The academy recognizes Volker Markl's outstanding scientific achievements in computer science
Prof. Dr. Volker Markl, Co-Director of BIFOLD, Chair of Database Systems and Information Management group at TU Berlin and Head of the Research Department Intelligent Analytics for Massive Data at DFKI, has been elected as a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. With this election, the academy recognizes his outstanding scientific achievements in computer science as well as his contributions to the advancement of his field.
Admission to the Leopoldina is considered one of the highest scientific honors in Germany. The academy elects individuals whose excellent research has gained international recognition and who have had a lasting impact on the development of their disciplines. Membership is granted for life and represents both recognition of past scientific achievements and an invitation to actively contribute to the work of the academy.
Volker will join the Leopoldina in the Information Sciences section. In light of the growing importance of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and IT security, computer science plays a central role in the scientific analysis and shaping of societal transformation processes.
“I am very happy about this recognition and the opportunity to contribute my scientific expertise to interdisciplinary debates and thereby support the work of the Leopoldina,” said Volker Markl.
Volker is an expert in database systems and conducts research at the intersection of distributed systems, scalable data processing, text mining, networking, machine learning, and applications in areas, such as healthcare, logistics, Industry 4.0, and information marketplaces. Over the years, he has received numerous honors and awards, including being named an ACM Fellow and being selected as one of Germany’s leading “Digital Minds.” He is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW), and his research has received numerous international distinctions, including Best Paper Awards at leading international database conferences, such as VLDB, SIGMOD, ICDE, and EDBT, as well as two ACM SIGMOD Research Highlight Awards.
The Leopoldina was founded in 1652 and is the oldest continuously existing academy of natural sciences and medicine in the world. Since 2008, it has served as Germany’s National Academy of Sciences and brings together around 1,700 scientists and scholars from nearly all disciplines. As the National Academy, the Leopoldina performs key functions at the interface of science, politics, and society. It provides independent, science-based advice to policymakers and the public on important societal challenges and represents German science in international academy networks.