Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern

Career

• 2011 Professor for Soil Science / Soil Microbiolgy, University of Natural Ressources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
• 2004 - 2011 Head of the Unit of Soil Biology at the Institute of Forest Ecology and Soils, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), Vienna
• 2001 Habilitation to University Docent for Soil Biology at the Institute of Soil Science and the Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
• 1995 - 2004 Senior Scientist at the Institute of Forest Ecology, Federal Forest Research Center, Vienna
• 1995 Civil examinations to governmental officer with distinction
• 1993 - 1994 Postdoctoral Fellow at Soil Science Department SAC / University of Edinburgh, U.K.
• 1991 - 1995 Junior Scientist at the Institute for Soil Management, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Vienna
• 1990 - 1991 Assistant professor at the Institute of Plant Physiology, University of Vienna
• 1986 - 1990 Junior scientist at the Section Ecology and SCOPE, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna
• 1983 - 1989 Dissertation at the Institute of Plant Physiology, University of Vienna
• 1979 - 1983 Study of Biology, Courses at the University of Vienna, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna University of Technology, University of Innsbruck

Awards

• Year: 2019 Awards: Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher: identified by Clarivate Analytics as one of the world’s most influential contemporary researchers (top 1% ranking)
• Year: 2005 Awards: ARC (Austrian Research Centres) Award for the project “Ammonia oxidising and nitrate reducing bacteria in a virgin forest soil: Functional diversity and search for novel genes” together with Angela Sessitsch and Michael Wagner
• Year: 2005 Awards: Award at the IUFRO World Forestry Congress, Brisbane/ Australia for the presentation of the project DIANA (Diversity of Austrian Natural Forests)
• Year: 2005 Awards: “Scientist of the Month” (FEMtech - Women in research and technology)
• Year: 2001 Awards: First Prize for the presentation of the Forest Research Centre at the Science Week
• Year: 1989 Awards: Science award of the Austrian Society for Environment and Technology (ÖGUT) for the “Ecosystem Study Vienna Woods”