Udo Hebel studied American studies, English studies, German studies, and pedagogy at the University of Mainz and, as a Fulbright scholar, in the US state of Mississippi.[2]
After passing the first and second Staatsexamen as a teacher, he was awarded a scholarship from the Landes-Graduiertenförderung Rheinland-Pfalz and was awarded his doctorate summa cum laude from the University of Mainz in 1988.[2]
From 1986 to 1995 he was an academic at the University of Mainz and gained his habilitation for the subject of American studies in 1995.[2]
He spent several years of study and research in the United States: at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, at Harvard University, at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester and as a visiting professor at a number of institutions, including Colorado College in Colorado Springs.[2]
In 1995 Hebel was appointed professor of American literature and cultural history at the University of Potsdam; from 1996 to 1998 he was professor of North American literature at the University of Freiburg.[2]
Since 1998 Udo Hebel has held the chair of American studies at the University of Regensburg.[2]
At the University of Regensburg, Hebel was dean and dean of research at the Faculty of Language, Literature, and Cultural Studies and from 2006 to 2008 prorector of study and research. Since 2007 he has been the head of the Frühstudium programme (parallel university education for gifted secondary students) at the University of Regensburg.[2]
On 20 July 2012 he was elected the tenth president of the University of Regensburg. His term of office began on 1 April 2013 and has been extended until 31 March 2023 by the University Council in October 2016.[3][needs update]