▁Culture ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Brandenburg , ▁then ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁she ▁served ▁as ▁Minister ▁of ▁Science ▁and ▁Culture ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Lower ▁Sax ony , ▁in ▁the ▁Cab inet ▁Mc All ister . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁W anka ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁She ▁attended ▁the ▁Poly techn ic ▁Second ary ▁School ▁in ▁Groß tre ben ▁and ▁the ▁advanced ▁school ▁in ▁T org au ▁before ▁studying ▁mathematics ▁at ▁Leipzig ▁University ▁in ▁the ▁G DR . ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁on , ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁research ▁assistant ▁at ▁Mer se burg ▁University ▁of ▁App lied ▁Sciences , ▁where ▁she ▁received ▁her ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁she ▁became ▁professor ▁of ▁engineering ▁mathematics ▁at ▁Mer se burg ▁University ▁of ▁App lied ▁Sciences . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁she ▁was ▁elected ▁re ctor ▁of ▁that ▁university , ▁a ▁position ▁she ▁retained ▁until ▁taking ▁office ▁as ▁minister ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁W anka ▁joined ▁the ▁East ▁German ▁citizens ' ▁movement ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ne ues ▁Forum ▁in ▁Mer se burg ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Kre ist ag ▁Mer se burg ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ ▁W anka ▁joined ▁the ▁CD