About
Scientific Coordination Team
The Scientific Programme Coordination Team coordinates the dissemination of research findings to academics, professional stakeholders and the general audience. The research teams within the programme are encouraged to share and engage with their research findings as they emerge, as well as when they are completed, polished, and published. The team organizes (virtual) meetings and events, spreads research findings through their channels and facilitates networking between the research teams.
For questions regarding the activities of the NORFACE GOVERNANCE Scientific Coordination Team, please do not hesitate to contact us using the contact information at the bottom of this page. For questions regarding the NORFACE network and other NORFACE Programmes, please contact the NORFACE Coordination Office.
Scientific Programme Coordinator
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sophie Lecheler
Sophie Lecheler is professor of Political Communication at the University of Vienna. Her research focuses on digital election campaigns, emotions in politics and media, and the impact of disinformation on citizens and elites.
She has published in a wide range of international journals, such as Political Communication, Journal of Communication, New Media & Society, and Political Psychology. She currently functions as Associate Editor of two journals, the International Journal of Press/Politics and Human Communication Research, and she is the Chair of the Political Communication Division of the International Communication Association.
Assistant Programme Coordinator
Selma Hodzic, BA MSc
Selma Hodzic is a predoctoral researcher who earned her master’s degree in communication science from the University of Vienna. Her thesis, titled "The portrayal of sexual violence against Muslim women in the media: the case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina," reflects her passion for exploring media representations and their impact on society. Selma’s research interests also revolve around political communication, with a specific emphasis on the role of social networks during election periods and the dissemination of false news for political propaganda.
Her work has been published in international journal Center for Media Philosophy and Research (CFM).
Communication Officer
Nikolaus Wimmer, BA BA
Nikolaus Wimmer is currently enrolled in master’s program at the Department of Communication Science at the University of Vienna. He works as a research assistant on Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sophie Lecheler and the Political Communication Research Group of the University of Vienna.
Having studied both political science and communication science, his research focus soon shifted to the intersection of the two: Political Communication. Since then, he mainly concentrated on studies around the Internet and New Media, International Journalism and Politolinguistics.
Former Team Members
Dr. Jana Laura Egelhofer
Jana Laura Egelhofer is a Post-Doc at the Department of Communication of the University of Vienna. Her research interests include fake news, disinformation, incivility, and politicians’ media criticism.
Her work has been published in international journals such as Annals of the International Communication Association and Journalism Studies.
Dr. Faime Alpagu
Faime Alpagu is a postdoc researcher at the Department of Communication of the University of Vienna.
Her dissertation project was funded by a doctoral scholarship from the Austrian Academy of Sciences. In addition, Faime received several awards, including the Research Award for Research on Migration and Integration 2021 by the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) and the Dissertation Award for Research on Migration from the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Her research has been further supported by the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM), the IFK InternationalesForschungszentrumKulturwissenschaften, and the Vorarlberg museum.
Her current research areas are migration research, refugee studies, audio-visual studies, biographical research, memory, archival studies, and interpretive social research.