About me

I am an applied mathematician and experienced software engineer, and currently work as a Senior Simulation Researcher for Wētā FX, where I collaborate with engineers and artists alike to create world-class visual effects. I contribute to developing and maintaining Loki, our in-house unified multiphysics simulation framework for VFX production. My work has been used for various feature films, e.g. Avatar: The Way of Water  and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Previously, I worked as a Senior Software Development Engineer / SIMULIA R&D EMAG Software Engineering Manager for Dassault Systèmes (via acquisition of CST - Computer Simulation Technology) in Darmstadt, Germany in the Research and Development Department. There, I developed advanced low frequency solver technology for efficient and physically accurate electromagnetics simulations as part of the CST Studio Suite.

I graduated from Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany, with a Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in (applied) mathematics in June 2013. I was a student of Prof. Martin Burger (WWU Münster), and Prof. Joseph Teran (University of California, Los Angeles, USA). My research focused on physics-based modeling and includes solids mechanics and fracture simulation as well as inverse problems and embedded interfaces.

After that I was a postdoctoral researcher and team leader at the Department of Energy-Management and Power System Operation at the University of Kassel. We also worked in close collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) - now Fraunhofer-Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (IEE). Furthermore, I was project and sub-project leader in various publically funded research projects as well as integrally involved in the acquisition of multiple third-party grants worth several million euros for our work group alone (with 100% success rate).

Fun fact: My Erdős number is ≤ 4.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.