Ursula M. Staudinger (born April 3, 1959 in

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

) is a German psychologist and researcher of

aging Ageing (or aging in American English) is the process of becoming Old age, older until death. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi; whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentiall ...

. She is the rector of the

Technical University of Dresden TU Dresden (for , abbreviated as TUD), also as the Dresden University of Technology, is a public research university in Dresden, Germany. It is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony a ...

(TUD). She was Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and Professor of

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

at the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. Between 2013 and 2017 Staudinger was the founding director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center and president of the affiliated

International Longevity Center The Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (formally the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health) is the public health graduate school of Columbia University. Located on the Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus in the ...

Biography

Staudinger studied psychology at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen and at

Clark University Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research uni ...

in Massachusetts from 1978 to 1984, receiving an MA from Erlangen in 1984. She carried out her dissertation at the

Max Planck Institute for Human Development The Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung) (MPIB) is a social science research organization. Located in Berlin, it is one of over 80 institutions run by the Max Planck Society. It was initiated i ...

in Berlin and obtained her doctorate from the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period a ...

in 1988. In 1997, she received her

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...

(venia legendi) in psychology from the Free University Berlin.

Academic career

From 1988 to 1992, Staudinger was a research scientist at the Academy of Sciences and Technology in Berlin. From 1992 to 1999, she was a senior scientist at the

leading the research group on wisdom. Staudinger held a chair in lifespan psychology at

Technical University Dresden TU Dresden (for , abbreviated as TUD), also as the Dresden University of Technology, is a public research university in Dresden, Germany. It is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony a ...

from 1999 to 2003. She was then appointed Vice President and professor at the

Jacobs University Bremen Constructor University, formerly Jacobs University Bremen, is an international, private, residential research university located in Vegesack, Bremen, Germany. It offers study programs in engineering, humanities, natural and social sciences, in ...

where she founded and led the Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Development from 2003 to 2013. From July 2013 until December 2017, Staudinger was the founding director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, a university-wide center that is based at the

Mailman School of Public Health The Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (formally the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health) is the public health graduate school of Columbia University. Located on the Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus in the ...

and the Robert N. Butler Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and Professor of Psychology. As part her duties as director of the Aging Center, she also led the

(ILC). From 2007 until 2017, Staudinger was Vice President and Foreign Secretary of the

German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (), in short Leopoldina, is the national academy of Germany, and is located in Halle (Saale). Founded on 1 January 1652, based on academic models in Italy, it was originally named the ''Academi ...

. She is Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the German Federal Institute for Population Research since 2012 and consults the German Government on issues related to demographic change. She was Speaker of the working grou
"Aging in Germany"
(2009) and member of the working grou
"Future with Children"
(2012), which were initiated by the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and provided recommendations for policy and society. Staudinger was Speaker of the working grou
"Mastering Demographic Change in Europe"
(2014), which published a joint statement signed by eight European academies and was endorsed by ALLEA (All European Academies). She has been a visiting professor at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

and the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

. Since 2018 Staudinger is Member of th
University Council
of

Ruhr-Universität Bochum The Ruhr University Bochum (, ) is a public research university located in the southern hills of the central Ruhr area, Bochum, Germany. It was founded in 1962 as the first new public university in Germany after World War II. Instruction began in ...

. On March 17, 2020, Staudinger was elected as new rector of the

TU Dresden TU Dresden (for , abbreviated as TUD), also as the Dresden University of Technology, is a public research university in Dresden, Germany. It is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony a ...

, succeeding . She took office as rector of the university on 18 August 2020.

Research

Staudinger's research focuses on human development and

. She has worked on identifying the conditions under which individuals and societies can optimize aging. Her scientific research includes aspects of lifespan psychology, such as the potential of lifelong development (

resilience Resilience, resilient, or resiliency may refer to: Science Ecology * Ecological resilience, the capacity of an ecosystem to recover from perturbations ** Climate resilience, the ability of systems to recover from climate change ** Soil resilien ...

and

plasticity Plasticity may refer to: Science * Plasticity (physics), in engineering and physics, the propensity of a solid material to undergo permanent deformation under load * Behavioral plasticity, change in an organism's behavior in response to exposur ...

); the development of life insight, conduct of life and

wisdom Wisdom, also known as sapience, is the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good judgment to navigate life’s complexities. It is often associated with insight, discernment, and ethics in decision-making. Throughout history, wisdom ha ...

across the lifespan as well as inter-generational relationships. Her work has been featured in articles by

AARP AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those 50 and older. The organization, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., said it had more than 38 ...

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

, and

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

among others. In December 2014, Staudinger delivered a plenary speech during the

Nobel Week Dialogue The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

2014, ''Demographic Change and Growth: A Paradox?''

Awards and fellowships

*2017, Seneca Medal for Aging Research *2014, Braunschweig Research Prize *2015, Fellow,

New York Academy of Medicine The New York Academy of Medicine (the Academy) is a health policy and advocacy organization founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York metropolitan area physicians as a voice for the medical profession in medical practice and public health r ...

(NYAM) *2014, Fellow, The

Gerontological Society of America The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is a multidisciplinary organization devoted to research and education in all aspects of gerontology: medical, biological, psychological and social. History and organization The Gerontological Society o ...

(GSA) *2013
Member of Academia Europaea
*2011, Fellow,

Association for Psychological Science The Association for Psychological Science (APS), previously the American Psychological Society, is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to promote, protect, and advance the interests of scientifically oriented psychology in r ...

(APS) *2008–2010, President (2006–2008 Vice President)

German Society for Psychology The German Society for Psychology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie) is the German national society of psychologists for education and research in psychology. The society was founded in 1904 as the ''Gesellschaft für Experimentelle Psyc ...

*2002–present, Member (Vice President and Foreign Secretary from 2007-2017),

Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (), in short Leopoldina, is the national academy of Germany, and is located in Halle (Saale). Founded on 1 January 1652, based on academic models in Italy, it was originally named the ''Academi ...

*2002–present, Corresponding Member,

Heidelberg Academy for Sciences and Humanities Heidelberg (; ; ) is the fifth-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of students, it is Germany's 51st-largest city. Located about south of Frank ...

*1999, Fellow,

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...

(APA)

Publications (selection)

* Staudinger, U. M. (2020). The positive plasticity of adult development: Potential for the 21st century. ''American Psychologist''. * Hessel, P., Kinge, J. M., Skirbekk, V., Staudinger, U. M. (2018). Trends and determinants of the Flynn effect in cognitive functioning among older individuals in 10 European countries. ''Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health'', 1-7. *Mergenthaler, A., Sackreuther, I., & Staudinger, U. M. (2018). Productive activity patterns among 60-70-year-old retirees in Germany. ''Ageing & Society'', 1-30. *Calvo, E., Madero-Cabib, I., & Staudinger, U. M. (2017). Retirement sequences of older Americans: Moderately destandardized and highly stratified across gender, class, and race. ''Gerontologist, 00''(00), 1-11. *Bonsang, E., Skirbekk, V., & Staudinger, U. M. (2017). As you sow, so shall you reap: Gender norms and late-life cognition. ''Psychological Science, 28''(9), 1201-1213. *Oltmanns, J., Godde, B., Winneke, A., Richter, G., Niemann, C., Voelcker-Rehage, C., . . . Staudinger, U. M. (2017). Don't lose your brain at work – The role of recurrent novelty at work in cognitive and brain aging. ''Frontiers in Psychology, 8''(117), 1-16. *Wink, P., & Staudinger, U. M. (2016). Wisdom and psychosocial functioning in later life. ''Journal of Personality'', 84, 306-318. *Staudinger, U. M., Finkelstein, R., Calvo, E., & Sivaramakrishnan, K. (2016). A global view on the effect of work on health in later life''.'' ''The Gerontologist'', ''56'', S281-S292. *Scheibe, S., Sheppes, G., & Staudinger, U. M. (2015). Distract or reappraise? Age-related differences in emotion-regulation choice. ''Emotion, 15''(6), 677-681. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0039246 *Heidemeier, H., & Staudinger, U. M. (2015). Age differences in achievement goals and motivational characteristics of work in an ageing workforce. ''Ageing & Society, 35''(4), 809-836. *Staudinger, U.M. (2015). "Images of aging: Outside and inside perspectives." In: ''Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics'', 35(1), 187-210. * Skirbekk, V., Stonawski, M., Bosang, E. & Staudinger, U. M. (2013). "The Flynn effect and population aging." In: ''Intelligence'', 41(3), 169-177. * Uglanova, E. A., & Staudinger, U. M. (2013). "Zooming in on Life Events: Is Hedonic Adaptation Sensitive to the Temporal Distance from the Event?" In: ''Social Indicators Research,'' 111(1), 265-286. * Mühlig-Versen, A., Bowen, C. E., & Staudinger, U. M. (2012). "Personality Plasticity in Later Adulthood: Contextual and Personal Resources Are Needed to Increase Openness to New Experiences." ''Psychology & Aging,'' 27(4), 855-866. * U. Staudinger und J. Glück: "Psychological Wisdom Research: Commonalities and Differences in a Growing Field." ''Annual Review of Psychology'' 62, 2011 * C. Voelcker-Rehage, B. Godde und U.M. Staudinger: ''Physical and motor fitness are both related to cognition in old age." ''European Journal of Neuroscience ''31, 2010, 167–176 * U. Staudinger und E.-M. Kessler: "Intergenerational potential: Effects of social interaction between older people and adolescents." ''Psychology and Aging'' 22, 2007, 690-704 * U. Staudinger und H. Häfner: ''Was ist Alter(n)?'' Verlag Springer, 2007, , * Paul B. Baltes und U. Staudinger: ''Interactive minds: life-span perspectives on the social foundation of cognition.'' Cambridge University Press, 1996, , * U. Staudinger und Ulman Lindenberger: ''Understanding Human Development.'' Verlag Springer, 2003, , . * L. G. Aspinwall und U. Staudinger: ''A psychology of human strengths.'' American Psychological Association, 2004,

References

External links

*
Website of the University Executive Board, Technical University DresdenProfile at Columbia University's Aging Center

Profile at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Profile at Leopoldina German Academy of Sciences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staudinger, Ursula M. Living people 1959 births German women psychologists