Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. PhD Marion Garaus
Field of work
Research Profile
Marion Garaus is Vice-Rector for Research at Sigmund Freud Private University (SFU) in Vienna, a position she has held since February 2025. She also serves as Full Professor of Business Psychology at SFU since October 2024, where her work centers on consumer behavior and the psychological mechanisms underlying decision-making in digital environments.
Prior to joining SFU, Dr. Garaus held various academic leadership roles at Modul University Vienna, including Vice President for Research (2023–2025) and Dean of Undergraduate Studies (2019–2025). From 2018 to 2025, she was an Associate Professor at the School of International Management. Her earlier academic career includes positions as Assistant Professor (2013–2018) and Research Fellow (2009–2013) at the University of Vienna’s Marketing Department. She has also been a visiting scholar at Copenhagen Business School in 2016 and 2023.
Dr. Garaus holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (2009), a PhD in Management (2013), a venia docendi (2018), and a second PhD in Psychology (2023) from the University of Vienna. Her research has been featured in top journals such as the International Journal of Information Management, Journal of Product Innovation Management, the Journal of Business Research, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Psychology & Marketing, and the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. She is also the co-author of a book on store design, available in multiple languages.
Her academic work has earned several recognitions, including the Award of Excellence from the Austrian Government for her doctoral thesis in 2013.
Marion Garaus is actively involved in science communication and is committed to making scientific knowledge accessible to a broader public. For several years, she taught the course "Science Communication" at the University of Vienna, where students learned how to present research findings in a clear and audience-appropriate way. In addition to her teaching, she has organized various science-to-public events, including Töchtertag (Girls' Day) and the Long Night of Research, which aim to bring science closer to the general public—especially to young people—through engaging, hands-on experiences.
Since 2023, she has also served as a Science Ambassador within the OeAD's Young Science program (https://youngscience.oead.at/de/wissenschaftsvermittlung/wissenschaftsbotschafter-innen/botschafter-profile/594). In this role, she visits schools across Austria to offer students insights into academic life, make research tangible, and inspire young people—particularly girls—to pursue careers in science. Her central mission is to highlight the societal relevance of research and promote dialogue between science and the public.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3180-703X
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marion-garaus-84418217b/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4faUhjMAAAAJ&hl=en