| 1978-1991 | school education |
| 1988-1989 | exchange student in the state of Washington, USA |
| 1991-1993 | studies of physics and mathematics at the University of Marburg, Germany |
| 1993-1996 | studies at the University of Göttingen, Germany |
| 1996 | diploma in mathematics (advisor: R. Kress) |
| 1999 | doctorate in the technical sciences (advisor: H. Engl) |
| 1996-1998 | research assistant at the Industrial Mathematics Institute, University of Linz, Austria |
| 1998-2000 | research assistant at Spezialforschungsbereich SFB013, University of Linz, Austria |
| 2000-2002 | research assistant at the Zuse-Institute-Berlin, Germany |
| 2002-2007 | junior professor at the Institut für Numerische und Angewandte Mathematik, University of Göttingen, Germany |
| 2006 | offer of a professor position (W2) at the University of Bielefeld (declined) |
| since April 2007 | professor at the University of Göttingen |
| 1986 | first prize in state math competition, Hessia |
| 1991-1996 | scholarship of "Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes" |
| 2004 | Wissenschaftspreis des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) |