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

E-mail: ebarneysmith@daad-ambassadors.org

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

Francois Corriveau

Professor – McGill University, Canada

E-mail: f.corriveau@daad-ambassadors.org

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

E-mail: carolanne.costabile-heming@unt.edu

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

E-mail: b.hemmerling@daad-ambassadors.org

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

E-mail: mhofferberth@daad-ambassadors.org

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

E-mail: ikorendovych@daad-ambassadors.org

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

Simone Seym

Goethe-Institut - Washington, D.C.

E-mail: seym@daad.org

Research Interests: German and European Cultural Studies, Sustainable Film and Performing Arts Universities/Research Institutions in Germany: University of Karlsruhe; University of Mannheim

Renu Singh

Ph.D. Candidate – Georgetown University

E-mail: r.singh@daad-ambassadors.org

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

Christa Spreizer

Associate Professor – Queens College/CUNY

E-mail: ch.spreizer@daad-ambassadors.org

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

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

E-mail: djwestenberg@daad-ambassadors.org

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