Alexander Boll

Experience

• Jan 2026 – present
  Postdoctoral Researcher, Software Engineering Group, University of Bern

  • Prototype development (MATLAB, Python, Java)
  • Writing and reviewing research papers
  • Supervision of BSc, MSc, and co-supervision of PhD students
  • Teaching support and exam assessment
• Jan 2022 – Dec 2025
  Doctoral Researcher, Software Engineering Group, University of Bern

  • Prototype development (MATLAB, Python, Java)
  • Writing and reviewing research papers
  • Exam assessment and proctoring
  • Literature research
• Jul 2024 – Dec 2024
  Research Developer, University of Duisburg-Essen / Gesellschaft für Informatik

  • Contributor to the DFG project NFDIxCS
  • Prototyping for model-based use cases
  • Writing and reviewing research papers
• Jun 2019 – Dec 2021
  Research Associate, Humboldt University of Berlin (Model-Driven Software Engineering)

  • Contributor to the DFG project SimuComp
  • Prototype development (Python, Java)
  • Writing and reviewing research papers
  • Exam assessment and proctoring
• Oct 2015 – May 2019
  Student Research Assistant, Fraunhofer AISEC

  • Java, Docker, CI, Bash, VirtualBox
  • Programming, software testing and configuration
  • Research, risk analysis, and documentation
• Mar 2014 – Sep 2014
  Student Assistant, Ctb Camtec GmbH

  • Web development (HTML, CSS, PHP) and VB programming
  • Windows Server, mail server, VMware administration
• Sep 2009 – Sep 2011
  Tutor, Humboldt University of Berlin (Algorithms and Complexity)

  • Designed and graded exercises and exams
  • Led tutorial sessions
• Oct 2007 – May 2009
  Student Assistant / Tutor, TU Berlin (Industrial Information Technology)

  • Implemented evolutionary algorithms in C++
  • Led tutorials for "Introduction to C++ for Engineers"
  • Reviewed course materials, exercises, and exams

Education

• Jun 2019 – Dec 2025
  Dr. rer. nat. (PhD) in Computer Science, University of Bern
  Thesis: Bridging the Data Desert: Mitigating Challenges of Model Accessibility in Simulink Research
  Advisor: Prof. Dr. Timo Kehrer · Defended Dec 2025 · doi.org/10.48549/7066
• Oct 2006 – Feb 2019
  Diplom / M.Sc. in Computer Science, Humboldt University of Berlin
  Final grade 1.3 · Thesis: Formale Instanzverifikation zertifizierender verteilter Algorithmen
• 1997 – 2006
  Abitur, Rosa-Luxemburg-Oberschule, Berlin-Pankow · Final grade 1.6

Publications

Authored name in bold. Full list below; preprints and satirical pieces excluded.

Journal Articles

1. Alexander Boll, Manuel Ohrndorf, Timo Kehrer. "SMOKE2.0 Whitebox Anonymization of Sensitive Information in Simulink with Structure Preservation". SoSyM, 2026.
2. Roman Bögli, Alexander Boll, Alexander Schultheiß, Timo Kehrer. "Community-Driven Variability: Characterizing a new Software Variability Paradigm". Automated Software Engineering, 2026. doi:10.1007/s10515-026-00594-0.
3. Alexander Boll, Pooja Rani, Alexander Schultheiß, Timo Kehrer. "Beyond Code: Is There a Difference Between Comments in Visual and Textual Languages?". JSS, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2024.112087.
4. Tiago Amorim, Alexander Boll, Ferry Bachmann, Timo Kehrer, Andreas Vogelsang, Hartmut Pohlheim. "Simulink Bus Usage in Practice: An Empirical Study". JOT, 2023. doi:10.5381/jot.2023.22.2.a12.
5. Alexander Schultheiß, Paul Bittner, Alexander Boll, Lars Grunske, Thomas Thüm, Timo Kehrer. "RaQuN: A Generic and Scalable n-Way Model Matching Algorithm". SoSyM, 2022. doi:10.1007/s10270-022-01062-5.
6. Alexander Boll, Nicole Vieregg, Timo Kehrer. "Replicability of Experimental Tool Evaluations in Model-Based Software and Systems Engineering with MATLAB/Simulink". ISSE, 2022. doi:10.1007/s11334-022-00442-w.
7. Alexander Boll, Florian Brokhausen, Tiago Amorim, Andreas Vogelsang, Timo Kehrer. "Characteristics, Potentials, and Limitations of Open Source Simulink Projects for Empirical Research". SoSyM, 2021. doi:10.1007/s10270-021-00883-0.
8. Alexander Schultheiß, Alexander Boll, Timo Kehrer. "Comparison of Graph-Based Model Transformation Rules". JOT, 2020. doi:10.5381/jot.2020.19.2.a3.

Conference & Workshop Papers

1. Alexander Boll. "GRANDSLAM: Linearly Scalable Model Synthesis". ICST, 2026.
2. Manuel Ohrndorf, Alexander Boll, Roman Bögli, Timo Kehrer. "Turning Merge Conflicts Into Conflict-Induced Variability". ICSE, 2026. doi:10.1145/3786582.3786840.
3. Alexander Schultheiß, Alexander Boll, Paul Bittner, Sandra Greiner, Thomas Thüm, Timo Kehrer. "Decades of GNU Patch and Git Cherry-Pick: Can We Do Better?". ICSE, 2026. doi:10.1145/3744916.3764537.
4. Roman Bögli, Alexander Boll, Alexander Schultheiß, Timo Kehrer. "Beyond Software Families: Community Driven Variability". FSE, 2025. doi:10.1145/3696630.3728501.
5. Pablo Valenzuela-Toledo, Chuyue Wu, Sandro Hernández, Alexander Boll, Roman Machacek, Sebastiano Panichella, Timo Kehrer. "Explaining GitHub Actions Failures with Large Language Models: Challenges, Insights, and Limitations". ICPC, 2025. doi:10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00037.
6. Alexander Boll, Timo Kehrer, Michael Goedicke. "SMOKE: Simulink Model Obfuscator Keeping Structure". MODELS, 2024. doi:10.1145/3652620.3687788.
7. Alexander Boll, Yael van Dok, Manuel Ohrndorf, Alexander Schultheiß, Timo Kehrer. "Towards Semi-Automated Merge Conflict Resolution: Is It Easier Than We Expected?". EASE, 2024. doi:10.1145/3661167.3661197. Distinguished Paper Award.
8. Sohil Lal Shrestha, Alexander Boll, Timo Kehrer, Christoph Csallner. "ScoutSL: An Open-Source Simulink Search Engine". MODELS, 2023. doi:10.1109/MODELS-C59198.2023.00022.
9. Sohil Lal Shrestha, Alexander Boll, Shafiul Azam Chowdhury, Timo Kehrer, Christoph Csallner. "EvoSL: A Large Open-Source Corpus of Changes in Simulink Models & Projects". MODELS, 2023. doi:10.1109/MODELS58315.2023.00024.
10. Alexander Boll, Timo Kehrer. "On the Replicability of Experimental Tool Evaluations in Model-Based Development". ICSMM, 2020. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-58167-1_9.

Theses

1. Alexander Boll. "Bridging the Data Desert: Mitigating Challenges of Model Accessibility in Simulink Research". PhD Thesis, University of Bern, 2025. doi:10.48549/7066.
2. Alexander Boll. "Formale Instanzverifikation zertifizierender verteilter Algorithmen". MSc Thesis (in German), 2019.

Student Supervision

• 2026
  Volodymyr Kachuriak (MSc) — CI/CD-Enhanced Conflict Resolution
  Co-supervised with Timo Kehrer
• 2025
  Judi Abdullah (MSc) — An Empirical Study of Context Modifications in Git Merge Conflict Resolutions
  Co-supervised with Timo Kehrer
• 2023
  Yael van Dok (BSc) — In Conflict: An Empirical Study of Merge Conflict Resolutions in Open-Source Projects
  Co-supervised with Timo Kehrer
• 2022
  Severin Buchser (BSc) — An Empirical Study on the Human Role in Merge Conflict Resolution
  Co-supervised with Timo Kehrer

Teaching

• 2025, 2026
  Programmieren 2 (P2), University of Bern
  Occasional lecture and exercise substitute

Service

• 2024
  Web Chair, VaMoS 2024

Reviewing

• 2026:EASE (2), ICSE, SoSyM
• 2025:EASE, ICSME, ICSE (2), FSE (2)
• 2024:TSE, ICSE, VaMoS
• 2023:MODELS, ESWA, SPE
• 2022:ICSE (NIER) (3)
• 2021:ASE, J.UCS
• 2020:ASE (2), JOT, SPE

Skills

Programming Languages

Regular use: Java, Python, C++, Coq, MATLAB, Simulink

Occasional: C, Haskell, Tamarin, Xtext, R, JavaScript, HTML, Prolog, Pascal

Languages

• German — native
• English — fluent (11 months in New Zealand)
• French — B1 (written)
• Portuguese — A2
• Japanese — A2

Interests

• Bouldering
• Chess (Elo ~1800)
• Project Euler — 200+ problems solved (top 0.2%)