Dedication

This Festschrift is dedicated to Christel Baier in recognition of her contributions to the field of theoretical computer science, particularly in formal methods, temporal logics, model checking, and probabilistic systems.

Career and Achievements

After earning her doctorate from the University of Mannheim, Christel Baier held research and professorial positions in Mannheim and Bonn. Since 2006 she has been a full professor of Algebraic and Logical Foundations of Computer Science at Technische Universität Dresden, where she currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science. In 2011, she was elected to the Academia Europaea. She was the Editor-in-Chief of Acta Informatica from 2015 to 2022, and received an honorary doctorate from RWTH Aachen University in 2022.

Among her many notable research achievements, Christel Baier has shaped the foundations and practical applications of system verification. She pioneered probabilistic model checking, advanced techniques for model checking of continuous-time Markov chains, and coauthored the standard textbook Principles of Model Checking.

Community and Mentorship

Beyond her research contributions, she is widely respected within the scientific community. Her service has included invited talks, membership in key steering and program committees, and organizing scientific events. Christel Baier has mentored and guided many students and fellow scientists. They appreciate her way of approaching every task with remarkable persistence, focus, and diligence. Many of these collaborators were pleased to contribute to this volume and to celebrate joint work and successes.