I am a professor of sociology at the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology (ISS) at the University of Cologne. My research focusses on social inequalities in education, employment and the family. In particular I am interested in how the family of origin, gender and ethnic background affect educational decisions, how gender qualities in the labour market are related to the family and, most recently, how social inequalities in higher education can be mitigated, e.g. by counselling programs.