimizing the Railways in Europe” and served as spokesperson for the DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms SPP 1126 „Algorithmik großer und komplexer Netzwerke“.
Honors and Awards
- Since 2008 – GI Fellowship of the German Informatics Society (GI)
- Since 2010 – Member of AcademiaNet
- 2012 – Google Focused Research Award (together with Hannah Bast and Peter Sanders)
- Since 2013 – Member of Academia Europaea
- Since 2016 – Member of the German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
- 2018 – Werner Heisenberg Medal of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
- 2019 – Konrad Zuse Medal for contributions to Computer Science
- Since 2022 – Member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- 2022 – Honorary Doctorate from TU Dortmund University
- Since 2024 – Member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts
New Role at Schloss Dagstuhl
By assuming the position of Chair of the Supervisory Board of Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz Center for Informatics, Dorothea Wagner brings her many years of experience in research and science policy to one of the key institutions of the international computer science community.
