2023-10-15

Vita #

Prof. Dr. Maximilian Schich #

Tallinn University, Estonia

Narva maantee 25, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia
email: mxs@tlu.ee & maximilian@schich.info
phone: +372-521-3852 web: https://cudan.tlu.ee/team/max & http://www.schich.info

ORCID 0000-0002-6753-7334 Born: Munich, 1974-10-10 Nationality: German

Summary #

Maximilian is an multidisciplinary scientist and art historian who collaborates towards a systematic understanding of art and culture, using critical and creative aesthetics, qualitative inquiry, quantitative measurement, and computation.

Education #

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), Germany
Dr. phil. in Art History (2007-05-02)

Monograph on “Reception and Visual Citation as Complex Networks” (in German), with advisors Horst Bredekamp & Arnold Nesselrath, magna cum laude (thesis) / summa cum laude (defense).

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Germany
Magister Artium in Art History, Classical Archaeology, and General Psychology (2001-02-20)

Thesis on “Ground plans of Roman baths in Renaissance drawings” (in German), with advisor Hubertus Kohle, total: very good.

Employment #

Tallinn University, Estonia
Professor for Cultural Data Analytics & CUDAN ERA Chair (since June 2020)

Forming, managing, and sustaining the EU-funded CUDAN Open Lab and research group, including 6 postdocs, 6 PhD students, and 3 affiliated faculty, operating across 3 schools and several relevant disciplines.

The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson/TX
Associate Professor in Arts and Technology & Head, Cultural Science Lab (Jan 2013–May 2020)
Founding member, Edith O’Donnell Institute for Art History (May 2014–May 2020)

Multidisciplinary high-risk/high-gain research & teaching in art history, cultural data science, and visualization.

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), Switzerland
Research Associate at the Chair of Sociology in particular Modeling and Simulation (Apr 2012–Nov 2012)

Researching Complex Networks in Art History and Archaeology on invitation by Dirk Helbing.

Center for Complex Network Research, Northeastern University, Boston/MA
DFG Visiting Research Scientist (Apr 2009–Mar 2012),

Researching Complex Networks in Art History and Archaeology.

Visiting Associate Research Scientist (Feb 2008–Apr 2008),

Investigating Temporal Irregularities in Art History on invitation by Albert-László Barabási.

Bibliotheca Hertziana (Max-Planck-Institute for Art History), Rome, Italy
Project leader (Co-PI) (Jan–Oct 2008)

Heading a project with Sybille Ebert-Schifferer and her team on Pictorial Construction in Annibale Carracci‘s and Caravaggio‘s Paintings. Using my Method Producing Scalable Image Matrices (a PCT application with Max-Planck).

Projekt Dyabola / Verlag Biering & Brinkmann, Munich, Germany
Project Consultant / [“Database Pathologist”] (Jun 1997–Dec 2007)

Aquiring extensive expertise with large-scale cultural graph data, enabling current research; Negotiating project-partners, users, coders, and customers; workflow/content analysis; program/data model/UI solutions.

Dr. Pfanner GmbH / Restoration of the Munich Siegestor, Germany
Masonry works and documentary photography (Sep–Oct 1997)

Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek Munich, Germany
Research Assistant (exhibitions, database planning/production), (Nov 1996–Oct 1998 | Jul 2000)

Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte Munich, Germany
Research Assistant (exhibition and database concept/prototyping), (Nov 1996–Dec 1998)

Institut für Klassische Archäologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (LMU), Germany
Research Assistant, (slide jockey), (May 1996–Jul 1997)

Visiting Research #

Bibliotheca Hertziana (Max-Planck-Institute for Art History), Rome, Italy
Wittkower Fellow (Summer 2023 / Summer 2024)

Working towards a collaborative multidisciplinary cultural analysis of Rome.

Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte Munich, Germany
EODIAH Guest Professor (Jul 2017–Aug 2018)

Research towards a monographic book publication “outlining a systematic science of art and culture”.

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (LMU), Germany
Visiting Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies CAS-LMU (Jun 25–Aug 20, 2016)

Invited to engage in “scholarly exchange beyond national research discourses and established boundaries of disciplines”.

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), Switzerland
Visiting Scientist, Professorship of Computational Social Science (Jun–Aug 2015)

Researching Cultural Dynamics on invitation by Dirk Helbing.

Recognitions #

– Biblotheca Hertziana / Max-Planck-Society, Wittkower Fellow, 2023/2024 – Lincoln Center Global Exchange, founding member, 2015
– The Best American Infographics, featured project, 2015
– Kantar Information is Beautiful Award, honorable mention (motion infographic), 2015
– NSF/PopSci Vizzies Award, top ten (science visualization video), 2015
– SciFoo, invited participant, 2009/2013
– Challenges and Visions in the Social Sciences, ETH Zurich, best poster award, 2008
– Society of Architectural Historians SAH, Kress annual meeting fellowship, 2008

Memberships #

– AAAS, subscribing member (2016 - ongoing)
– Network Science Society, member (2008 - ongoing)
– Complex Systems Society, member (2007/2008/2010/2020)
– Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution, founding member (2015)
– College Art Association, member (2012)
– Society of Architectural Historians, member (2008)
– European Association of Archaeologists, member (2007)

Service #

Committee service #

– Humanities & Social Sciences Communications (SpringerNature), Editorial Board member (2015 – ongoing)
– Advances in Complex Systems ACS, Editorial Board member (2016 – ongoing)
– Journal for Digital Art History (LMU-Munich), Editorial Board member (2014 – ongoing)
– Leonardo Journal (MIT Press), Editorial Advisor (2010 – ongoing)

– Complex Systems society, Council member_ (2020 – ongoing) – Dallas Goethe Center, Board member (2016 – 2017)

– European Research Council (ERC), Panel SH5 (Cultures and Cultural Production), STG Panel member (2014/2016/2018/2020) & STG/COG/ADG/SYG Panel reviewer (2017/2019/2021)
– European Commission, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (H2020-MC-IF-2016 ECO-SOC), Panel member (2016)

– Science Magazine (2018), Peer review
– PLoS ONE (2018), Peer review
– Science Advances (2017), Peer review
– Network Science (Cambridge University Press) (2017), Peer review
– Oxford University Press (2017/2018), Peer review
– The MIT Press (2016/2021), Peer review
– Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte (2016), Peer review
– Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences PNAS (2014/2021), Peer review – PNAS nexus (2022), Peer review

– Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften (2022), Independent expert – Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (2018/2021), Independent expert
– CENSUS / Brandenburger Akademie der Wissenschaften (2016), Independent expert
– German Research Foundation (2015), Independent expert
– The Getty Research Institute / Getty Provenance Index (2015), Independent expert
– National Endowment for the Humanities NEH (2014), Peer review
– Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica CONICYT, Chile (2014), Peer review
– NWO Netherlands Org. for Scientific Research (Complexity Prog., Division Physical Sciences) (2010), Peer review
– European Commission, Brussels (FP7, Future & Emerging Technologies FET) (2008), Independent expert

Conference service #

Complexity, Aesthetics, and Data Sonification Co-organizer (with Thilo Gross & Cristián Huepe) – Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Forschung (ZiF), Bielefeld, Germany (March 18–22, 2024)

Cultural Data Analytics Conference Organizing chair – CUDAN 2023, Tallinn, Estonia (December 14-16, 2023)

Towards a Collaborative Cultural Analysis of the City of Rome 1 & 2 Organizing chair – Bibliotheca Hertziana (Max-Planck-Institute for Art History), Rome, Italy (June 2024) – Bibliotheca Hertziana (Max-Planck-Institute for Art History), Rome, Italy (June 26-28, 2023)

ICA Regional Conference: Computational Communication Research in Central and Eastern Europe Advisory Committee member – ICA2022CompComm, Helsinki, Finland (June 27-29, 2022).

International School and Conference on Network Science
Senior Program Committee member
– NetSci 2017, Indianapolis, Indiana (June 19-23, 2017)

International Conference on social Informatics (SocInfo)
Program committee member
– SocInfo 2017, Oxford, UK (September 13-15, 2017)

CompleNet Workshops on Complex Networks
Program committee member
– CompleNet 2017, Dubrovnik, Coratia (March 21-24, 2017)
– CompleNet 2016, Dijon, France (March 23-25, 2016)
– CompleNet 2015, New York City/NY (March 25–27, 2015)
– CompleNet 2014, Bologna, Italy (March 12–14, 2014)
– CompleNet 2013, Berlin, Germany (March 13–15, 2013)
– CompleNet 2012, Melbourne/FL (March 7–9, 2012)

COMPLEX NETWORKS 5th International Workshop on Complex Networks and their Applications
Program committee member
– COMPLEX NETWORKS 2019, Lisbon, Portugal (December 10–12, 2019) – COMPLEX NETWORKS 2017, Lyon, France (November 29–December 01, 2017)
– COMPLEX NETWORKS 2016, Milan, Italy (November 30–December 2, 2016)

Annual international conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (ADHO)
Review college member
– DH 2018, Mexico City, Mexico (June 26-29, 2018)
– DH 2017, Montréal, Canada (August 8-11, 2017)
– DH 2016, Kraków, Poland (July 12-16, 2016)
– DH 2015, Sidney, Australia (June 29 – July 3, 2015)

CAA Annual International Conferences on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology
Review college member
– CAA 2017, Atlanta/GA (March 14-16, 2017)
– CAA 2016, Oslo, Norway (March 29-April 2, 2016)
– CAA 2012, Southampton, UK (March 26–30, 2012)
– CAA 2011, Beijing, China (April 12–16, 2011)

Arts, Culture, Technology and Networks – NetSci2018 satellite symposium
Organizing committee member
– NetSci-ACT 2018, L’Ecole de Musique - Chateauform’ République, Paris, France (June 12, 2018)

Culture Analytics (UCLA/IPAM Long Program)
Organizing committee member
– “Culture Analytics Beyond Text: Image, Music, Video, Interactivity and Performance”, Los Angeles/CA (March 21-24, 2016)

Arts, humanities, and Complex Networks – Leonardo satellite symposia at NetSci conferences
Organizing chair
– AHCN 2015, World Trade Center, Zaragoza, Spain (June 2, 2015, 33% acceptance rate)
– AHCN 2014, University of California, Berkeley/CA (June 3, 2014, 25% acceptance rate)
– AHCN 2013, Technical University of Copenhagen (DTU), Denmark (June 4, 2013, 14.5% acceptance rate) – AHCN 2012, Northwestern University, Evanston/IL (June 19, 2012, 24% acceptance rate)
– AHCN 2011, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary (June 7, 2011)
– AHCN 2010, Northeastern University, Boston (May 10, 2010)

ACM WebSci Visualization Challenge 2014
Panel judge
– WebSci2014, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (June 23–26, 2014)

ACM CIKM International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management
Program committee member
– CIKM 2011, Glasgow, UK (October 24–28, 2011)
– CIKM 2010, Toronto, Canada (October 26–30, 2011)

High Throughput Humanities satellite at European Conference on Complex Systems
Organizing committee member
– HTH 2010, ISCTE Lisbon, Portugal (September 15, 2010)

University service #

Tallinn University service
– Host, CUDAN Open Lab Seminar (weekly symposium, external guests, Fall 2020 – ongoing) – etc.

UT Dallas service
– UTD Academic Senate (2019/2020)
– Outside chair in PhD oral exam (appointed by UTD Graduate Studies) (Mingwen Yang, UTD Jindal School of Management PhD, 2019)
– Outside chair in PhD oral exam (appointed by UTD Graduate Studies) (Ahmed Gamal Helmy Mohamed, UTD Electrical Engineering PhD, 2017)
– Eugene McDermott Graduate Fellows Selection Committee (Spring 2016/Spring 2017)
– Library Committee (adivsing the Dean of Libraries, Fall 2015 - Spring 2017)

UT Dallas EODIAH service
– Acting Assistant Director, Edith O’Donnell Institute for Art History (2017/2018)
– EODIAH Building Committee (Digital Art History Lab design, Fall 2014/Spring 2015)

UT Dallas A&H and ATEC school service
– ATEC Computational Media Working Group (planning pathway course sequence, Spring 2019)
– A&H Executive Committee (advising the Dean of the School, Fall 2013 - Spring 2015)
– EMAC Search Committee (PAG130311 & PAF130304), hiring Profs. O. Banner, R. Guadagno & A. Lee (Spring/Fall 2013)
– Panel moderator, RAW Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Symposium (2013/2014/2015) – MATH-ATEC Working Group (planning Math course for ATEC students, Fall 2013)
– ATEC Curriculum Committee (planning general ATEC curriculum, Spring/Fall 2013)
– STEAM TEAM Working Group (integrating Art into STEM education, Spring/Fall 2013)
– CS-ATEC Working Group (Computer Science requirements for ATEC students, Spring 2013)
– Guest Lectures in ATEC and EMAC courses, Collegium V, UTD Engineering Week, National Merit Society, etc. (2013–2020)
– Co-Initiator & Co-Host, The ATEC Watering Hole (weekly symposium, external guests, Fall 2013–2017)

Funding #

Complexity, Aesthetics, and Data Sonification Thilo Gross, Maximilian Schich, Cristián Huepe (organizers) Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Forschung Bielefeld (ZiF), March 2024, €15.000

Five-day expert workshop towards a sonification paradigm representing complex multidimensional datasets.

ERA Chair for Cultural Data Analytics (CUDAN)
Maximilian Schich (chair holder)
EU Horizon 2020 (grant no. 810962), June 2020 – August 2024, €2.500.000

To develop “a novel analytical approach of Cultural Data Analytics” and “raise research capacity at Tallinn University”.

Mobilitas Pluss equipment grant
Estonian Research Foundation, June 2020, €200.000

To acquire and build high-performance computation, machine learning, and data visualisation infrastructure in support of Cultural Data Analytics at Tallinn University.

Chromatic Structure and Family Resemblance in Large Art Collections
Maximilian Schich (PI)
KRESS Foundation, December 2017 – December 2018, $24.500

Funding a master student to apply machine learning in art history with Prof. Jevin West (CS, U Washington).

Institute for the Study of American Art in China (ISAAC)
Maximilian Schich (Interim Supervisor replacing Rick Brettell on leave 2017-2018)
TERRA Foundation for American Art, September 2017 – August 2020, $137.600

A faculty and student exchange program of The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History in partnership with the Confucius Institute at UT Dallas, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and the Art Institute of Nanjing University, China.

Data Stethoscope for the Brain Connectome
Maximilian Schich (Co-PI) with Gagan Wig & Roger Malina (PIs)
DARPA, August 2015 – August 2016, $270.000

Bringing together network analysis, visualization, and sonification.

EODIAH Digital Art History Lab equipment grant
Maximilian Schich (Co-applicant writing specification) with Richard Brettell (EODIAH director)
Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation, September 2014, $183.500

$5000 personal share for personal equipment, plus use of larger infrastructure.

The Edith O’Donnell Institute for Art History
Maximilian Schich (founding faculty member), Rick Brettell (founding director/applicant)
O’Donnell Foundation, July 2014, $17.000.000 endowment (matched by the State of Texas)

During the application phase, my profile and ongoing work did add to the essential “art/science affinity” as cited by the donors. $36.000 personal share for a PhD student in 2015, $135.000 personal share for guest professorship 2017/18, and $40.000 personal share for research 2018/19.

UT Dallas ATEC Fellowship #1
Maximilian Schich (fellow)
undisclosed private donor, January 2013 – May 2020, $250.000 endowment

Individual fellowship tied to my faculty position. Annual budget ca. $personal to 14.000 per year.

Complex Networks in Art Research
Maximilian Schich (fellow)
German Research Foundation (DFG), April 2009 – March 2012, €122.500

Individual research grant.

Special project grant: Analyzing Art Research Databases Using Scalable Image Matrices
Maximilian Schich (PI) with Sybille Ebert-Schifferer (Co-PI) .
Strategic Innovation Fund of the President of Max-Planck-Society, January – October 2008, €59.000

Research project at Bibliotheca Hertziana in Rome, to exemplify the first patent application coming out of an art history institute within Max-Planck-Society.

Predoctoral grant: Reception and Visual Citation as Complex Networks
Maximilian Schich (fellow)
Max-Planck-Society, February 2002 – January 2004, €46.500

Individual research grant at Bibliotheca Hertziana in Rome.