Name: Sophie Graessler
Organization: umlaut transformation GmbH; Maastricht University School of Business and Economics
Current Position: PhD Candidate (ESR 12)
Areas of Expertise: Change Management, Circular Economy, Organizational Behavior.
Why is Biobased ValueCircle an interesting project for you?
By investigating biobased materials and the circular economy, the Biobased ValueCircle project sets a focus on sustainability, an essential topic in today’s society. Besides, the program brings together scientific research with in-depth practical company insights. I believe that it is crucial to connect these areas to solve challenging problems and have a long-lasting valuable impact. Therefore, to me, this program is the perfect match to not only study valuable theory but also gain further practical insights.
Tell something about yourself, which other Biobased ValueCircle people might not know yet?
Besides investigating change towards a circular economy, I really enjoy travelling and exploring other countries around the world. I had the awesome opportunity to spend part of my studies abroad and it was the best experience! Besides, I also love being outdoors; some of my favorite things to do are sailing and skiing. Other passions of mine are cooking, doing yoga, as well as the occasional knitting project.
How did you become a researcher / scientist?
Personally, I always really enjoyed questioning different topics. During my bachelor studies in International Business at Maastricht University I had the opportunity to get deeper insights into scientific research by writing a research-based bachelor thesis as part of the MARBLE-program. During my master’s degree I then conducted various surveys in academic and non-academic contexts and realized that investigating certain topics really is something I love to do.
What do you like most in your current work?
To me personally, it is very inspiring to work on a project with so many people from various backgrounds, studying a wide variety of topics in the field of the circular economy. In my opinion, it is extremely value-adding to exchange knowledge interdisciplinary, which really allows me to broaden my own perspective and learn new things every single day. Besides, I also really enjoy the connection between academic research and practical insights. This
enables me to not only further develop my research knowledge, but also gives me the opportunity to learn from a practical perspective, while contributing to the understanding of sustainable change processes.