The board is composed of 9 members and 3 advisors. The board acts as a bridge between the university, alumni and our community to facilitate networking and influence in the decision making process at Jacobs.
Judith Michels – President
Judith (’05) serves as President of the Alumni Association. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Social Sciences from our school during its early years as the International University Bremen (IUB). She subsequently spent several years abroad and completed a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Judith is a Managing Director at a global consulting firm, where she leads large-scale transformation initiatives at the intersection of strategy, technology, and public-sector leadership. She lives in Hamburg, Germany, with her family.
Dr. Ishansh Gupta – Vice President
Ishansh (’21 ,’25) serves as Vice President of the Alumni Association. He earned his Master’s degree in Data Engineering and completed his PhD in Causal Artificial Intelligence at Constructor University, in collaboration with BMW Group.
He is a Lecturer at Constructor University and leads AI strategy and digitalization initiatives at BMW Group Headquarters. His work focuses on causal machine learning, explainable and responsible AI, and translating advanced research into real-world decision-making impact across industry and academia. He lives in Munich, Germany, and works at BMW Group HQ.
Dr. Tom Wiesing – Secretary
Tom (’15, ’17) currently works as a software engineer at FAU, a public university in Erlangen, Germany. He graduated from Jacobs with a BSc in Applied and Computational Mathematics in 2015. He also received an MSc at Jacobs as part of the first class of Data Engineering in 2017. During his time at Jacobs, he was president of the GSA in the 2016 – 2017 academic year.
From 2018 – 2024, he was Assessor for Information Technology on the alumni board. After two years of absence — during which he finished his PhD and received a Doctor of Engineering title — he rejoined the board as secretary in 2026. He aims to support the other board members as well as provide important context to how the board handled things in the past.
Leonhard Kuboschek – Treasurer
Leo (’17) is a software engineer at Zürcher Kantonalbank.
When he’s not herding servers, you’ll find him on his road bike chasing KOMs on Strava. BSc. CS ’17.
He leads the charge on building a true generational endowment fund for the alumni community. (also do the taxes, but that’s rather mundane)
Safat Al Fahim – Fundraising
Safat (’22) is on a mission to keep the Jacobs Alumni Scholarships thriving — one fundraising idea and alumni connection at a time.
By day, he’s a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS, helping customers move from “what even is the cloud?” to fully modernized infrastructure. He studied to be an Industrial Engineer with a minor in International Business… only to never actually use the degree (classic).
Outside the cloud, Safat lives for all things that get the heart racing — whether it’s cycling through Berlin, hiking the Alps, racing through an F1 weekend, or training for his next HYROX event (after almost not finishing one this year). He’s also known to be a loyal Huberman podcast addict, a curious reader, a gourmet chef, a pool table philosopher, and a firm believer in the power of sauna — daily. Passionate about longevity and optimal performance, he treats wellness as both a science and a lifestyle.
He believes in good stories, strong matcha, and scholarships that create an impact.
Mario Alberto Hernandez Salamanca – Information Technology
Mario (’22) supports the Alumni Association as IT Assessor, helping keep our digital tools reliable, secure, and easy to use, so the board can spend more time on community and less time troubleshooting.
He earned his Computer Science degree at Constructor University and works on mission-critical engineering systems with a hands-on focus on Linux/Windows environments, automation, and practical tooling. Outside of tech, Mario enjoys singing and music, staying active, cooking for friends, learning languages and cultures (even if slowly), and getting out into nature whenever he can.
Nicklas Vorrink – Network Development
Nicklas (’22) is an XR Designer currently shaping immersive experiences at the German University of Digital Sciences (UDS) in Potsdam. After earning his BSc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Constructor University in 2022, he quickly discovered his passion for AR/VR and gamification, applying these interests through roles in IT and innovative digital projects.
Alongside his professional journey, he is also building an anti-startup called envi, focusing on sustainable supply chains, transparency, and empowering non-tech-savvy individuals through education.
He is excited to continue fostering meaningful connections within our alumni community through creativity, technology, and collaboration.
Elias Bosch – Public Relations
Elias (’22) joined the board because of how much he loved life on campus. He wants to help keep the spirit of IUB, Jacobs and Constructor alive.
He is currently living and working in Berlin and always happy to meet up for a coffee. If you’re into history, geography, politics, movies, China or also just curious about the world, you’ll have plenty to talk about 🙂
Concerning his membership of the alumni board and him being responsible for Public Relations, he wants to increase the visibility of the alumni association through simple and meaningful messaging.
Maria Ficiu – Member Management
Maria (class of ’17) enjoys dancing, hiking, and getting lost in a good book—especially when “just one chapter” somehow turns into five. She’s also one of those rare people who actually likes waking up early, because coffee hits different before the world starts emailing. By day, she works as a software engineer, and by the rest of the time, she’s always up for trying something new!
She joined the board in 2025 and is responsible for Member Management.