In-flight icing of aircraft wings represents one of the biggest safety risks in aviation. Researchers have developed new wireless sensors allowing improved detection of ice formation.

When flights take place during bad weather conditions, planes inevitably spend extended periods flying through the cloud layer. With exterior temperatures below freezing – given the typical flight altitudes, this is frequently the case, even during the summer months – a dangerous process of ice formation can take place on the wings of the aircraft. This may have a negative effect on the flight characteristics, even leading to the aircraft crashing in extreme cases.

Researchers have now developed a sensor system that offers assistance with the detection of ice formation. The technology is based on sensors similar to those used on the blades of wind turbines. One of the innovative aspects lies in the design of the new sensors, which are significantly thinner and can therefore be better adapted to the aerodynamics of an aircraft. “The sensors measure the temperature and the degree of icing and wirelessly transmit this information to a receiving unit in the cockpit”, Hubert Zangl explains. He was the University of Klagenfurt (Institute of Smart Systems Technology) representative working on this project. The project team focused intensively on the thermal behaviour of the sensor, on the interactions with other components such as the heating elements, and on the accuracy of the temperature measurements taken on the wing surface. Another part of the project was devoted to achieving greater precision in the measurement of air stream on the surface and to performing simulations of the ice formation process. The construction of the antennae, required to ensure the best possible radio contact to the receiving unit, represented a particular challenge.

Funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the project was carried out jointly with eologix sensor technology gmbh, FH JOANNEUM GmbH (Institute of Electronic Engineering) and Villinger GmbH (de-icing systems for the aviation industry). Testflights were carried out by Airborne Technologies. According to Hubert Zangl, the insights gained can be used in numerous different fields: “The sensor is flexible in terms of its installation and dimension, and consequently it is suitable for use in a vast range of situations.”

Photo: (c) www.airbornetechnologies.at

Der Beitrag New technology to determine ice on aircraft erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

A position as post-doctoral researcher at the Department of English and American Studies brought Matthias Klestil to Klagenfurt from Bayreuth. His research currently focuses on material from literature and films, which addresses versionality and coincidence. In our interview with Matthias Klestil, he tells us about the paths that led him to Klagenfurt, and he reveals what he finds fascinating about the USA.

Matthias Klestil’s grandfather, an Austrian, came to Germany during the Second World War. He met his future wife and settled in the Rheinland region, near Mönchengladbach, which is where Matthias Klestil was born. Klestil’s father has Austrian citizenship to this day, while Matthias Klestil is a German citizen. Applying the age-old question of “what if” – in the spirit of versionality, coincidence, causality, and determinism – the question arises: Would Matthias Klestil have noticed the advert for the position at the University of Klagenfurt if his family had not had old ties to Austria? Among other aspects, his post-doctoral thesis project addresses precisely these “what if” stories in literature and films, which are familiar to audiences thanks to blockbuster movies such as “The Butterfly Effect” or “Inception”, or Paul Auster’s new novel “4321”.

When invited to explain how he chose to specialise in American Studies, he cannot immediately point to a specific event that triggered a chain of subsequent decisions. However, his ardent enthusiasm for the fundamental idea of US America is nothing short of contagious. “The USA were moulded out of the spirit of Enlightenment and ever since those times they have remained in daily discourse with the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution, the very keystones of their nation.” This is a particular feature of the USA, as he goes on to explain: “On the one hand, we have founding documents that enshrine absolute human dignity, while on the other hand we can see that these could never have been fulfilled. Over the course of the history of the USA, steps were taken again and again to draw closer to a realisation of the founding ideas. Yet, much like a pendulum, the process repeatedly swings in the other direction as well. This is a never-ending process.” Founded by immigrants and initially reliant on slavery and racial segregation, the nation is perpetually renegotiating its internal conflicts in a truly rich cultural diversity. The continuous endeavour to fulfil fundamental values and the discursive negotiation in society offer literary and cultural scholars a bountiful field of employment. One, which should also produce much “from which we can learn”.

Matthias Klestil discovered his interest in literature at an early age, and he is all the more delighted to follow the literary path in his profession. He read American and German Studies at Bayreuth University, spending one year at the University of Warwick in the UK, and six months at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. In his doctoral thesis he examined the interplay of mankind and nature, and explored mainly African American texts from an ecocritical perspective, in the sense of environmentally oriented literary and cultural studies. He is due to receive a dissertation prize from the city of Bayreuth for this work on the 9^th of November 2018.

Matthias Klestil does not regard literature as a closed system, but rather he is fascinated by “the bracing effect; by what the written word does to other discursive elements”. He adds: “Literature is extremely creative. It can incorporate so much, and it wields vast transformative power. We cannot simply ask ourselves: What does it do to people? But also: What does it do to the flows and the human development processes?”  This is due, he believes, to literature’s capacity to represent complexity in a unique manner. “In the end, it is only profound, if it does not merely state things, but does more with it.” During his time in Klagenfurt, Matthias Klestil hopes to look into the depths of literature and culture. Literature asks questions. Matthias Klestil wants to discover some of the answers to how it poses these questions, and what consequences they may have.

Der Beitrag Studying coincidence in literature and films erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt announces the following open position:

PreDoc Scientist (f/m) (in German: Universitätsassistent/in)

at the Faculty of Humanities, Departmant of Psychology, Health Psychology Unit (temporary contract for 4 years, scheme Uni-KV B1 www.aau.at/uni-kv, 100 {c8db3f4443fb2f1c80e20e2e8420a201d47393e6b007c83f4847286f4b955a35} employment). The minimum monthly gross salary amounts to € 2,794.60 (14 x per year) and can increase according to collective agreements regarding allowance for professional experience specific to the position. The expected starting date of the position is March 1^st, 2019.

The tasks and responsibilities of the position include:

• Conducting scientific research and activities required for the fulfillment of a doctoral degree in psychology
• Teaching basic and special courses in the Bachelor’s and Master’s in psychology programs
• Participation in the administrative and organizational responsibilities of the Department

Required Qualifications:

•  Master’s or Diploma degree in the area of psychological science at a domestic or foreign higher education institution
• Research interest in the area of family health psychology, public health and/or behavioral interventions
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in teams
• Excellent English language skills

 Proof of fulfillment of the required qualifications is to be provided together with the application documents by the 14^th of February 2019 at the latest.

 Additional Desired Qualifications:

• A research record, documented by international peer-reviewed publications and/or presentations
• Excellent German language skills
• Expertise in quantitative research methods
• Experience in university teaching in the areas relevant to the position

The position aims at the advanced professional and scientific training of graduates of a Master’s or Diploma degree programme with the goal of doctoral promotion in Psychology. Applicants with a completed Doctorate or Ph.D. in a related discipline are therefore ineligible for the position.

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt aims to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions, especially in leadership, and therefore encourages qualified women to apply for the position. In case of equivalent qualification, women are accepted preferentially.

People with disabilities or chronic diseases, who fulfil the requirements, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications from qualified candidates with a migration background are encouraged.

General information for applicants can be found at www.aau.at/en/jobs/information

Applications with the customary documents are to be submitted no later than 2^nd of January 2019 indicating reference code 59H/18 to Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Dekanatekanzlei / Recruiting, exclusively via the online application form at www.aau.at/obf.

Travel and accommodation costs incurred during the application process will not be refunded.

Der Beitrag PreDoc Scientist (f/m) (in German: Universitätsassistent/in) at the Departmant of Psychology, Health Psychology Unit – code 59H/18 erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Die Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt schreibt folgende Stelle zur Besetzung aus:

Postdoc-Assistentin / Postdoc-Assistent

an der Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften, Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft und Bildungsforschung, im Beschäftigungsausmaß von 100 {c8db3f4443fb2f1c80e20e2e8420a201d47393e6b007c83f4847286f4b955a35} (Uni-KV: B1 lit. b. www.aau.at/uni-kv). Das monatliche Mindestentgelt für diese Verwendung beträgt € 3.711,10 brutto (14 x jährlich) und kann sich durch die Anrechnung tätigkeitsspezifischer Vorerfahrungen erhöhen. Voraussichtlicher Beginn des auf sechs Jahre befristeten Anstellungsverhältnisses ist der 1. Februar 2019.

Der Aufgabenbereich umfasst:

• Mitwirkung in Lehre und Forschung mit sozialpädagogischen Schwerpunkten,
• Betreuung und Beratung von Studierenden,
• Betreuung von Bachelor- und Masterarbeiten, Abnahme von Bachelor- und Masterprüfungen,
• Beratung und Betreuung von Studierenden, insbesondere im Bachelorstudium Erziehungs- und Bildungswissenschaft und im Masterstudium Sozial- und Integrationspädagogik,
• Mitwirkung in universitären Gremien,
• Kooperation in sozialpädagogischen Forschungsprojekten.

Voraussetzungen für die Einstellung:

• Facheinschlägiges, abgeschlossenes Doktoratsstudium in Erziehungswissenschaft/Bildungswissenschaft/Pädagogik oder Sozialer Arbeit an einer in- oder ausländischen Hochschule mit mindestens gutem Erfolg (bzw. magna cum laude),
• Forschungsschwerpunkte im sozialpädagogischen Bereich,
• Erfahrung in der wissenschaftlichen Lehre.

Der Nachweis für die Erfüllung aller Voraussetzungen für die Einstellung muss bis spätestens 12. Dezember 2018 vorliegen.

Erwünscht sind:

• Wissenschaftliche Erfahrungen (Vorträge, Publikationen),
• Erfahrungen in der Projektarbeit,
• Facheinschlägige Berufserfahrungen,
• Teamfähigkeit,
• Kompetenz in Gender Mainstreaming.

Die Stelle wird ohne die Möglichkeit einer Qualifizierungsvereinbarung ausgeschrieben.

Die Universität strebt eine Erhöhung des Frauenanteils beim wissenschaftlichen Personal an und fordert deshalb qualifizierte Frauen ausdrücklich zur Bewerbung auf. Frauen werden bei gleicher Qualifikation vorrangig aufgenommen.

Menschen mit Behinderungen oder chronischen Erkrankungen, welche die geforderten Qualifikationen erfüllen, werden ausdrücklich zur Bewerbung aufgefordert.

Allgemeine Informationen finden BewerberInnen unter www.aau.at/jobs/information.

Bewerbungen sind mit den üblichen Unterlagen (Anschreiben, Lebenslauf, Zeugniskopien und Arbeitszeugnisse) bis 12. Dezember 2018 unter der Kennung 679H/18 an die Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Dekanatekanzlei / Recruiting, ausschließlich über das Online-Bewerbungsformular unter www.aau.at/obf zu richten.

Es besteht kein Anspruch auf Abgeltung von Reise- und Aufenthaltskosten, die aus Anlass des Aufnahmeverfahrens entstehen.

Der Beitrag Postdoc-Assistentin / Postdoc-Assistent am Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft und Bildungsforschung – Kennung 679H/18 erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

UNI Party:

The library will be closed and there will be no 24 hour access

Sat, Nov 17, 16:00 –  Sun, Nov 18, 06:00.

Der Beitrag 17.11. – UNI-Party – no 24 hour access erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI