Elisabeth’s interdisciplinary journey began with practical educational experience as a qualified kindergarten and after-school-centre teacher, providing a foundation in pedagogy that continues to inform her research and teaching.
She holds a BA in educational sciences (University of Innsbruck), an MSc in research design and methodology (University of Oxford), an MPhil in reproductive sociology (University of Cambridge), and a PhD in sociology (University of Cambridge).
Her academic work has been supported through competitive scholarships, including doctoral funding from the University of Cambridge and the Travers Smith city law firm, as well as nominations for teaching awards in Austria.
| Date | Degree | Thesis title | Thesis methods | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.2019 -12.2024 | University of Cambridge – PhD in Sociology | Choices of non-normativity: On coming out as LGBTQA+ within higher education settings | Semi-structured online interviews, thematic analysis, ATLAS.ti, diversity advisory board, theory development | (the University of Cambridge does not provide distinctions for PhD degrees) |
| 10.2017 – 06.2018 | University of Cambridge – MPhil in Sociology of Reproduction | “I can’t be a parent if I’m not there”: Investigating how leave shapes parental identity experience among female same‐sex parents | Diary-interview method (DIM), creative interview methods (sentence completion, photo elicitation), thematic analysis, NVivo | High Pass |
| 10.2016 – 08.2017 | University of Oxford – MSc in Education (Research Training) | Relearning gender: Exploring lesbian women’s parenting roles | Participant observation, biographical interviews, couple interviews, creative interview methods (task mapping, photo elicitation), narrative analysis (ethnographic portraiture) | High Pass |
| 10.2012 – 08.2015 | University of Innsbruck – BA in Educational Sciences | Beyond pure love: A definition of child instrumentalisation | Theoretical work (gift theory, attachment theory) | With Distinction |
| 09.2007 – 06.2012 | BAKIP Kettenbrücke – Kindergarten and after-school-centre teacher diploma | – | – | With Distinction |
Grants and Scholarships
| 21.03.2024 | University of Cambridge – Newnham College | Completion grant for PhD research | £1000 |
| 22.06.2021 | University of Cambridge – Newnham College | 150th anniversary project funding for ‘Newnham Queer Archiving Project’ (group project) | £1100 |
| 05.12.2019 | University of Cambridge – School of Humanities & Social Sciences | PhD studentship for maintenance costs | £37’500 |
| 07.10.2019 | University of Cambridge – lgbtQ+@cam | Travers Smith lgbtQ+@cam Doctoral Bursary for tuition fees | £30’000 |
| 19.05.2016 | European Forum Alpbach | Scholarship Club Alpbach Tirol for seminar week 2016 | worth 1200€ |
| 19.11.2015 | University of Innsbruck | Fellowship for gifted students and superior academic achievements (year 2014/15) | 1500€ |
| 09.10.2014 | University of Innsbruck | Fellowship for gifted students and superior academic achievements (year 2013/14) | 1500€ |
Prizes and Nominations
| 01.03.2021 | Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research (Austria) | Nominated for state prize Ars docendi, a prize for excellent higher education teaching (selected as the one nominated representative for the Faculty of Education, University of Innsbruck) |
| 13.11.2020 | University of Innsbruck | Nominated for teaching prize LehrePLUS |
| 02.09.2015 | The Global Undergraduate Awards | ‘Highly Commended’ (being in the top 10% of over 5100 academic submissions from around the world; invitation to the Global Summit 2015) |
| 29.03.2014 | Papageno Award 2014 (International Youth Theatre Award) | Award Winner of the Golden Bird in the category ‘Best Leading Actress’ |
