New professor at Chemnitz University of Technology: Ulf Kröhne sets fresh accents in psychology!

New professor at Chemnitz University of Technology: Ulf Kröhne sets fresh accents in psychology!

PD Dr. Ulf Kröhne was appointed as a new professor at Chemnitz University of Technology on October 1, 2025. He will head the professorship for research methodology and evaluation in psychology at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences. The certificate of appointment was given to him by the rector of Chemnitz University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier, presented. Kröhne's academic career began at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, where he studied psychology and worked as a research assistant.

In 2010, Kröhne received his doctorate at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena with his dissertation, which dealt with the “estimation of average overall effects in quasi-experimental designs”. He completed his habilitation in 2021 at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, where he examined mode and setting effects. Before moving to Chemnitz University of Technology, Kröhne had been at DIPF | since 2009 Leibniz Institute for Educational Research and Educational Information in Frankfurt am Main.

Professional positions and research focuses

During his time at DIPF, Kröhne held various significant positions, including coordinating test development and leading the Center for Technology-Based Assessment. From 2018 to 2019 he represented the professorship for methods of empirical educational research at the Philipps University of Marburg. During this time, he became deeply involved in research into innovative methods of causal inference, a field that transcends psychology's appreciation of correlation.

In psychology, the phrase “correlation does not equal causation” is an often-heard mantra. In his research, Kröhne aims to make theoretical assumptions more transparent. This includes the derivation of statistical procedures that allow causal conclusions to be drawn under certain assumptions. Studies also show that it is important to compare results from different populations and cultures. University of Marburg emphasizes that theoretical models are used to improve statistical evaluations.

Innovations in psychological research

At Chemnitz University of Technology, Kröhne plans to further develop innovative psychological research methods, especially those that deal with log and process data in digital contexts. His commitment to the development of open research software is reflected, among other things, in his contribution to the assessment platform alea.schule. Here the connection between practice and research is crucially emphasized.

The Research group at BIPS also deals with statistical methods for analyzing observational studies. The aim is to draw reliable conclusions about the consequences of interventions, both concrete and hypothetical. The insights gained not only support the planning of future intervention studies but are also crucial for public health decision-making.

By dealing in detail with statistical challenges such as the lack of randomization or non-random selection, the research group makes a valuable contribution to the further development of methods of causal inference. Research is urgently needed to better understand and strengthen the methodological basis for current issues.