Dr. B. Elija Bleher
Head of IFU Graduate Program
With over 16 years of professional experience in higher education and research management at KIT, Elija has developed and implemented key strategies in qualification, career development and coaching of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. In addition, for the past 14 years, she has worked part-time as a trainer and coach, focusing on skills development, career mentoring, and personal growth within the academic sector. This dual expertise enables her to contribute both operational knowledge and a commitment to supporting researchers’ professional advancement. Further training in the field of career coaching and person-centered counseling complements her experience.
A biologist by training, she was awarded a PhD at the RWTH Aachen on seed dispersal by frugivorous animals and ecological consequences for tree populations and bird communities in a South African forest. As a postdoc she workedwithin a large BMBF funded joint project and investigated the influence of plant-animal-interactions by forest fragmentation and human disturbance in East-African rain forests.
Petra Guppenberger
IFU Graduate Program staff member
Petra Guppenberger studied International Cultural and Business Studies with a focus on human geography at the Universities of Passau and Verona, Italy. After graduation she worked in industry in the fields of corporate communications, print productions and marketing. She has been in research management for more than twelve years and focuses on coordination support and communication and public relations.