Prof. Dr. Lysann Zander

Lysann Zander is Full Professor of Empirical Education Research and Director of the Institute of Educational Science at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany. She also teaches Social Psychology at NYU Berlin. Her research focuses on understanding and reducing educational inequalities, particularly at the intersection of gender, migration background, and academic identity. Drawing from social and educational psychology, she investigates how students’ relationships and social networks shape learning experiences and academic trajectories—especially in STEM fields, where belonging and identification with academic communities can be fragile. Committed to interdisciplinary collaboration, she works to translate empirical insights into evidence-based interventions that not only support students in overcoming academic challenges but enable them to thrive—especially those who may feel marginalized or uncertain within educational systems.