Congratulations! How does it feel to be a professor?
"For me, becoming a professor doesn't feel very special. I really mean that, because in reality it's not something that changes from one day to the next. For me, it's more a thing you do in academia, a natural next step. An important aspect is that as a professor you have the right to act as an examiner for doctoral students. We have a shortage of examiners at the Department, as I understand it."
What is your research about?
"My research focuses on highlighting how marine biodiversity, especially on shallow hard bottoms, is changing as a result of human activities and how this in turn affects the functioning of these ecosystems. Together with colleagues in Sweden and abroad, I work with shallow underwater forests of large brown algae, collecting monitoring data and conducting field and lab experiments. Ultimately, changes in biodiversity can have consequences for us humans in terms of reduced fish production, nutrient cycling, carbon storage and other ecosystem services."
What was the application process like?
"In my application, I described my teaching and research, both what I have done and what I plan to do in the future. And to be able to apply at all, I had to take three pedagogy courses, which was the most demanding. In total, the application took a few weeks to finalise and was evaluated by two leading international marine biologists."
Interview: Susanne Liljenström
