Dr. Kathrin Hippmann studied German language and literature, psychology, and sociology at RWTH Aachen University, where she subsequently completed her doctorate on the topic of literacy acquisition. She then worked at Florida State University, the Florida Center for Reading Research, and as a research associate at RWTH Aachen University and Bergische Universität Wuppertal on projects focusing on reading research. At the Mercator Institute, she headed the Language and Learning Department until March 2020. Since April 2020, she has been coordinating the research network in the initiative Transfer of Language Education, Reading and Writing Support(BiSS-Transfer) in the department Language and Educational System. From October 1, 2020, until the end of September 2021, she took over the departmental leadership on an interim basis.