Hedi Fritz-Niggli Visiting Professorship (2014–2018)

Each Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor was usually invited to UZH for one semester. During this time, she was part of a framework program jointly organized by the EDI Office, the Gender Equality Commission, the visiting professor and her UZH faculty. Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professors were personally welcomed at Dies academicus.

Hedi Fritz-Niggli (1921–2005) was a radiation biologist and the first woman to become a full professor at UZH’s Faculty of Medicine. She is considered to be the founder of her discipline in Switzerland, and she was also the first female member of the Swiss Science Council (1969–1978). In recognition her outstanding achievements, Hedi Fritz-Niggli became an honorary member of the Swiss Society of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine in 1981. In 1992, she was awarded the Hanns Langendorff Medal.

Professor Kathleen B. Digre

Kathleen B. Digre was the first Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 1 February to 31 July 2014. She conducted research and taught at UZH’s Faculty of Medicine. Professor Digre specializes in neuro-ophthalmology and headache at the University of Utah and is the director of the university’s Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.

Professor Salomé LeibundGut

Salomé LeibundGut was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 15 September to 20 December 2014. She is an immunologist and specializes in defense mechanisms against fungal infections. During her visiting professorship at UZH, she conducted research and taught at the Vetsuisse Faculty’s Institute of Virology. Afterwards she changed to an SNSF assistant professorship at UZH.

Professor Janell D. Townsend

Janell D. Townsend was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 1 August 2015 to 31 January 2016. Her research interests are related to analyzing branding strategies, innovation, markets and the globalization of companies in order to better understand complex phenomena in an increasingly global marketplace.
 

Professor Sheila Laverty

Sheila Laverty was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 14 September to 5 December 2015. She studied veterinary medicine at the University College Dublin in Ireland, graduating magna cum laude (first class honours). She specializes in equine surgery.
 

Professor Eva Illouz

Eva Illouz was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 1 April to 31 May 2016. She conducts research and teaches on the subjects of emotions, capitalism, culture and communication. During her visiting professorship at UZH, she taught at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
 

Professor Laure Saint-Raymond

Laure Saint-Raymond was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 1 September 2016 to 28 February 2017. She is a mathematician and specializes in partial differential equations.

 

Professor Susanna Elm

Susanna Elm was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 1 February to 31 July 2017. She studied history and classical philology at the Freie Universität Berlin and earned her doctorate at the University of Oxford. She went on to conduct research at Harvard University before accepting a professorship at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2002.

Professor Alice Eagly

Alice Eagly was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor from 1 October to 30 November 2017. Her research interests as a social psychologist include gender topics, feminism, prejudices, stereotyping and leadership. In addition to conducting basic research, Professor Eagly carries out meta-analyses.
 

Professor Martha C. Nussbaum

Martha C. Nussbaum was a Hedi Fritz-Niggli visiting professor in December 2018. After earning degrees at New York University (BA) and Harvard University (MA, PhD), she went on to teach at Harvard University, Brown University and the University of Oxford.