Research interests
Steffen Schweizer is a soil scientist and biogeochemist whose research focuses on the storage and dynamics of soil organic matter and its role in regulating key soil functions. His work integrates systems-based, interdisciplinary approaches across multiple spatial scales. He investigates how soil structure, reactive organo-mineral surfaces, and plant-soil-microbe interactions shape carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium cycles.
Dr. Schweizer studies these complex interactions in the context of how soils respond to environmental changes, including land use shifts, soil contamination, or climatic changes. A central aim of his research is to understand how fundamental soil processes influence soil health and ecosystem functionality, thereby supporting sustainable land management. Dr.
Schweizer’s teaching covers a broad spectrum of soil science, ranging from fundamental lectures and applied field and laboratory training to specialized topics in soil hydrology and soil protection, with a particular focus on the agricultural context.
Curriculum Vitae
| Since 09/2025 (currently until 03/2026) | Acting university professor at the Chair of Soil Science, Technical University of Munich (Germany)
| |
| Since 07/2025 | Coordinator of the Science Topic ‘Soils and Soil Management’ in the M.Sc. program Sustainable Resource Management (TUM) | |
| Since 07/2025 | Editorial advisory board (Geoderma), Associate Editor (Frontiers in Soil Science), Trusted Reviewer (Springer Nature Reviewer Communities) | |
| 08/2024 | Research visit at the Cornell University, Ithaca (USA) | |
| 09-10/2023 | Research visit at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California (USA) | |
| 09-10/2022 | Research visit at the University of Queensland, Brisbane (Australia) | |
| since 08/2020 | Senior researcher and lecturer (‘Wissenschaftlicher Assistent’)
| |
| 12/2015-07/2020 | Researcher and doctoral candidate at the Chair for Soil Science, Technical University of Munich
| |
| 06-11/2015 | Scientific project associate at ETH Zurich (Switzerland) | |
| 10/2009-10/2015 | M.Sc. and B.Sc. Agricultural Sciences with major in soil sciences at the University of Hohenheim (Germany); “very good” (1.3 and 1.4/4) |
Awards
| 09/2021 | Early career scientist award (Fritz Scheffer Award) of the German Soil Science Society for outstanding PhD thesis | |
| 10/2019 | Best Poster Award at SOM 2019 | |
| 09/2016 | Hans H. Ruthenberg Award for best M.Sc. thesis | |
| 07/2015 | NatureLife Sustainability Prize (Tropics and subtropics) | |
| 10/2013-10/2014 | Recipient of the Germany Scholarship (Horsch M. GmbH) | |
| 11/2013 | Dr. Hermann Eiselen Research-Grant for field research in M.Sc. thesis | |
| 07/2013 | Award for Special Students' Commitment at University of Hohenheim | |
| 10/2011-09/2012 | Recipient of the Südwestbank Scholarship |
Lehre
Summer semester
“Introduction to Soil Science” (Lecture and Field Course, English, 2 h/week), “Applied Physics: Soil Hydrology” (Lecture, German, 1.4h/week), “Basic field soil science” (Field exercise, German, 2.1h/week), and “Applied soil science” (Lecture, German, 1h/week)
Winter semester
“Introduction to Soil Science” (Lecture, German, 2h/week), “Graduate Seminar in Soil Science” (Seminar, English), “Soil protection - Organic and Inorganic Pollutants in Soils” (Lecture, English, 2h/week), “Soil protection - Soil functions under different use” (Seminar, German, 2 h/week), “Analytical Characterization of Soil Resources” (Lecture and laboratory course, English and German, approximately 2 h/week), and “Agricultural Soil Protection” (Lecture, German, 0.9 h/week)
