Curriculum Vitae

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Current Position

10/2023 - today | Munich Center for Digital Science and AI, Munich, Germany
Head of Research (Research Scientist)
Applied Machine Learning and its Impact on Society

Academic Education

03/2016 - 07/2020 | Technical University of Munich (TUM) Garching, Germany &
Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences (HM), Munich, Germany
Computer Science (Dr. rer. nat.)
Thesis: Efficient Parallel Algorithms for Pedestrian Simulation (link)
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Bungartz and Prof. Dr. Gerta Köster

10/2013 - 02/2016 | Technical University of Munich (TUM) Garching, Germany
Computer Science (M. Sc.)
Thesis: Implementation of an Efficient Equivalence Test for Sequential and Linear Tree-to-Word Transducers (pdf)

10/2010 - 09/2013 | Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences (HM), Munich, Germany
Computer Science (B. Sc.)
Thesis: Navigation Around Pedestrian Groups and Queueing using a Dynamic Adaption of Travelling Times in the Fast Marching Algorithm (pdf)

Non-Academic Job History

02/2022 - 09/2023 | HM, Munich, Germany
Educational-Tech Engineer
CSplus and PlusCS Education

08/2020 - 01/2022 | HM, Munich, Germany
Senior Advisor for Computer Science Education,
CSplus and PlusCS Education

03/2011 - 10/2011 | prevero AG, Munich, Germany
Software Developer (Working Student)

09/2008 - 07/2009 | Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Co. KG, Munich, Germany
Web Developer

09/2005 - 07/2008 | Siemens AG, Munich, Germany
Software Developer (Education)

Research Interests

AI4All: How can machine learning methods enhance the capability of action of the general public?

CreativeAI: How can the intentionality of artists find expression through the use of generative methods of machine learning? Which methods are suitable and how can intentionality be better realized?

AI4S & SAI: How can the methods of machine learning assist us in achieving sustainability goals, and to what extent do they endanger these goals? How can we reduce energy consumption during training and inference?

Private Interests

Scholarships & Awards

2023 | Award for the course Sustainable AI
(Winner of the MINT Challenge)

2022 | Dissertation Award
(Oskar-von-Miller Award)

2021 | Dissertation Award
(Freunde der TUM e. V.)

04/2012 - 05/2016 | German Academic Scholarship Foundation
(Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)

06/2012 - 05/2016 | Max Weber-Program of the State of Bavaria
(Max Weber-Programm Bayern)

2013 | RiMEA Sponsorship Award, Valedictorian of the Academic year 2013
(Computer Science and Mathematics HM)

Publications

2024 | Benedikt Zönnchen, Veronika Thurner and Axel Böttcher
On the Impact of ChatGPT on Teaching and Studying Software Engineering.
In 2024 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON).
DOI: 10.1109/educon60312.2024.10578680.

2024 | Sabine Hammer, Sarah Ottinger, Benedikt Zönnchen,
             Michel Hohendanner, Martin Hobelsberger and Veronika Thurner
ChatGPT in Higher Education: Perceptions of Computer Science-Related Students.
In 2024 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON).
DOI: 10.1109/educon60312.2024.10578742.

2024 | Benedikt Zönnchen, Charlotte Böhm and Gudrun Socher
Bridging Disciplines in Higher Education: The Convergence of AI and Sustainability.
In International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd).
DOI: 10.4995/HEAd24.2024.17278.

2024 | Téo Sanchez, Benedikt Zönnchen, Helena Held, Mariya Dzhimova and Gudrun Socher
Evaluating interdisciplinary and project-based learning on AI in culture and arts.
In 16th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies.
DOI: 10.21125/edulearn.2024.0757.

2024 | Benedikt Zönnchen
Generative AI: Between Tool and Communication Partner.
URL: MUC.DAI Website.

2024 | Benedikt Zönnchen, Charlotte Böhm, Helene von Schwichow, Gudrun Socher and Stefan Wurster
Empowering interdisciplinary expertise: evaluating the impact of challenge-based learning on AI and sustainability literacy in higher education.
In 16th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies.
DOI: 10.21125/edulearn.2024.1433.

2023 | Benedikt Zönnchen, Markus Friedrich and Veronika Thurner
Nachhaltigkeit in der informatischen Lehre am Beispiel KI.
In Tagungsband zum 5. Symposium zur Hochschullehre in den MINT-Fächern.
DOI: 10.57825/repo_in-4411.

2022 | Sabine Hammer, Sarah Ottinger, Veronika Thurner and Benedikt Zönnchen
Bonding in Times of Pandemia – A Concept for Purely Virtual Kick-off Days to the Student Entry Phase.
In Mobility for Smart Cities and Regional Development – Challenges for Higher Education,
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93904-5_19.

2021 | Benedikt Zönnchen (Ph. D. Thesis)
Efficient parallel algorithms for large-scale pedestrian simulation (link).
Technical University of Munich,
URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:91-diss-20210521-1593965-1-9.

2020 | Benedikt Zönnchen and Gerta Köster,
GPGPU Computing for Microscopic Pedestrian Simulation.
In Parallel Computing: Technology Trends,
DOI: 10.3233/APC200029.

2020 | Benedikt Zönnchen, Benedikt Kleinmeier and Gerta Köster,
Vadere – A Simulation Framework to Compare Locomotion Models.
In Traffic and Granular Flow 2019
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-55973-1_41.

2019 | Benedikt Zönnchen, Benedikt Kleinmeier, Marion Gödel and Gerta Köster,
Vadere: An Open-source Simulation Framework to Promote Interdisciplinary Understanding.
In Collective Dynamics,
DOI: 10.17815/CD.2019.21.

2019 | Benedikt Zönnchen, Matthias Laubinger and Gerta Köster,
Towards Faster Navigation Algorithms on Floor Fields.
In Traffic and Granular Flow ‘17,
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-11440-4_34.

2018 | Benedikt Zönnchen and Gerta Köster,
A Parallel Generator for Sparse Unstructured Meshes to Solve the Eikonal Equation.
In Journal of Computational Science,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocs.2018.09.009.

2016 | Benedikt Zönnchen and Gerta Köster,
Detecting Arbitrarily Shaped Queues Using the Fast Marching Method.
In: Proceedings of Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics 2016, Collective Dynamics, 556-561 (2016)

2016 | Gerta Köster and Benedikt Zönnchen,
A Queuing Model Based On Social Attitudes.
In Traffic and Granular Flow ‘15,
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-33482-0_25.

2014 | Gerta Köster and Benedikt Zönnchen,
Queuing at Bottlenecks Using a Dynamic Floor Field for Navigation.
In Transportation Research Procedia,
DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2014.09.029.

Recent Talks

2024 | A Systemic View on Society,
Munich Creative Business Week 2024, MUC.DAI, Link.

2024 | AI as a Tool of Emancipation?
IGA Tagung.

2023 | Generative AI in the Context of XR,
XR for the Middle Class, IHK Munich, Link.

2023 | Generative AI: Between Tool and Communication Partner,
Ready for the Future: AI-Skills as Part of the Curriculum, Dialogue Forum, HM, Link.

Teaching

Summer 2024 | HM & HMTM, Munich, Germany
Artificial Intelligence in Culture and Arts, Workshop, Trainer

Winter 2023/24 | HM & HMTM, Munich, Germany
Artificial Intelligence in Culture and Arts, Project-based Workshop, Trainer

Winter 2023/24 | HM, Munich, Germany
Sustainable AI (Bachelor), Lecturer

Summer 2023 | HM & HMTM, Munich, Germany
Artificial Intelligence in Culture and Arts, Workshop, Trainer

Winter 2022/23 | HM, Munich, Germany
Sustainable AI (Bachelor), Lecturer

Winter 2022/23 | HM, Munich, Germany
Computational Thinking (Bachelor), Lecturer

Winter 2022/23 | HM, Munich, Germany
Preparation Course for Computer Science (Bachelor), Trainer and Coordinator

Winter 2021/22 | HM, Munich, Germany
Computational Thinking (Bachelor), Lecturer

Winter 2021/22 | HM, Munich, Germany
Preparation Course for Computer Science (Bachelor), Trainer and Coordinator

Winter 2020/21 | HM, Munich, Germany
Preparation Course for Computer Science (Bachelor), Trainer and Coordinator

Winter 2019/20 | TUM, Garching, Germany
Machine Learning in Crowd Modeling and Simulation (Master), Guest Lecturer

Winter 2016/17 | HM, Munich, Germany
Linear Algebra (Bachelor), Lecturer

Summer 2016 | HM, Munich, Germany
Scientific Computing (Bachelor), Lecturer

Summer 2016 | HM, Munich, Germany
Theoretical Computer Science (Bachelor), Trainer