Three Outstanding Women from Lower Austria Appointed as Professors (University of Applied Sciences)
By conferring the title “Professor (FH)” on MMag.a Tanja Adamcik, Dr.Birgit Teufer, and Mag. a Barbara Prazak-Aram, the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH is honoring three outstanding educators and researchers from Lower Austria. The appointment recognizes their academic excellence, their commitment to higher education, and their pivotal role in the university’s continued development.
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Wiener Neustadt, October 3, 2025 – Three highly dedicated and distinguished faculty members at the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH were awarded the title “Professor (FH).” MMag.a Tanja Adamcik, Dr.Bir git Teufer, BSc BA MA, and Mag. a Barbara Prazak-Aram received their certificates of appointment during a formal ceremony. With this honor, the university recognizes their exceptional achievements in teaching, research, and academic development.“By appointing these three faculty members as Professors (FH), we are not only recognizing academic excellence but also the high standards we set for teaching and research at FERNFH,”emphasizes FERNFH Managing Director Mag. (FH) Axel Jungwirth, MEng, AKKM.
Recognition for Academic Achievement and Commitment to Teaching
Appointment as a professor (FH) requires extensive academic qualifications, many years of experience in higher education, and a close connection to the university. The three new female professors meet these requirements in an exceptional manner. Through their work, they play a decisive role in shaping the direction and development of the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH. Prof. (FH) DI Dr. Martin Staudinger delivered the laudatory address, in which he not only highlighted the individual achievements of the honorees but also emphasized how deeply their work shapes the values and spirit of FERNFH:“The university […] wishes to recognize your exceptional dedication and the unique way in which you pursue the calling to which you feel committed.”
MMag.a Tanja Adamcik, a native of Lower Austria from the district of Baden, earned degrees in nursing and psychology from the University of Vienna and completed the psychotherapy preparatory course. She has been teaching at the university level continuously since 2015; in 2016, she also began working full-time at the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH, where she has served as program director of the bachelor’s program in Aging Services Management since 2017. In 2024, Adamcik became deputy dean and has since been jointly responsible for the academic affairs of the FERNFH. Her scholarly work includes numerous publications and articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as presentations at international conferences. Particularly noteworthy is her commitment to innovative teaching methods and student support, such as the introduction of the “Ab ins Ziel” support course to assist part-time students during the final phase of their studies.“This appointment is a great honor for me and encourages me to continue shaping teaching and research with openness and passion,”said Tanja Adamcik.
Mag. a Barbara Prazak-Aram, an educator from the Baden district, completed her studies at the University of Vienna with a focus on special and therapeutic education. She has been teaching at the university level since 2007 and has also been teaching at the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH since 2016. In 2017, she was awarded second place in the university’s internal teaching award for excellence in distance learning. She has made significant contributions to the design and implementation of the master’s program in Digital Health Management at FERNFH, which she has also headed since 2024. Prazak-Aram has published in international journals and presented numerous papers at international conferences; she has also gained many years of experience in non-university research at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT).“This award motivates me to continue developing innovative teaching and learning formats, to provide students with practical guidance, and to actively promote the transfer of knowledge between research and teaching,”emphasizes Barbara Prazak-Aram.
Dr. Birgit Teufer, BSc, BA, MA, a native of the Krems-Land district, is a graduate of the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH, where she completed her master’s degree in Business Administration and Business Psychology in 2016. She earned her Ph.D. in Social and Economic Sciences from the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt in 2024. In addition, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology as well as in European Economics and Business Management. Birgit Teufer has several years of teaching experience at various universities and has headed the Institute for Economics & Psychology at FERNFH since 2024. She conducts internationally renowned research on sustainability communication, consumer behavior, and alternative economic models, and her publications appear in recognized academic journals.“I am very pleased about this recognition, which shows that sustainable and socially relevant research has a place at FERNFH,”says Birgit Teufer.
Martin Staudinger, Dean of FERNFH, concluded his laudatory speech with the following words:“I would like to thank you for the passion you bring to your work as teachers and researchers, and for that we would like to honor you and, from now on, address you with the title of Professor (FH).” In doing so, he honored the three women as outstanding figures in the Austrian higher education landscape, whose commitment to teaching, research, and university development is exemplary.
