Research Ambassadors Profiles
Meet our DAAD Research Ambassadors! They are scholars and scientists in North America who have conducted advanced long-term research projects in Germany and are happy to help by sharing their experiences with you and answering any questions your may have. Use the interactive map above or the modules below to locate a Research Ambassador near you.
Aftab Ahmed
Research Associate Professor, Chapman University School of Pharmacy - Irvine, California
- E-mail: aahmed@chapman.edu
Research Interests: Protein purification and characterization (Proteomics)
University/Research Institution in Germany: Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried
Richard S. Ascough
Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science Professor, School of Religion– Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- E-mail: rascough@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Religious Studies – Origins of Christianity
University/Research Institution in Germany: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Mϋnster
Elisa H. Barney Smith
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department– Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
Research Interests: Image Processing and Pattern recognition, with document analysis, biomedical image processing, materials and geo-environmental applications.
University/Research Institution in Germany: TU Dortmund, Universität des Saarlandes
Thomas Baumgarte
William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Physics, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, USA
- E-mail: tbaumgarte@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: General Relativity
University/Research Institution in Germany: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; MPI Astrophysik, Garching
Dr. Jürgen F. Brune
Research Professor - Mining Engineering, College of Earth Resource Sciences and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
- E-mail: jbrune@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Mine Ventilation, Mine Safety and Health, Coal Mining, Mine Fire and Explosion Prevention
University/Research Institution in Germany: TU Clausthal
Markus Chmielus
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science – University of Pittsburgh
- E-mail: mchmielus@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Advanced Manufacturing of Bulk and Thin Film (Multifunctional) Metals
University/Research Institution in Germany: University of Stuttgart/Technical University Berlin/Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy
Albrecht Classen
University Distinguished Professor of German Studies, The University of Arizona, Tucson
- E-mail: aclassen@email.arizona.edu
Research Interests: medieval and early modern German and European literature, cultural history, history of mentality, everyday culture, interdisciplinary research, gender studies, and comparative literature
University/Research Institution in Germany: Universities in Freiburg, Marburg, Frankfurt a. M., Leipzig, Halle, Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel
John F. Corrigan
Professor of Chemistry and Director Centre for Advanced Materials and Biomaterials Research - The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- E-mail: corrigan@uwo.ca
Research Interests: Inorganic and Nanomaterials Chemistry
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
Research Interests: Particle physics
University/Research Institution in Germany: DESY, Hamburg; MPI for Physics, Munich
Carol Anne Costabile-Heming
Professor of German - University of North Texas, Denton
Research Interests: German literature and culture, German film, memory studies
Universities/Research Institutes in Germany: Zentrum für zeithistorische Forschung, Potsdam, Humboldt Universität, Berlin; Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Marbach
Jonathan Fine
Visiting Assistant Professor of German Studies – Brown University
- E-mail: fine@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: German literature and intellectual history
University/Research Institution in Germany: University of Potsdam; FU Berlin
Thian Yew Gan
Professor at the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering - University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- E-mail: tgan@ualberta.ca
Research Interests: Hydrologic processes and modeling, climatology, remote sensing, climate change, water resources management and planning, and snow hydrology.
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Technical University Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich
Heidi Gottfried
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology - Wayne State University
- E-mail: hgottfried@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Work Transformation, social policy, gender and inequality
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Institute fuer Soziologie, University of Hamburg
George Heffernan
Professor, Department of Philosophy - Merrimack College, Massachusetts
- E-mail: heffernan@daad.org
Research Interests: Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, Ethics (esp. Contemporary Moral Problems,e.g. environmental, medical, technological issues)
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: University of Cologne (PhD 1981, sabbatical research 1998); Freie Universitaet Berlin (sabbatical research 2003)
Boerge Hemmerling
Assistant Professor of Physics – University of California, Riverside
Research Interests: Atomic, molecular and optical physics
University/Research Institution in Germany: Leibniz University of Hannover; Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig; University of Heidelberg
Matthias Hofferberth
Assistant Professor, Political Science & Geography – University of Texas at San Antonio, TX, USA
Research Interests: International relations and globalizationUniversity/Research Institution in Germany: Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main; Westfällische Wilhelms-Universität, Mϋnster
Kristopher Imbrigotta
Visiting Assistant Professor of German - University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
- E-mail: kimbrigotta@pugetsound.edu
Research Interests: 18th-20th century German literature and culture, Visual Culture studies, Theater and Performance, Historiography, Narratology
University/Research Institution in Germany: Universität Hamburg; Akademie der Künste / Bertolt-Brecht-Archiv, Berlin
Ivan Korendovych
Associate Professor, Chemistry – Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Research Interests: Biochemistry, biophysics, protein design and engineering
University/Research Institution in Germany: University of Marburg; University of Greifswald
Julia Lalande
Manager, High Hazards Unit, Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Government of Ontario
- E-mail: lalande@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Eastern European Migration to Canada
University/Research Institution in Germany: University of Hamburg
Ann Lemke
Oboe Instructor - Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI; Visiting Scholar - Germanic Languages & Literatures, The University of Michigan
- E-mail: mail@lemkestudio.com
Research Interests: German women writers and composers, the interrelationship of music and literature, Goethe songs, music for young children
University/Research Institution in Germany: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Karl-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Alexander Lerch
Assistant Professor, Center for Music Technology – Georgia Institute of Technology
- E-mail: alerch@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Music Information Retrieval & Music Technology
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Technische Universitaet Berlin
Sebastian Luft
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy – Marquette University
- E-mail: sluft@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: 19th and 20th century European philosophy, philosophy of culture.
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Universität Würzburg, Universität Freiburg i.Br. (Husserl-Archiv)
Karsten Lunze
Assistant Professor - School of Medicine, Boston University
- E-mail: klunze@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Maternal and newborn health, HIV prevention among key populations
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Charité Medical School, Berlin
Pierre Mertiny
Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering - University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- E-mail: pmertiny@ualberta.ca
Research Interests: Polymer composite materials, composite pressure vessels and piping, nanocomposites, composite energy storage flywheel rotors
University/Research Institution in Germany: Universität Hannover
Brian S. Mitchell
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering – Tulane University
- E-mail: bmitchell@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Nanostructured Materials Processing
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Bergakademie Freiberg/BAM; DLR; Max Planck Inst. F. Kolloid
Gerhard Multhaup
Chair and Professor -Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine at McGill University
- E-mail: gmulthaup@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Biomedical pharmacology; neurodegeneration and amyloid toxicity
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Freie Universitaet of Berlin (FUB) and the University of Heidelberg (ZMBH)
Joe Perry
Associate Professor, Department of History - Georgia State University
- E-mail: jbperry@gsu.edu
Research Interests: modern and contemporary German social and cultural history; celebration and the senses; the mass media and identity
University/Research Institution in Germany: Technische Universität Berlin
Manfred Philipp
Professor Emeritus – City University of New York
- E-mail: m.philipp@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Bioinformatics, Enzymology
University/Research Institution in Germany: Universität Freiburg; Universität Ulm; Universität München
John L. Plews
Associate Professor of Modern Languages (German) - Saint Mary's University
- E-mail: jlplews@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Second Language Education, Study Abroad for Second Languages
University/Research Institution in Germany: Canadian Summer School in Germany (Kassel); Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
Christoph Schaal
Assistant Professor – California State University, Northridge
- E-mail: ch.schaal@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Ultrasonics and applied mechanics
University/Research Institution in Germany: University of Stuttgart
Ingo Schlupp
Presidential Professor of Biology and Associate Dean for Research CAS, University of Oklahoma
- E-mail: ischlupp@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Evolutionary Ecology of Fishes
University/Research Institution in Germany: University of Potsdam, Brandenburg
Research Interests: German and European Cultural Studies, Sustainable Film and Performing Arts
Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: University of Karlsruhe; University of Mannheim
Research Interests: Political science
University/Research Institution in Germany: Hertie School of Governance, Berlin; Helmholtz Zentrum, Muenchen; LMU and MPI for Social Law and Social Policy, Muenchen
Research Interests: German studies
University/Research Institution in Germany: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin; Landesarchiv Berlin; Akademie der Künste, Berlin
Swen Steinberg
Postdoctoral Researcher and Assistant Professor – Queen’s University
- E-mail: s.steinberg@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: History of knowledge/knowledge and migration/knowledge and young immigrants; environmental knowledge; refugees and borderlands; economic history and corporate cultures 19th/20th century
University/Research Institution in Germany: Technische Universitaet Dresden
Swen Steinberg
Postdoctoral Researcher and Assistant Professor – Queen’s University
- E-mail: s.steinberg@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: History of knowledge/knowledge and migration/knowledge and young immigrants; environmental knowledge; refugees and borderlands; economic history and corporate cultures 19th/20th century
University/Research Institution in Germany: Technische Universitaet Dresden
Tricia Striano
Professor, Hunter College &Tricia Striano Inc. | TriciaStriano.com
- E-mail: tstriano@daad-ambassadors.org
Research Interests: Infant development, neuroscience, design, real estate
University/Research Institution in Germany: MPI-EVA, Leipzig; MPI-CBS, Leipzig; University of Leipzig, University Osnabrueck
Jonathan Veinot
Professor, Department of Chemistry – University of Alberta
- E-mail: jveinot@ualberta.ca
Research Interests: Materials Chemistry, Nanomaterials, Hybrid Functional Materials
University/Research Institution in Germany: Technische Universitaet Muenchen
Gabi N. Waite
Associate Professor, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine
- E-mail: gnindl@iupui.edu
Research Interests: CTraumatic brain injury, hypoxia, oxidative stress, medical and health education
University/Research Institution in Germany: University of Hohenheim, University of Heidelberg (sabbatical)
Alina Dana Weber
Assistant Professor of German, Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics – The Florida State University
- E-mail: aweber@fsu.edu
Research Interests: Cultural transfers, cultural representation in German literature, theatre, and film; German Romanticism and Realism; folklore in performance, literature, and film
University/Research Institution in Germany: Freie Universität Berlin
David J. Westenberg
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemical and Biochemical Engineering - Missouri University of Science and Technology
Research Interests: Plant-microbe interactions, antibacterial materials and science education
University/Research Institution in Germany: Institute for Microbiology, Göttingen, Department of Cell Biology and Applied Botany, Marbur
