Verena Meyer Visiting Professorship

With the Verena Meyer Visiting Professorship, the Executive Board of the University provides UZH faculties with the opportunity to invite more outstanding female professors to UZH who can serve as role models for early-career academics. You can find additional information in the PDF:PDF Merkblatt Verena Meyer Gastprofessur, Hinweise zum Verfahren (PDF, 70 KB) (German)

An English information sheet is currently being prepared.

Professor Verena Meyer (1929–2018) studied and earned her doctoral degree in physics at the University of Zurich. She spent time in Minnesota, USA, as a postdoctoral researcher before returning to Zurich in 1960 to teach at “her” institute, UZH’s Department of Physics. Two years later, she became a professor of experimental nuclear physics at the Department of Physics, where she remained until her professorial retirement in 1994.

During her time as a professor, Verena Meyer held several academic leadership positions. She served as Dean of the Faculty of Science from 1976 to 1978, was later appointed as the first female President of the University of Zurich (1982–1984) and then served as Vice President Research (1984–1986). Both before and after her professorial retirement, Verena Meyer extended her engagement beyond the University of Zurich, playing an active role in shaping higher education in Switzerland. In addition to heading one of the divisions of the National Research Council, Verena Meyer also served as president of the Swiss Science Council.

Please note that the Verena Meyer Visiting Professorship is the third iteration of the Visiting Professorship for Female Academics. The first and second iterations were named after Professor Hedi Fritz-Niggli and Professor Inge Strauch.
Hedi Fritz-Niggli Visiting Professorship (2014–2018)
Inge Strauch Visiting Professorship (2019–2022)