Coffee Connections

After a hiatus from recording and editing, I’m back with an interview with Lili Zeng, a Canadian physicist, recent PhD graduate from McGill University, and author of the debut novel Dear Haider.

Lili reflects on how her 2011 DAAD RISE Germany internship introduced her to research, shaped her academic journey, and inspired the setting for her novel. We discuss the value of exploring different career paths, balancing science and creativity, mental health, and how international experiences foster both personal and professional growth. Lili also shares practical advice for future RISE applicants, memorable experiences traveling through Germany, and why stepping outside your comfort zone can open unexpected opportunities.

Whether you're considering research in Germany, pursuing a career in STEM, or looking for inspiration to follow multiple passions, this episode has something for you. Have a Listen!

Find out more about Lili and her novel https://lilizengphd.com/

Celebrating 50 episodes of Coffee Connections!

For nearly five years, I’ve shared stories from people building bridges between the U.S. and Germany, many supported through DAAD funding. For this milestone — and DAAD’s 100-year anniversary — I spoke with filmmaker Su Friedrich, granddaughter of Carl Joachim Friedrich, one of DAAD’s founders. In a beautiful twist, Su had no idea her grandfather helped create the very program that later supported her own artistic journey.

I’m so grateful for everyone who’s joined me on this path. Here’s to 50 episodes... and many more. Have a listen!

Check out Su's work at https://sufriedrich.com/.

In this episode, I speak with Aarish Lakhani, DAAD RISE professional alumnus.

RISE professional offers summer research internships in Germany to master's and PhD students at companies in non-university research institutions with strong relations to industry. Aarish is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Illinois, and he participated in the program last year. Aarish shares his experience with the program at Fraunhofer Institute in Bremerhaven, working on wind energy projects, creating a deep learning model for wind turbine power production. He highlights the cultural differences between Germany and the US and the importance of learning German and the benefits of the RISE program for his career. He also emphasizes the value of persistence and the impact of international experience on future opportunities. On a personal note, he shares one of his favorite activities, walking the 40 minutes back home past blackberry bushes and filling his lunchbox with the fruits of late summer.

Have a listen!

A transcript of this conversation is available on www.daad.org.

In this episode, I spoke with Diplomat Oliver Schramm, Consulate General of Germany San Francisco, from 2021 - 2025. Have a listen!

Check the podcast page on daad.org for a transcript of this episode.

In this episode, I talk to representatives from 10 German universities, as well as a representative of the alliance of 9 Technical Universities in Germany. We discussed the attractiveness of German universities for international students, highlighting the quality, affordability, and diversity of educational opportunities. Each representative shared details about their region and why their university is attractive to international students.

Please note that the selection you will hear in this episode is coincidental and is based on availability and the right setting at the conference. Universities in this episode:

RWTH Aachen 2:42

Justus Liebig University 7:07

Technical University Mittelhessen 10:27

TU9 Alliance of Technical Universities 17:06

Technical University Dresden 24:04

University of Rostock 31:08

Leibniz Universität Hannover 33:17

University of Bonn 44:44

University of Cologne 49:34

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich 1:02:00

Today’s Coffee Connection is another musical episode. I chatted with Ngoc Vu, DAAD Music Scholarship Alumnus. He has won several national and international piano competitions over the years.

Ngoc debuted in Semperoper Hall in Dresden when he turned 15, and he played at Carnegie Hall during the annual DAAD Sound Understanding Concert.

Ngoc is originally from Dresden, Germany. What started as a mere coincidence turned into a successful career as a pianist.

After graduating with an artist diploma from the University of Southern California 2018, he moved to Miami, FL. Recently, he finished his Artist Diploma in Piano Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.

Throughout the episode, you’ll hear several pieces he enjoys playing.

Find the transcript on DAAD.org - Podcast

Since 1925, DAAD has supported around three million students and academics from Germany, Europe, and worldwide.

In this episode, I feature Henry Thompson, an associate professor of Political Science at Arizona State University who received DAAD not once, but four times.

Henry received a Semester Scholarship, followed by 2 Graduate Scholarships and a Summer Fellowship.

For more, have a listen!

--- Transcript at www.daad.org/en/about-us/who-we-are/podcast/ ---

This episode features Russell Berman, a DAAD alumnus, shared his experiences of receiving DAAD funding twice: a post-BA year in Munich in 1972 and a dissertation fellowship from 1977 to 1979. These scholarships significantly influenced his career, steering him towards German Studies. His dissertation focused on literary criticism in the mass press from the late 19th to early 20th century. Berman emphasized the transformative impact of studying abroad, advising young scholars to consider turning their post-BA year into an MA for career advancement. He highlighted the importance of international exchange for gaining diverse perspectives and building networks.

This week:

I spoke with 3 RISE alumnae who share their experiences and best practices on how to apply.

I spoke with:

Elizabeth: interned at Munich University of Applied Sciences and researched on 3-d printing with concrete project

Nandana: interned at the Hochschule Kaiserslautern and worked on an advanced usability and gamification project

And Lauryn went to Freiberg and studied iron oxide catalysts for the catalytic converters for the oxidation of methane gas.

In this episode, I share 11 more interviews from the NAFSA conference in May for my special project as part of the 2023-24 Diversity Abroad Communities of Practice: Career Advancement and Belonging. My conversations revolve around career advancement and the sense of belonging within one's professional journey.

A big thank you to my interviewees for sharing their stories during a very busy conference week, oftentimes in crowded, loud spaces: Alyssa Slager (1:36) Anna Hayes (7:25) Sally McLeod (12:22) Travis Pentz (16:10) Ximena Ospina (23:26) Kate Campbell (31:35) Lee Rivers (35:00) Lindsay Calvert (41:50) Katherine Haan (46:15) Mar Roig Ripoll (55:48) Tiff Pierskalla (1:06:13).