1990: Staatsexamen and Master of Arts in Englisch und Deutsch an der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

1984-85: Scholarship German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD): York University, Toronto

1991-92: Research Grant, York University, Toronto

1991-1993: Lecturer at University of Trier

1993-1995: Lecturer at Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena

1993: Ph.D. Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg

1995-2003: Assistant Professor North American Studies at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena

1999-2000: Visiting Professor at University of Mississippi, Oxford

2003: Habilitation at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena

2002-2003 Research Scholarship German Research Council (DFG)

2004-2005: Visiting Professor at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg

2006-2007: Visiting Professor at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich

2008: Visiting Professor at University of Bayreuth

Since 2008: Professor of North American Studies and Director of Center for North American Studies at Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel

2008-2014: Chair of English Canadian Language and Literature, Association for Canadian Studies in the German-Speaking Countries

Since 2011: Co-editor of Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht