Making the world a better place is the vision that Michelle Müller lives for. At the Department of Information Systems, she conducts research into the online behaviour of people on digital marketplaces and its effects. She travels halfway around the world to exchange ideas with her research colleagues - and yet she always enjoys coming home.
You don't have to look far to find a common thread in Michelle Müller's life. "I'm a true Paderborn native," laughs the young researcher, and her love for her East Westphalian homeland is immediately apparent. Born and raised in Paderborn, she still enjoys living and working here today. Even study offers from Dortmund, Cologne and Bielefeld can't entice her.
"I'm a very family orientated person. I have my whole environment here and like the short distances," says Müller, but at the same time emphasises that the focus of the degree course at the university also played a significant role in her decision. The 26-year-old, who works as a research assistant at the Chair of Information Systems, in particular Digital Markets, and is doing her doctorate, particularly emphasises the interdisciplinary structure of the Department of Information Systems. The various professorships are not only well networked in terms of content, but also in terms of personnel. "There is a very informal atmosphere in our department. From the Master's degree onwards at the latest, the professors know almost every student personally, identification with the subject is encouraged from the outset and is therefore very pronounced among both lecturers and fellow students."
The good connections between students also enabled Müller to move from the Chair of Operations Research to the Chair of Digital Markets as a student assistant for the transition to the Master's programme. Her courage is rewarded with a highlight of her academic career to date: she receives the prize for outstanding theses. "Of course I'm proud, this award is a nice way to be recognised," says a delighted Müller. Nevertheless, she was not expecting the prize. "I had the incentive to write a very good Master's thesis because it was supposed to result in a research paper. Nevertheless, there were always doubts and some challenges that I had to deal with." But the success and the confirmation that he was on the right track proved Müller right.
The fascination for research has long since been awakened. Encouraged by the encouragement of the staff at the Chair of Digital Markets, she travelled to her first conference in Lüneburg together with other doctoral candidates and student assistants, where she made her first contacts in the research community. "I am very happy that my doctorate will allow me to fulfil both my passion for research and my enjoyment of teaching, which I discovered while working as a student assistant," says Müller.
Her last research trip to date will take her to a conference in Austin, Texas, in December 2021. "That was my first international conference and I am grateful that we were able to take advantage of such a great opportunity for collegial exchange despite the pandemic situation," enthuses the doctoral candidate. She is also proud that her current research paper also impressed her international colleagues and was honoured with the Best Short Paper Award as a runner-up.
But what exactly is Müller researching? A look at her list of publications is impressive - Dear Guests, please pay for my license - Analysing the heterogenous cost-pass-through of commercial and non-commercial rental suppliers in response to regulatory policies or Moment or Movement - An Empirical Analysis of the Heterogeneous Impact of Media Attention on Charitable Crowdfunding Campaigns are just two of the numerous research contributions.
What sounds highly complicated in a nutshell is easily summarised by the doctoral candidate. "In short, I am investigating the online behaviour of people on digital marketplaces and its effects." In addition to the extensive data sets that she meticulously analyses, she is also interested in the psychological component. What makes people tick when they go online? What impact do delivery services have on regional catering, how are Airbnb offers changing the housing market, what influence does extensive media coverage of social injustices have on, for example, crowdfunding campaigns relevant to the topic? Müller examines these and many other questions on a daily basis and adds with a smile: "You could also summarise my focus under the keyword 'people, images, emotions'."
Müller's explanations don't just sound plausible. Her passion for her specialism is palpable in every word. "If you can't explain your research to anyone, it's not relevant," says Müller, adding that she herself is always enthusiastic. "I am in the fortunate position of being able to say that I enjoy working on my subject every day." Her declared goal is to make the world a better place with her research.
Despite all the euphoria and passion for her work, a strict separation of work and leisure is very important to the young scientist. "I simply need a balance to the often challenging university life." After all, she says, too much pressure is never conducive to one's own work. Müller can really switch off during regular runs with her father and at her local football club, SC Borchen, with which she is still involved to this day. "Even if I can't play as often as I used to," Müller adds a little regretfully.
Müller's straightforward career path is impressive. Even today, it is still not a matter of course. "I come from a classic working-class family. Neither of my parents have A-levels. They always supported and encouraged me in everything, but unlike my fellow students from academic families, I never had any personal experience to fall back on." Nevertheless, her parents laid the foundations for their daughter's interest in logic and technology and her love of writing, which is why Müller chose to study German and computer science at school. After a study information day, she finally decided to go into business informatics. The exchange with her sister, who is also doing a doctorate in business informatics in Paderborn, is also an important part of her everyday life.
How do two young women experience a world of study and work that is still dominated by men? Müller brushes away her concerns. In fact, she says, she has never seen a problem in being in the minority as a woman in her field. "Just because I'm one of the few, I'm not giving up what I enjoy," explains Müller confidently, adding that the initial clear preponderance of male first-year students is increasingly shifting. There are now also more women than men working at the professorship itself, and the trend is rising. A nice trend, in Müller's opinion.
What are her plans for the future? "I still have just under three years to go until I complete my doctorate." The next submissions to conferences and scientific journals are already planned. However, she is not yet considering what might come after her doctorate. But no matter which path Michelle Müller decides to take: Paderborn will certainly play a role.
Text: Christina Görkes
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