Outstanding contributions to computer science: Wolfgang Lehner appointed Fellow of the German Informatics Society

Prof. Wolfgang Lehner, Chair of Databases at the Faculty of Computer Science of TUD Dresden University of Technology, has been named a Fellow of the German Informatics Society (GI). It is one of the highest honors awarded by the GI, the largest professional organization in the German-speaking world. Five individuals were made Fellows by the Society during a computer science festival on September 23, 2026. In January of this year, Lehner was also named a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), which is one of the world's largest academic societies for computer science.

“By appointing Wolfgang Lehner, the GI honors a scientist who has made a name for himself through countless publications that delve into the intersection of modern data analysis applications and new hardware technologies, including topics such as query processing across heterogeneous storage systems and the performance optimization of data systems,” says the GI in recognition of Wolfgang Lehner’s dedication and achievements in the field of database systems.

Wolfgang Lehner held the Chair of Databases at the Faculty of Computer Science at TUD since 2002. He has also headed the Institute of Systems Architecture there since 2006. Furthermore, he has been serving as a Professor at the Data Engineering, Science, and Systems Group at Aalborg University in Denmark since 2024.

Wolfgang Lehner's involvement in the national and international scientific community encompasses a wide range of responsibilities: Since 2023, he has been a member of the Scientific Commission of the German Science and Humanities Council, which advises the federal government and the state governments on all matters related to the development of science, research, and higher education.

Since 2026, Wolfgang Lehner has played a pivotal role within the international scientific community in shaping the future of the world’s largest association in the field of data management as Vice-President of the VLDB Endowment nonprofit organization.

At the German Research Foundation (DFG), Wolfgang Lehner served as a member of the Senate and Funding Committee for Collaborative Research Centers from 2019 to 2024 and as a member of the DFG’s Review Panel for Computer Science from 2012 to 2018. He provided valuable input to the German Informatics Society (GI) from 2002 to 2010 as a member of the executive committee of the Database and Information Systems (DBIS) Division, serving as its spokesperson from 2008 to 2010.

About GI
The German Informatics Society (GI) is the largest professional association for computer science in the German-speaking world. Since 1969, it has represented the interests of computer scientists in academia, society, and politics, and has advocated for a digitalization that benefits society as a whole. With 14 academic divisions, over 30 active regional chapters, and countless specialized groups, the GI serves as a platform and voice for all disciplines in computer science.

Contact:
Prof. Wolfgang Lehner
Tel. +49 351 463-38383
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