ThinkSwiss Research Blog

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T17:11:00.000-05:00

Ursina just left back to our beloved Switzerland. My time at the Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education is just beginning. For the next 6 months I will be your contact for the ThinkSwiss Research program.
I'm looking forward to a positive cooperation and exciting research experiences in Switzerland.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Kind Regards,
Benjamin Newman

Tel: +1 (202) 745 7958
was.science@eda.admin.ch (official)
mailto:benjamin.newman@eda.admin.ch (personal)

Goodbye, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen

2009-12-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

My time here in Washington DC at the Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education is coming to an end. For the last six months I’ve been coordinating the ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship and Travel Grants for Summer Schools program. As of January 1, I’m handing over the reins to my successor Benjamin Newman Martinez.

Goodbye to all 2009 ThinkSwiss participants: It has been a pleasure working with 47 motivated, young U.S. researchers like you and reading about your adventures in Switzerland during your research stay or summer school. All the best to you and a lot of success in your academic career!

I wish you and the whole ThinkSwiss community peaceful and happy holidays and an inspiring and creative year 2010!

Ursina
Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education
Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C.

November Is Gone

2009-11-23T07:18:00.001-05:00

Hello all!
My time here has gone by very quickly and my parents flew in to visit me yesterday. They are staying for the week and then fly home on Sunday. I hope to be able to show them around the city and introduce them to some of the best museums. I know I could not convince them to go to Pilatus despite the beautiful view because of their fear of heights. But at least I was able to share this with my husband when he was here. They seem to enjoy the local cuisine and they have had an easier time adjusting to the cost of living here than I have (think of the true cost we'd pay at home as half of the cost in CHF). It's still a bit hard to swallow if you're not making a decent salary. I have been able to save some money by bringing my own lunch to work and only eating out once a week or so.

I have gotten used to some Swiss German, but I still only speak High German since this is the only dialect I know. Although they know right away that I am American, most interactions are reasonable. Sometimes they become frustrated if there is a line in the grocery store and you cannot understand what they are telling you, but that is a commonality just about everywhere. Everyone here walks very fast and is always (seemingly) in a hurry. I think that this just may be in part that it is a city--where I am from people are rarely ever in a hurry to do anything, but that's the South.

My father and I got to go to several free concerts at the Prediger-Kirche near the university. We first went to a vespers service there which was great because I understood all of the lyrics in the hymnal (high German) and the choir was wonderful. We also saw the Meilen Orchestra performing Dvořák's "Aus der Neuen Welt," which was spectacular. There was also a classical guitarist performing with them. We found a good cafe on the way home and all in all it was a great day.

I look forward to making the most of the time I have left here. I will post again once we make the journey to Basel!

Already November!

2009-11-23T04:21:00.001-05:00

I was able to make a new friend in my apartment building named Lara. She is from Cologne, Germany and is also new to Zuerich. We went for coffee at a local cafe and talked about our respective jobs. She's in business and we were discussing the fact that many careers here in Zuerich are still male dominated and it can be difficult to break the glass ceiling even in a progressive city. I also feel similarly about science in some regards as some PIs prefer to take male students rather than female due to the perceived potential for females to take more time off to have a family (men don't have to come to work pregnant when they want to have families). I do know some pretty progressive scientists, though, and I think that soon enough this will be less of a factor in education because of the growing number of women entering the sciences.

The weather here has been beautiful, even when it is a bit rainy. It has been unusually warm for this time of year according to some of my labmates. It seems normal to me since I am used to Georgia's very mild winters. I have found a little time on the weekends to explore, but Zuerich is a very expensive place to live so this has limited my ability to travel much due to the cost of train tickets. I plan to visit Basel when my parents come to visit near Thanksgiving because I haven't been there yet and I'm sure it has some amazing museums. It is also conveniently located in the corner of Switzerland between France and Germany and is only about an hour from Zuerich by train. I am excited to see it. I wish that I could go see the glaciers here in the Alps, but my time here has been going by very quickly, so I do know if I will be able to fit it into my schedule.

I have not learned much about NMR experiments themselves, but I have learned a great deal about the preparation of solid state samples, so I hope to use this when I get home to my own lab. I have made a few friends here in other labs as well. Italians mostly, but they seem to be a fun and spirited installation here in Zuerich. The city is starting to be decorated for the holidays and I am looking forward to the Christmas storefronts and lights in the Bahnhoffstrasse. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures soon. I will most likely put them into a public access gallery so that you all can see some of my adventures!

Final thoughts

2009-11-17T19:49:00.007-05:00

Grüzi!

Now that I am back in the US and have reflected on my visit to Switzerland, I have some final thoughts:

Overall impression – Did your stay meet your expectations?

This was one of the best experiences of my life! I had a great time exploring different regions of Switzerland, learning about the cultures and languages, and seeing such beautiful landscapes. I was also very productive, as I worked on two projects with Prof. Jukka Jokela and completed two of them. In fact, I will write manuscripts based on these two projects and submit them to top journals in my field.

Three positive points?

(1) Quality of work conditions – My experience was that the Swiss invest a lot in scientific research. The necessary equipment, high-tech or otherwise, is available whenever needed, and there is little shortage of supplies. There are few limits when the research is well-funded.

(2) Communication – There were several opportunities available to communicate science with graduate students and professors at Eawag. Everyone was willing to ask for advice, share ideas, and listen to comments. This may be because the environment is not overly competitive, even though Zurich is one of the top places for evolutionary biology research in the world. As a result of this collegial, friendly, and highly intellectual atmosphere, I learned more about my field, as well as how to improve my research projects in the US.

(3) Mobility – The transit system here is amazing!! I don’t have a car in North America which makes it very difficult to get around. In Switzerland, however, one can easily travel the entire country, to new cities or even remote villages in the Alps. Although travel is somewhat expensive, much of the cost is removed when you obtain a half-tax card. I recommend this card for anyone who will stay in Switzerland longer than one month.

Three negative points / challenges?

(1) Cost of living – Being paid a North American grad student salary and living in Switzerland was rather difficult due to the high cost of living. Although the funding from the ThinkSwiss organization helped, support from the institution was crucial.

(2) Language barriers – At times, it was difficult to communicate with Swiss Germans outside the Eawag institute. This was completely expected because I am in a different country, and English is not an official Swiss language. This was NOT a negative point, but an interesting challenge. This language barrier encouraged me to learn some basic phrases in Swiss German. Learning a new language is always a good thing!

(3) Leaving! – I was very sad to leave the research group and my new friends in Switzerland. I had an amazing time, and I look forward to visiting again.

How well were you coached and integrated in the research team?

The professor and students in the department were very kind and welcoming to me. I met with Prof. Jokela almost weekly to discuss my projects, and these meetings were always helpful and useful. Because of his mentorship, I am more confident in my abilities as a scientist and the projects on which we collaborated are of high quality.

The research team immediately included me in their lab meetings, seminars, and social functions. Students and post-docs here took me hiking in the Alps, for Swiss meals (e.g., fondue and raclette), to seminars at various other Swiss universities (e.g., University of Lausanne, University of Zurich), and to different field sites throughout Zurich and the surrounding cantons.

Comparison (advantages and disadvantages) between your Swiss and your U.S. research lab, research mentality and team.

Both labs are similar in terms of the quality of research and publications. One difference is that student research projects in the US are more individually-based. For example, a PhD student’s project may be completely independent from all others in the lab. In Switzerland, however, a PhD project may be part of larger project with several post-docs and grad students. The trade-off is that US students have more independence, but require more time in the degree to design a unique project. A PhD degree in the US generally takes longer than one in Switzerland.

Do you consider going back to Switzerland for studying, a Ph. D. program, work or on vacation?

I will consider returning to Switzerland for a post-doctoral position or for work as a research professor. Evolutionary biology research is well-funded and some of the best labs in my field are in Switzerland. The beautiful landscape is reason enough to return for a holiday. Nothing compares to hiking in the Alps!

Third and Fourth Weeks in Zurich

2009-11-01T05:01:00.002-05:00

So we have made a good bit of progress in our project at the lab at ETH-Hoenngerberg! We were able to isolate our labeled protein and get them into liposomes (one of the goals of the project), so now we can move on to optimizing the signal to noise in the NMR spectrometer! I have also been able to get to know some members of other labs, which has been nice. There are so many types of people here: Swiss, Italian, Indian, American, etc. ! The only nationality that I do not see much of that is much more common at home is Chinese. I work with many Chinese at home, so seeing whole labs without an Asian component is interesting. Perhaps there of more of them in physics or architecture?

I have been able to find some interesting restaurants here, though the high prices often keep me cooking for myself. I don't mind this so much as cooking is one of my favorite pasttimes. There has been almost no sign of Halloween at all here in Zuerich, but then again I am used to the American explosion of Halloween this time of year! A few shops carry novelties and fake teeth and wigs, but it is very quiet here for Halloween. I have heard from lab mates that the Festival in February is much more exciting and many people dress up for this event. I suppose that Christmas season is the biggest holiday here that I may witness. I look forward to seeing how much they dress up the city!

I have enjoyed my Saturday exploring--I often just meander around the city to see what I haven't seen before. I have enjoyed the Aldstadt (Old City) most because of the multitude of churches and bridges. The river is beautiful, but so is the lake. I have walked down far enough to see the ships at the docks on the Zuerichsee. It is beautiful! We turned back our clocks here for Daylight Savings last week, but the U.S. doesn't do this until today, so I have enjoyed having only a five hour difference between here and home. I am anxious to learn the correct way to cook roesti, so I will be starting my experiments tonight with a fresh batch of potatoes! I will let you all know how this goes, maybe even with pictures!

I will write more soon!

Second Week in Zuerich

2009-10-21T08:55:00.003-05:00

Hallo all,
I have been enjoying the city quite a bit. I have finally figured my way around, as well as the bus and train system. We were able to go on an excursion to the Rheinfall last week, which was amazing to see! It was unusually cold that day, but the view was worth it. It was also nice to see some of Switzerland's more agricultural areas outside of the city. The rolling hills and large wooded expanses reminded me of home (Northeast Georgia). We also visited the Zoo, which was great fun. Despite the construction going on, there was quite a bit to see. The animals were a bit cozy since the weather was overcast, but we still had a good time! We were also excited to find a good Greek restaurant (one of our favorite cuisines) in town not far from our apartment. My husband left for home last Saturday, so I have been exploring the city a bit on my own lately. One of my favorite places to walk around is the Zuerich Hauptbahnhof. There are always so many different types of people walking around--businessmen, families with children, elderly couples, teenagers, etc. It's one of the best people-watching venues I've found here.

There are a few things that have had to learn about this place, such as which way the doors open. It sounds very simplistic, but it's more elusive than one might imagine. At home, doors on the outsides of buildings usually open by pushing and the doors on the inside are usually pulled out. It is the opposite here, so I am still running into doors now and again. Luckily, I can laugh at myself. Another observation is that academics don't seem to clap after presentations, but instead beat their hands on a desktop. I don't know if this holds true for other people in the city, but it has also taken some getting used to. How to spot to American: they are the only ones clapping. The food here is great, though. And most people are friendly once they warm up to you. People typically keep to themselves, but I am not sure if this is a Swiss trait or a city trait (many people back home keep to themselves when in the city).

I look forward to really getting to work in our lab over the next few months, and I enjoy the people here at the ETH. I am also looking forward to my parents coming to visit me in November. They have never been to Switzerland, so I am sure that they will have a great time. It may be somewhat murky weather, but there are so many museums here that I doubt they will run out of things to do.

More soon!
Savannah Adams

Fall 2009 - First Week in Zurich!

2009-10-08T15:41:00.002-05:00

Hallo to all of my ThinkSwiss friends!
I apologize for the slow posting—it has been quite the week getting set up here in Zurich to attend ETH for my studies! I arrived last Thursday and immediately was impressed with efficiency of the trains of the Zurich Hauptbahnhof. It is wonderful to live in a city and never really need a car to get around! I got to the leasing office and sorted out my apartment quite easily. I’m staying in the heart of Zurich on Militarstrasse which is only a few blocks from the Hauptbahnhof, Coop, Migros, and many other Zurich mainstays. There is also a bus stop down the street that takes me straight to ETH, where I will be studying NMR with the Meier group. My husband came with me to stay for a week since he has never been out of the US before and I think that this city has already won him over. We spent a day or two recovering from the time change and dealing with the practicalities of living elsewhere, such as grocery shopping and finding our way around the neighborhoods nearby. Grocery shopping is an interesting experience here in Zurich as I am used to having 24 hour stores at home. Here the shops are only open for a short while in the evenings and most people that I have seen seem to shop only for a night or so, making shopping at the market more of a daily ritual than a once a week stock-up. I find this appealing because I enjoy shopping for fresh produce more than most people enjoy shopping for anything.

On Friday we climbed to the top of the Groessmunster church tower to view the fantastic cityscape and we also got to visit the Fraumunster to see the famous Chagal stained glass windows. The weather here is beautiful and we have only had a bit of rain since we arrived. On Saturday we ventured out of the city to Luzern and then to the top of Mt. Pilatus via the cogtrain from Alpnachstadt. It was a gorgeous day and we were able to get some beautiful pictures. We also treated ourselves to some delicious Roestli (a Swiss potato dish). There were not many people when we arrived, but soon the platform along the mountaintop filled up with other visitors (and their pets!) to listen to the Alpenhorns. I enjoyed a quick nap in one of the public chairs before we headed back down in the gondolas. It was quite a day for me, especially since I am terrified of heights. It was well worth the trouble and I was glad to have made the journey! We were also able to visit the Swiss Federal Museum, of which it took us almost two days to complete a viewing of the large collection of historical artifacts!

Sunday was spent enjoying a walk around the city, as well as lunch at the Zueghauskeller near the Paradeplatz off of the Bahnhofstrasse. It was delicious! We helped ourselves to large helpings of their anniversary beer and Kalbsgeschnetzeltes, sliced veal in a mushroom and cream sauce. I started getting my situation at the ETH worked out on Monday and Tuesday, with obligatory forms and trips to key offices as well as being shown around the Science City campus by some lab members. It is a really nice campus, especially since it seems to be surrounded by farmland complete with sets of pastures with cattle and sheep nearby. An odd contrast to the highly industrial styled buildings of ETH, but it did seem to be a good partnership. This week has been quite busy thus far—attending group meetings and reading a lot to try to prepare for my studies here, but the lab members of the Meier group have all been tremendously helpful and understanding! I look forward to working with such an amazing group!

Until next week,
Savannah Adams

Final Report: Architecture at ETH Zurich

2009-09-30T06:50:00.009-05:00

One of the many good impressions made by Switzerland

Overall Impressions:

When I left the States in June I did not really have any firm expectations from Switzerland. I was extremely excited to come and open to whatever the experience held for me. That being said, I did hope that the architecture work I would do at the ETH would help me as I decide which design path I want to pursue in the future. Other than that, I trusted that three months in Europe could only turn out well. I had just graduated from undergrad and I was and remain completely open to whatever any experience has to offer. I was determined not to mistake challenges and pitfalls for negativity, and overall that strategy worked very well for the few times that it was tough here in Zurich.

Three Positive Points :: Three Negative Points:

Work, especially in the last 6 weeks, became really great. I was deeply involved in one of the projects that is being built in New York City in October and I felt that I could contribute directly to completing what needed to be done. Outside of work, I became very good friends with my Swiss roommates. We made a habit of going to the Limmat for beach volley and also went hiking on a few occasions as well. Thirdly, I had the most amazing time in the mountains here. I went on overnight hikes on a number of weekends and got lucky with the weather each time. I covered a lot of distance on my hikes and saw some absolutely spectacular vistas of Switzerland. I think the hiking really made the trip for me.

- - -

It would be a lie to say that the first week was not extremely draining as a result of the housing crisis that I had. Left to my own to find a flat, I had failed in this pursuit and got on the plane from Philadelphia with literally nowhere to go and 4 days until the start of work. That being said, after three days of complete disorder I did get lucky and find a place that turned out to be perfect. Housing though was definitely a huge challenge. Secondly, I wish that I could have communicated better in German and/or Swiss German. I have no background in German so it felt almost impossible to learn anything useful in such a short amount of time, especially when English, Italian, and French all seem to work. The last thing has to be the money: I was not prepared for how expensive it is to exist in Zurich. And I won’t say live because I didn’t “live” here for most of the time because money was so short. I really had to dip into my own savings to come here, and that was really a disappointment. It is unfortunate that one of things I leave Switzerland with, along with the great experiences, is a fair chunk of debt despite the help from ThinkSwiss.

Research Team Integration

The guys at work were absolutely incredible. They were patient and helpful in terms of getting me up to speed with the projects and despite my not being able to help directly right at the beginning, they coached me through that part so by the end I could really contribute to the projects. The contacts I made at the ETH will stay with me for a long time and I am really pleased with that. It was an amazing professorship with which to participate. The project that I worked on to be installed in New York City is happening now and I will see everyone from the chair that I worked with when I return home to New York.

Comparison between Swiss and U.S. Architecture:

Architecture at the ETH is radically different from my American university exposure to architecture. The material covered here is much more technically rigorous—some would say much more useful in a professional setting, but it also seems to stunt creativity and replace it with a huge amount of detailed construction knowledge. It is hard to compare, because I feel like the Swiss architecture students lack what I have learned and I also lack very much what they have learned yet we are both the same age and have the same experience.

A Return to Switzerland?

Absolutely. I do plan on returning to Switzerland to visit my work colleagues and friends that I made here. I will come back to go to the mountains in the winter and hopefully will meet up acquaintances from this summer during that time. I can’t wait to come back!

final post

2009-09-29T15:05:00.001-05:00

Overall impression – Did your stay meet your expectations?

My overall impression of my time in Switzerland was great. I improved my skills as a researcher, found a new area of Cognitive Science that is of interest to me and got to spend an entire summer doing what I love, both in work and in play. Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to meet up with any other ThinkSwissers, which is probably the only expectation my stay did not fulfill.

The research went really well. I honestly expected to get more done while over there but due to an array of different reasons, most of the work I did cannot directly be used. However, I did enough of the foundational research for the project that I am able to come back to Indiana and continue working with both Thomas Hills and a collaborator at Indiana, Linda Smith. It’s really exciting to come back with a project that is begging more questions than it has answers. It means it will be a long time before I can leave all that work in Switzerland behind!

Socially, the experience was rather difficult. I am rather fluent in German but that did not help me much in my stay. Though in lab everyone was very nice and spoke to me in high German. I was really expecting to come back able to understand Swiss German but that did not happen. I think the language barrier made conversations more contrived than normal and limited some of the subject matter that could easily be discussed. I often found myself visiting friends in Germany over the weekend because I didn’t know enough people in and around Basel to spend the weekend there. Even so, I made a few good friends that I plan to stay in good touch with. Not to mention all the lab friends I made that I will be seeing around at conferences and the such.

Three positive points?

The community within the lab was great. I have people in Switzerland I want to stay in touch with and nearly every one of them is from my lab. The lab offered not only research support but also the social network that I needed to become part of Basel life.

The 5 day work week is enough to make me consider leaving graduate school behind. Having a 40 (okay… usually a bit more) hour workweek doing what I love was wonderful and definitely hard to give up to return to Indiana and resume classes.

Having weekends free (as opposed to filled with a combination of work, research and homework) was amazing. I was able to travel quite a bit around Switzerland as well as around Germany. I also took a couple trips to other places to present at conferences and once for a vacation. It was great to be able to see so much of Europe and to get to know Switzerland really well.

Three negative points / challenges?

The language was probably the most challenging and frustrating thing. Being fluent in German, I expected to be able to apply and maybe even improve my German language, however the dialect in Switzerland is quite different than the high German I know.

Another challenge I found was dealing with the higher cost of everything. Food, beer, the movies, everything it seems, is more expensive in Switzerland, and with the dollar so poor… I felt more like I was living an even more extreme version of the poor student lifestyle I have become all too familiar with.

Leaving was probably the most challenging part about my stay. I was finally beginning to feel like I was part of the lab instead of just visiting. I finally found a group of friend. My project was finally moving forward and I finally felt like I knew my way around the city and the university. Not that I wasn’t ready to come home. But I could have easily stayed longer.

How well were you coached and integrated in the research team?

Everyone in lab was great. They went out of their way to invite and include me. It was the first place in Switzerland that felt like my home. I was invited to present my previous work as well as my summer research in the group meetings as well as attend workshops and lectures set up for the lab. The RAs (Hiwis!) invited me out with their friends and became my closest friends during my time in Basel.

Comparison (advantages and disadvantages) between your Swiss and your U.S. research lab, research mentality and team.

The lab mentalities and even types of research are very similar. Ralph Hertwig, the principle investigator and professor at Basel also helped start up the Max Planck Institute on Human Development (headed by Gerd Gigerenzer) along with Peter Todd, my research advisor at Indiana. The lab in Basel is currently a little bigger than my lab at IU, which was great as there was more of a community in Basel. Also the role of the RAs in Basel is much different than at Indiana. The RAs in Basel seem much more integrated in the lab as well as the field.

Do you consider going back to Switzerland for studying, a Ph. D. program, work or on vacation?

I would consider going back to Switzerland for another short stay. I do not think I could do my Ph D program there as the field of Cognitive Science is still very small. I would love to work there again if money was not as much of an issue. I did a lot of traveling while in Switzerland but would love to travel some more. Getting out into the alps for longer than just a day at a time would be amazing.

2009 NCCR Climate Summer School – Grindelwald, Switzerland

2009-09-28T16:29:00.012-05:00

I have just returned to the US following a week at the NCCR Climate Summer School in Grindelwald followed by two weeks of travel in Switzerland, France and

Italy

. I am so grateful to ThinkSwiss to have given me to opportunity to travel to Grindelwald to attend this summer school. From the keynote speakers to the poster sessions to discussing science and academia with my peers at dinner, the entire week was an invaluable experience. I really liked the breadth of keynote speakers that presented. I find it is very easy to get wrapped up in one’s small area of research and specialty and having a broad range of speakers from observationalists, to modelers, to economists helps to put the theme of climate change into a “big picture” perspective.

I really enjoyed meeting and talking with my peers (and likely future colleagues) from around the globe not only about the science but about how the academic system works outside of the US. I was particularly amazed by the number of languages the typical European speaks. I can barely find myself a beer and a bathroom in Mexico and most of the other participants were fluent in at least two languages and many were fluent in three or four languages.

Towards the middle of the week, we had a break from the classroom and took a half-day excursion to explore some of the gorgeous Grindelwald countryside. I went on the “Tree coring trip” led by Jan Esper, Ed Cook and David Frank. We took the cable cars above tree-line and began hiking back down into the valley. Along the way, we stopped to discuss proper tree coring techniques and took a couple of core samples. It was really fun and interesting to see the process and learn about how tree-ring data is generated. The opportunity to spend a beautiful afternoon hiking in the mountains was also great, especially since it got cold and raining the next day!

Thank you ThinkSwiss for the opportunity to attend the 2009 NCCR Climate Summer School! I hope to return to Switzerland again someday soon!

Best,

Amy

Good times in Switzerland

2009-09-28T14:53:00.012-05:00

Grüezi mitenand!

When I left North America in August, I did not anticipate how productive I would be and how much fun I would have. At the Eawag Institute in Zurich, I was warmly welcomed by the Aquatic Ecology/Evolutionary Biology group. The students and professors have helped me with my work and encouraged me to share my research skills and experience. There is a lot of communication amongst biology graduate students in Switzerland and many students form collaborations. I've had several opportunities to learn from others. In my 5 weeks here, I have participated in a student workshop on host-parasite evolution (my research area), I am a member of a reading group, and I am writing a biological model with a Swiss PhD student. With so many opportunities to talk with grad students, I am learning more each day and coming up with new ideas for experiments. As an aspiring scientist, I thrive on these interactions. Switzerland seems to be a hotspot for research in evolutionary biology!

I am also having a lot of fun outside the institute! I have hiked in the beautiful Alps (I enjoy seeing the cows with bells), and toured Bern and Zurich, both on my own and with Swiss students. When travelling, I try to learn and use new words in Swiss German. I have even ordered food, train tickets, and beer in Swiss German. Many people in Zurich and other big cities speak english, but I think they appreciate any effort to speak bits of their language.

My time here has been filled with professional and personal adventures (as well as yummy chocolate), and the best part is....I still have 6 weeks left!

Tschüss!

Final Report of Julian Wang

2009-09-28T12:31:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone,

I have came back to Texas A&M University and started a new semester. The period of time in EPFL is very important for my Ph.D. research and enriching academic experiences.

During the visiting period, I took part in several academic seminars and an interesting workshop. The one-week workshop is related to the use of digital tools (Processing software from MIT) for architectural production. It scripted from form to architecture, and a sustainable design related to solar panel. All of results were generated through parametric design engines of Processing program. The workshop provide the capacity of digital media to iterate form, simulate behavior, and evaluate performance, which promises to satisfy both the social imperative for pragmatics and the sustainability pursuit of innovation.

Also, we discussed the possibility of future collaborative research. The topic will involve the "Sentient buildings" through the RP technology and bio-sensors for forming energy efficient design methods to achieve healthy indoor air quality. This topic relates to my Ph.D. research at TAMU, so we are trying to establish an academic way for exchanging different ideas and facilitating the final expected outcomes. The different weather conditions of Lausanne and Houston vary the energy usage for buildings in terms of healthy air quality. Also, this present us with the bilateral insight into the common goal of healthy air environments and energy efficiency, and in turn generating a completed research achievement with characteristic weather conditions to propel innovative architectural design.

In sum, the experience of research in EPFL provides me a valuable opportunity to learn some new knowledge and skills for my future research, and to establish a potential long-term academic network as well. Furthermore, the field trips for some interesting architectural projects in Switzerland enrich my professional experiences. Finally, I deeply appreciate the support of ThinkSwiss program and the suggestions from the department of Bilateral Reserach Cooperation. I wish to find a way with ThinkSwiss program and EPFL laboratory to go back Switzerland for potential academic collaboration in future.

Best,

Julian

Conclusion of the ThinkSwiss Experience

2009-09-28T11:15:00.006-05:00

To conclude and summarize our time as ThinkSwiss scholars, the administration has asked us to provide some post-experience remarks. Below are my comments.

JB

Overall impression – Did your stay meet your expectations?

My stay in Switzerland met my expectations. During the week I was able to work on my research. On the weekends I had the opportunity to explore Switzerland. In my field (Finance) work on my dissertation is mostly independent. But at UNIL I was able to regularly discuss my research with faculty.

Three positive points?

The faculty were very helpful and willing to spend time working with me.
I was provided with the resources necessarily to properly conduct research.
The ease of transition to living in Switzerland for three months was generally easy.

Three negative points / challenges?

Switzerland is a relatively expensive place to live – funding could be more.
Three months is not enough time to finish a research project, having a longer term option would also be good.
More official meetings with the other ThinkSwiss scholars and the administration to further build relationships would be nice.

How well were you coached and integrated in the research team?

I was integrated into the department almost immediately. I believe I had more face time with faculty than many of the other PhD students

Comparison (advantages and disadvantages) between your Swiss and your U.S. research lab, research mentality and team.

Advantages of U.S.:

PhD students were a more cohesive group.
Faculty has a broader range of interests.

Advantages of Switzerland:

Fewer people in the department and so easier to know everyone’s work.
PhD students had more resources available to them.

Do you consider going back to Switzerland for studying, a Ph. D. program, work or on vacation?

Yes, I would like to work in Switzerland in the near future.

Back in USA - Final Report for ThinkSwiss 09

2009-09-20T10:41:00.005-05:00

It's been about 2 weeks since I've left Switzerland for Chicago, the city as busy as usual and stands as a stark contrast to the summer scene in the peaceful Lausanne.

Reflecting back upon the past 3 months, I found my experiences in Switzerland probably some of the most eye-opening and rewarding ones. The stay in Lausanne was pleasant - the peaceful city provides the luxury of a peaceful European summer, as well as the academic rigours of doing research abroad. It didn't only meet my expectations, but more importantly demystified some of the false impressions I had for Europe in general.

The three biggest gains for me from this trip would probably have to be the experience to research in an international setting, hiking in the Swiss Alps & experience the European wilderness, and not to mention the experience of doing research full-time and immersing in the (before this) seemingly far-fetched "academia".

Researching with an international team at EPFL not only made me realize how individuals from difference backgrounds bring to the table different perspective in research, but also catalyzed interesting cultural & philosophical discussion. My stay with the Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology certainly has been an intellectually rewarding one. Being here certainly enabled me to take a glimpse into the life of a graduate student, and - in a good way - provoked me to think about graduate school options while deciding whether it is academia or industry I'd like to get into upon graduation.

Also, being in Central Europe for the first time, I've learned to realize the beauty that lies within the Swiss Alps, as well as the European countryside. Hiking in Europe (Switzerland & Germany, in particular) absolutely quench my thirst for nature, not to mention keeping me in shape - something not easy to do as a rising senior in an American university.

On the flip side, three largest challenges that I had in Switzerland has got to be interacting with the people (general public), language, and culture. Being in Switzerland actually made me realize how much I'm used to the American lifestyle. Having adjusted to shops closing at 7pm, I slowly realized the true meaning of "work-life balance". However on top of that, not being able to speak French and only proficient in High German has been one of the most challenging experience living in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Boy are the Swiss-French proud of their language - in a good way, certainly. But perhaps having intensive language courses for us ThinkSwiss researchers will be a good way to transition into this beautiful culture. One largest regret that I'll have is not being able to immerse in the local culture during my time in Switzerland, just because I don't speak the language.

To talk in depth about my research experience, it would probably be best to start with my interaction with my fellow lab-mates. As I mentioned about the international research team that we have in the lab, everyone seems eager to get to know one another and their cultural background. This made integrating into the lab easier for me, a cultural enthusiast. My mentor was actually from around my home country, and we share very, very similar culture. It was personally motivating working with someone so dedicated, and who is also a good mentor.

The research setting and the mindset of researchers at EPFL seems to fall into the sheer focus in science and the passion of understanding the world around us, and less diverse as the American experience of gaining a broad experience in science, applications, and business. For me personally, I love the focus of the Swiss research experience, but at the same time miss the application & business mentality commonly found in American institutions. I'm not sure if I would come back to CH for my PhD studies - language barrier to integrate into the social life is a big impediment - but would absolutely love to come back for research again for a short period. In fact I'm already planning my Winter 2011 ski trip to back in CH and the Europe already!

Overall however, my experience in Switzerland really is one that I will never forget: The determination & enthusiasm of researchers at EPFL certainly further consolidated my intention to pursue graduate studies; the amazing people I met introduced me to new ways of seeing the world; the Swiss culture taught me the importance of work-life balance; and more importantly, the European countryside & scenery inspired me in ways never before.

NCCR Climate Summer School: A US Student Perspective

2009-09-14T05:06:00.002-05:00

Bess Koffman
PhD student in Earth Sciences, University of Maine, USA

I just finished a week of NCCR Climate summer school, a yearly course for about 70 students from around the world. I was one of the lucky five American students who got a grant from ThinkSwiss to attend the summer school. I feel so fortunate to have studied with superstar scientists like Thomas Stocker, Heinz Wanner, Jurg Beer and Bette Otto-Bliesner. They all taught me a lot and helped to put what I have learned so far in graduate school into perspective—the “big picture” of global climate research. I do not doubt this week will influence my thinking about my own research and will help my career through all the relationships I have made this week.

I found the twelve keynote lectures to be clear and relevant; they followed a progression from big-picture paleoclimate understandings (how we know what we know) to current and future impacts of climate change. The structure of the week facilitated the absorption of lots of information, both from the lectures and from student poster sessions. These led to engaging and helpful conversations and possible future collaborations. In addition, we participated in workshops and a field trip where we got to see the area’s glacially carved landscape and the receding Grindelwald Glacier.

In addition to the clear scientific benefit of this summer school, it provided a forum for cross-cultural exchanges among students from all around the world. The very first night at dinner, I found myself at a table of eight women students from almost as many countries. After we exchanged pleasantries, we got into a lively conversation about common issues we face as graduate students and as women. We discussed our program requirements, teaching and publishing expectations, male/female faculty ratios, childbearing, and the so-called “two-body problem.” It was interesting to hear that problems at US institutions such as very few women faculty in the physical sciences and subtle discouragement of having children in academia were virtually the same in many European universities. While I am certain that the situation for women scientists has improved over the past few decades, it is also disappointing to see how far we have to go in terms of gaining equality in academia and finding a workable balance between family and career. I hope my generation—both male and female—can help make some important changes.

This was my first visit to Switzerland, and I am so happy I have not put it off any longer! My impressions of Switzerland are of a modernized, clean, punctual country. I am impressed by Swiss engineering and the care taken to details as simple as a showerhead and as large and complicated as a national train system. I found travel here to be very easy, and everywhere I went, people spoke English. While this makes things convenient for me as an American, I feel rather embarrassed that my educational system does not require the knowledge of more languages. In high school and college, I studied Spanish, probably the most useful language for travel in the western hemisphere. I think that unlike the US, Swiss people’s mastery of languages (and the four national languages of Switzerland) speaks to a culture where travel and communication are valued.

Grindelwald, where I spent the week, is a gem. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is surrounded by snowy mountains with sheer cliffs and steep grassy pastures inhabited by cows ringing bells as they graze. I felt that I had stepped back in time as I watched farmers cut and rake hay by hand. They worked hillsides so steep that one could easily tumble down them if not careful. Everywhere, flowers grew, both wild and cultivated. Geraniums are the cultivated flower of choice, and window boxes throughout the town overflowed with red and pink blooms. I enjoyed in particular the vegetable gardens, tucked into backyards and onto steep hill slopes and packed with large, healthy-looking greens, squash, beans, berries and, of course, flowers. I appreciated the variety of salad greens in particular—cultivars of chicory, endive, escarole, radicchio and lettuce that I have just started to grow in my home garden in Maine. I’m sure I could learn a lot from the old gardeners of Grindelwald.

In addition, I have noticed not a single obese person in Switzerland. People here seem to have a much healthier perspective on food than us Americans. I don’t know if it’s portion control, or simply living in such a mountainous country—but there must be something about the quality of food eaten here that promotes health. Unfortunately, I noticed a much higher rate of smoking in my travels here compared to the USA. I think by now, smoking is outlawed at all restaurants and most bars/pubs in the US. Some states, such as Maine where I live, have banned smoking in cars with young children, and my university just became smoke-free this year. I hope that Switzerland can follow suit by limiting smoking in public places.

Overall, I feel exceedingly grateful to have had this opportunity to visit Switzerland and to study with leading scientists in my field. I am impressed with the Swiss research program and the breadth of research conducted at institutions such as ETH Zurich and the University of Bern. I would certainly consider returning to Switzerland for a postdoctoral position or to do research in the future. Thank you, ThinkSwiss, for bringing me to Switzerland!!

Final post for awesome Switzerland

2009-09-13T19:55:00.009-05:00

Final report of awesome Switzerland

The time in Switzerland is completely over now; I have been back in the U.S. for two weeks now. The new semester has started at my university and many new exciting things are to come. But for now, I want to look back on the times spent in Zurich and all the other places in Switzerland. For a nine week program, a lot of experiences were packed into every week. At the beginning, I came early, a few days before the BUSS program started so that I could adjust and visit a few friends and family before everything started. The first day was the hardest to adjust because of the jet lag and being in a completely new place. However, after that first day things got a lot better. I found the places to buy cheaper food that was still pretty much gourmet for American standards; Migros, my favorite. My circadian rhythm acclimated to the sun’s schedule. And I became acquainted to the innovative research going on at ETH/Uni Zurich. After almost a week later of my arrival I finally was introduced to the biology undergraduate summer school and the cool people involved. And since then, there has always been something to do. The day was dedicated to research and learning new techniques in the laboratory. The late afternoon and evening was used for recreation and time spent getting to know each other in the program. A typical sunny day, we would get off work at around 6 pm or so and head over to the river, Limmat or the lake. The scenery was beautiful during these times and is something that vividly sticks out in my memory even now. Swimming in probably the cleanest city water in the world on a hot summer day and find that snow-capped colossal mountains are waving at you in the background. Yeah, those were some good times. Most of the people in the program were extremely easy to talk to and get along with. They all had a science background and were very intelligent. And everyone was excited about life and had so many aspirations which was refreshing to see. One of the earlier weekends a group of about 5 of us went to Interlaken and Grindelwald. We camped in a barn full of hay and had amazing farmer’s breakfast the next morning for an unbeatable price. No joke, their everyday food in Switzerland is about as good as the gourmet special occasion food in America. Anyways, the mountains are an eyesight over there. No wonder the Swiss people always seemed in good spirits.
The week after Interlaken, there was the trip to Santis peak close to the Borden see and Germany. This was also an unforgettable experience because we got to do some Swiss sport climbing. Now, these were the only routes I climbed in Switzerland regrettably, but I’m sure all of the other cliffs are just as good. In my opinion, the climbing routes were very well protected and safe and easily set up to do single or multi pitched climbs. And the variety of styles and difficulty even on that one cliff looked immense. Then there was the trip to Bern, sponsored by Think Swiss. This was a great experience and I appreciated how they wanted to pour knowledge and understanding of the Swiss culture and history into the students. They are excited about diversifying American and Swiss students and exposing them to different ideas and cultures. The visit to Einstein’s home and the original clock tower of Bern were just a few of the things that the Embassy and Think Swiss planed out for us. The coolest thing for me in Switzerland was the amazing church I became apart of during the summer time. International Christian Fellowship was full of diverse, happy, loving people that were ready to be a blessing to the rest of the world. This was truly inspirational and gave me so much strength and motivation to do all the things that I do.
The consensus, I love Switzerland and the rich culture there and I look forward to working there and with the people there to progress and reconcile the world.

Final Report

2009-09-12T21:09:00.003-05:00

I’m currently back in my apartment in Boston, trying to mentally prepare myself for my final year of grad school ahead, wishing very much that I was still in Switzerland. My expectations were certainly met in terms of my experience in Zurich and elsewhere in Switzerland: I had a great time there, took lots of beautiful trips to the mountains, and made a handful of good friends I will stay in contact with from the U.S. The research side is a bit of a different story, as I was doing pretty wildly different things at the ETH than I was expecting to do, but in the end I am grateful for the experience and think that I learned more for having it go somewhat not according to plan than I would have otherwise.

One of the most positive parts of my research period was the time I had to work with Madelon Vriesendorp, the artist my institute collaborated with for the project I was assigned to in August, whose work I have studied and admired in the past. It was a somewhat absurd but highly enjoyable task to be negotiating between an eccentric painter and the highly engineered design and fabrication cell that comprised my research group. Another positive part of the final project I was involved with was the high level of responsibility I had in its coordination and execution. Acting more or less as our project’s manager, working with our team’s programmer, I was intimately involved with all parts of the process, from the conceptualization of the pieces to their programming and tooling to their eventual fabrication, and so I learned much in this short period.

milling process / late night with the robot...

The third, more general but perhaps most important factor contributing to how enjoyable the summer was for me was how relaxed the summer was paced. As some others have mentioned, there was almost none of the high levels of pressure, competition and stress that characterize the atmosphere in my university here, and the degree to which I was able to complete the tasks expected of me at the institute without having to sacrifice being able to see friends and enjoy Europe in the evenings and weekends was something I haven’t experienced in my professional or educational career so far.

There were a few challenges I encountered, one being that since my entire group was German or Swiss, most of the conversation during the day was in German unless I was being directly addressed, so I didn’t informally absorb very much in this way as I typically do in new offices, but this is of course my own fault for being linguistically impaired. Another challenge, also anticipated, was that it was difficult to be integrated into the operations of a group with such sophisticated and technically inaccessible working methods and tools in such a short period of time. Lastly, not to beat a dead horse, but the expense of living in Zurich as a foreigner was somewhat prohibitive to being able to experience or connect to the city in ways I have to other places I have lived, especially with not being able to afford to eat out (which I did once all summer).

I was lucky to work with such enthusiastic and supportive people who were willing to invest any amount of effort that I was willing to reciprocate in order to integrate me within the team, despite the technical challenges. I am satisfied with what I was able to accomplish in the time I had, and I know that if I were there for a few more months I would have gone even farther. As I already mentioned a bit, the main difference between my studio environment at home and that at the ETH is that it was significantly less stressful and more relaxed, but no doubt this had something to do with being summer term there. Expectations about what and how much was to be produced in a given period of time were similar, though. The biggest advantage the ETH has over the GSD is their facilities far outmatch ours, both in space and in equipment, as well as the breadth of their knowledge and capability in operating them, which is in the end why I was drawn to their group in the first place.

If I were to pursue an advanced degree or a teaching/research position related to digital fabrication in Architecture, then I would definitely consider trying to return to the ETH…and of course I would/will go back for leisure, for despite how relatively small the country is there are still many things I didn’t have the chance to do during the summer that I will likely try to incorporate into a future trip.

Thanks for a great summer!

Brett.

Back in New Jersey

2009-09-11T00:34:00.002-05:00

I am still surprised how fast my stay in Switzerland passed, it feels like not too long ago I had just arrived there and the memories of all I lived there are still very fresh. After traveling a bit more around other places in Europe new to me and some interesting experiences (like couchsurfing with complete strangers along the way), and a perfect week in Paris to top it off, I'm already back in Rutgers for my last year of college. It seems like it is going to be a busy one, too, as on top of my class requirements I will be continuing the research I started in Zürich with hopes of writing not only my senior but also a paper out of it. Given how hectic these first days back have been, I did take a bit too long to sign off on this blog with my last thoughts on this summer. I will be honest: I am a terrible blogger, and I have not been good at keeping this one updated either. Because of this, I won't try to hide the fact that in this post I'll be mostly answering the final report questions emailed to us, but I hope nonetheless my answers are helpful to someone at some point.

My overall impression of the program was genuinely positive, as I got the chance to do exactly what I wanted to do this summer: to conduct a research project I was interested in, abroad, and to get to know new places, people, and ideas. To be completely honest, I did not have Switzerland as my top choice, it simply was the one place were I found a project that fit my interests best, and thanks to ThinkSwiss I could actually get some funding for it. So I really did not have any specific expectations about Zürich or ETH before my visit. I was immediately struck both by the city and the university, both of which proved to be much more multicultural and open-minded than I might have expected before traveling. The country’s multicultural heritage also impressed me, as I think it makes Swiss people tremendously different from their neighboring countries. My participation therefore exceeded any expectations I could have had before leaving and it has definitely been a defining experience in my academic and personal life.

Aside from the great research opportunity at a top-notch university in my field, this was actually the first time in my life that I’ve moved to a completely different environment on my own. The experience of living in Zürich was therefore tremendously important to me, as well as the opportunity to travel around Switzerland and challenging some of my own preconceptions about the country. Moreover, Switzerland’s location made it really easy to travel around to neighboring countries, which gave me a chance to visit some of the other places in Europe that I hadn’t been to before, such as Amsterdam, Bruges and Paris. Of course, there were also some challenges to my stay as well. My first concern was obviously my complete ignorance in German. I took this positively, though, as a challenge to learn more during the summer. However, in such a short time and given how easily I could get around in English or Italian, I unfortunately still don’t know the language much better. There were hurdles in the lab as well, as there was a problem with the data I received originally, which meant I was stranded for the first part of my stay. When the data finally arrived, it turned out to be in German, so I had to translate it. A better preparation before my arrival could have made the project run more smoothly, but at least this way I learned architectural terms in German! (I’ll let you know if I ever use them again though hehe) Finally, Switzerland is, to be honest, a really expensive place to live in. With no funding from my university in the U.S. or any other source other than the ThinkSwiss scholarship, I did have to make a real effort to make ends meet.

I mentioned the problem I had with the data in the lab and the inconveniences I therefore had to overcome. I should point out, though, that I received lots of help from my peers in the institute to do this. The research team I joined really could not have been any more welcoming, each one of them trying to help me get settled in as soon as possible and making me feel like a part of the group immediately. My group at Rutgers is unfortunately much smaller, and therefore there is not nearly as much of a team feeling as there was at ETH. This not only meant that at ETH each member could have a more specific role within the team, which in turn allowed me to get assistance from any of them as needed, but it also gave me much more of a feeling of camaraderie. I really appreciated the way they interacted with one another, and it generally just felt like a great environment to work in and I really felt sorry to leave at the end of my stay. Given these impressions I received both from ETH and the institute I worked in, I am definitely considering ETH as a very viable possibility for graduate school. I am currently immersing myself in the application process for different universities, so we’ll see where I head to next year.

So this is my final sign off from this blog. Thanks again to ThinkSwiss for providing me with this opportunity, and to all the other participants for a really fun day in Bern! It was great to meet everyone and learn how each one ended up participating in this program, and to all of you, all the best!

Cheers,

Martín

NCCR Summer School 2009

2009-09-09T15:49:00.003-05:00

On the plane home from Switzerland, I jotted down a list of research ideas that had occurred to me over the course of the NCCR Climate Summer School in Grindelwald. The week had flow by in a flurry of keynote lectures, poster sessions, and workshops, and I was almost happy to have 20 hours of travel time to collect my thoughts as I sailed through 9 time zones back to Oregon. During the summer school, we covered a broad range of topics, from solar cycles to food security, all connected by the underlying theme of climate variability, its predictability and risks. Floating above the Atlantic, sifting through the immense amount of information we had been exposed to, my brain started drawing exciting connections to my current research, and exploring new avenues for future work.

The north face of the Eiger

In addition to the intellectual stimulation, the summer school provided plenty of other wonderful opportunities. What I enjoyed most was the chance to interact with so many international colleagues, many of whom I am sure I will meet again and again throughout our careers. Through poster sessions, workshops, group presentations, and shared meals, I felt that I had the chance to chat with the majority of the 70 or so participants. As an American, I am fascinated with how other countries manage everything from healthcare to funding graduate students. Thanks to the fact that everyone there was more than fluent in English, I was able to learn a great deal about how many European countries function and to share my experiences in the US with my foreign colleagues.

And of course, it is impossible to visit Switzerland and fail to be awestruck by the country’s beauty. While I had been to Grindelwald once before, I forgot just what a spectacular scene the sheer rock walls bedecked with glaciers formed behind the folds of verdant hills flecked with sunflowers, cows, and Swiss chalets. Having spent several years working in the American ski industry, which always seeks to emulate the Swiss ideal, I realized just how off the mark our resort towns are! And as an amateur gardener, I was humbled by the prolific gardens that filled the valley with varicolored blossoms and monstrous vegetables. The window boxes alone would put most other flowerbeds to shame.

The destination for our excursion: the perfect place for apero

I am glad to be back home after what has been a long summer of travel, but I feel very lucky to have attended the NCCR Climate Summer School, and extremely grateful to ThinkSwiss for supporting my participation. Through these informal conversations over dinner or while strolling through the beautiful scenery of the Alps, I forged important relationships with people who I look forward to collaborating with in the future. I also learned a great deal about people whose work differs vastly from mine, but is invaluable in the multidisciplinary effort to understand and prepare for the effects of climate change. Although we discussed many challenges that will prove difficult problems for the scientists and policymakers of the next century, I am encouraged by the existence of international gatherings like this summer school and the open, collaborative attitude that the instructors and participants bring to it. Climate change is a global issue, and will require many countries to come together in unprecedented ways. I am glad to have met some of my international colleagues so early on, and feel confident that we will work together on these important issues in the future.

NCCR Climate Summer School

2009-09-08T09:30:00.006-05:00

It’s my last night in Switzerland. I’m sitting here at the X-tra Hotel in Zurich, thinking about all my experiences in the last two weeks. I applied to the NCCR Climate Summer School last winter. It sounded fantastic: a conference/short course for young scientists, focusing on my research area, and it was in scenic Grindelwald, Switzerland! Some of my scientific heroes-Ed Cook, Nick Graham, and Bette Otto-Bliesner were going to be keynote speakers, too.

Once I found out I was accepted, I decided to spend a week before the conference exploring a little bit of Switzerland, along with my Mom. I enjoy the city and the outdoors, so I planned for a couple days in Zurich and then staying in Interlaken for a few more days, using the town as a base for some outdoor adventures.

I spent two hot, sunny days in Zurich. The city was out and about, sunning themselves along the river and lake, and enjoying cool beverages at the many cafes that dot the riverside. I really liked the public designation of waterfront space. Everyone should be able to enjoy the water, but, as I was discussing with a colleague at my summer school, in the states, most prime waterfront space is privately owned, so only the select few can enjoy it.

summertime Zurich

Generally, I found Swiss food very tasty. It’s much like the ‘comfort’ food in the states-warm, filling, and homey, like something you would order at a mom-and-pop diner. One particularly memorable meal was the dinner I had at Zeughauskeller in Zurich. The sausage came in ½ meter and meter lengths, which I found amusing. The potato salad was also amazing! I’ll have to try and recreate it at home. I didn’t get to try any of the higher-end restaurants during this stay, but some of my most memorable meals were just fresh bread, a local cheese, and some Swiss strawberries. Mmmm.

Interlaken was very picturesque and served as a nice base for day-time trips. We made full use of our SwissPass, travelling on the trains and buses up into the mountains for hikes. I am envious of the amazing public transportation system in Switzerland. It’s so simple to travel, and the trains, buses, and rail stations seem clean, efficient, and…punctual! It will be tough going back to car-centric America knowing about the Swiss transportation system.

Hiking the Niederhorn

The summer school was really well done. A mixture of keynote lectures, discussion, poster presentations, workshops, and of course, a field excursion made everyday interesting. I got great feedback on my poster and learned useful statistical techniques in the workshops. The best thing about conferences aimed specifically for young scientists is that the more relaxed atmosphere puts you more at ease, and provides an opportunity to bond more strongly with fellow students. This may sound unimportant, but these will be the colleagues I’ll likely be collaborating with in the future.

This was also my first European conference. I kept noticing little details that made the summer school nicer than the American conferences I’ve been to in the past. We had good coffee (and I got chastised for trying to pour it myself!), and real glass and ceramic dishes. I always though it ironic, in a sad way, the large amount of plastic and paper waste that must be generated at American conferences focused on environmental and sustainability issues.

Summer School participants enjoying the view during our field excursion

I left the summer school feeling very intellectually satisfied and re-invigorated. I can’t wait to get back to Tucson and start working on my dissertation projec
t! I can say that it’s likely that I will return to this wonderful country in the future. I would love to do some more hiking and backpacking in the Alps and spend nights in mountain huts. Who knows, maybe I’ll even be back for a post-doc?

Final Report

2009-09-05T11:27:00.003-05:00

I am back from Switzerland. I just returned on Saturday and am definitely missing it already. The three months more than flew by, and I’ve taken a few days to reflect on my summer there. As a whole, the experience went beyond and above my expectations going into it. For starters, all summer I was doing real, and significant research that will eventually be used to help write at least one paper by the student and professor that I worked for at the Swiss Banking Institute (ISB). My work schedule was steady throughout the summer and I was definitely busy everyday, but the student that I worked with all summer was flexible in giving me a couple of days off when I wanted to do a little traveling. Heading into this experience, I was excited to play an integral role on a research team, but also wanted to make sure I saw other parts of Switzerland and Europe. After returning to the US, I can say I accomplished both these goals to the fullest extent.

In terms of positives and negatives, I’ll list and briefly explain three of each. Positives were 1) The work I was doing was actually relevant to my undergraduate studies and also interesting to me. As I mentioned, our team looked at positive and negative occurrences at investment banks and how that either increases or decreases value at the bank. Having been a finance major, I almost couldn’t have asked for a topic that was more relevant. I think in this sense I was very fortunate, because it definitely made the work a little easier to do. This was important because when you’re doing research for three months straight things can become strenuous at times. 2) I couldn’t have asked for a better student and professor to be working for. They were both incredibly intelligent, easy going and an overall pleasure to be around. Again, I think my experience could have been dampened quite a bit had these people been difficult to work with. It was quite the opposite, and Evgeny, the PhD candidate, was so helpful the whole time I was in Zurich with helping me get around, sites to see when family and friends visited, etc.

3) I got to travel. Pretty simple, but this was a huge positive. I had never been to Europe prior to ThinkSwiss, and so I think it would have been foolish for me not to see other parts of Europe. I was able to take a couple weekend trips, and then travel a little towards the end of my stay. Again, Evgeny was happy that I was doing this, as long as I finished the work, which I did.
Negatives/challenges were 1) Budgeting money. Zurich is not cheap! This was a little hard to handle at first, but I definitely got better at it as the summer progressed. The best way to do so was buying groceries as often as I could, which really made things better. Going out to eat anywhere is expensive, which is why I almost never did it. I would definitely recommend having some money set aside if you plan on taking part in the program. 2) Communal living aspect of where I lived. I hadn’t lived in a dorm in about 3 years, and so where I lived in Zurich was like taking a bit of a step backwards in a sense. About 30 people shared the kitchen! This was definitely more of a challenge rather than a negative, but highlights the fact that my time was limited in regards to finding somewhere to live.

3) I also had one disagreement with the landlord where I lived. After I found out I was paying a couple hundred dollars/month more than the rest of the people living there, I politely asked if the rent could be lowered a little. After I asked him a second time, he said yes and told me how much rent would be the last two months. I got my second bill and rent had not changed, but he told me he’d take care of it. He then had one of his employees call up ISB to ask if I was receiving a scholarship, and they obviously told him yes. He then told me the rent could not be lowered because he was under the impression I wasn’t getting any kind of scholarship. This irritated me for 3 reasons. First, he basically promised me he’d lower the rent and went back on his word. Second, he went behind my back to find out about the scholarship when I obviously would have told him myself. Third, the total ThinkSwiss scholarship did not even cover 3 months rent at where I was staying! Not to mention that the scholarship is to help ease the burden of all expenses, not just rent. I tried explaining this to the landlord, but to no avail.
In terms of the research, I was integrated into the team well and certainly had a lot of responsibility, which I liked. Evgeny did a nice job of explaining what research I was doing, and how it was to be used in the future. He was also very helpful when I had any questions. I felt like I was making a real contribution because I was the only one doing this initial research. He will use it later as he pleases. Being a finance major, I didn’t really do a ton of “research” in teams/labs per se, but the biggest difference in the work I did was its independent nature. Evgeny was definitely there to help when I had questions, but I pretty much worked independently all summer, which I liked a lot. The fact of the matter was that the work I was doing was a very appropriate assignment for a summer research assistant, and so I think Evgeny and Professor Habib did a nice job in thinking things through when they decided to accept me for the summer.

Will I go back? I hope I get the chance to! Most likely the reason will not be to pursue a PhD; I suppose I’d have to get a master’s first. But I definitely would like to return to Switzerland for vacation, especially Zurich. I absolutely had a blast the entire time I was there, and think the city as a whole is fantastic. I feel I was fortunate because a couple of the cities I visited in Europe were fun for a few days, but then I felt like I needed to leave. Zurich was the exact opposite; I felt comfortable there the entire summer and couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Time to go home...

2009-09-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

">As I reflect on the eight wonderful weeks I spent in Geneva, it’s hard to believe the time has flown by so quickly. It was difficult to know what to expect for the summer before I left the U.S., so in that respect, it’s difficult to say if my stay if my stay met my expectations. I had heard that Switzerland in the summer is beautiful and that the speed of life is slower than that in the U.S. – both statements with which I can now agree.

The opportunity to work in Dr. Huppi’s lab was extremely incredible, as she is a well-renowned researcher and clinician, and I was very grateful that the ThinkSwiss program allowed me the freedom to choose a mentor. Although I did not speak French (something that appeared to be absolutely necessary at the university hospital as it was the working language and few people spoke English), I was very well supported and became an integrated part of the research team. I was assigned a project and, although I was unable to finish it entirely while in Switzerland, I hope to work on it further in the U.S. With any luck, a publication or two will come of my time there! Aside from the opportunity to work in a very productive lab with state-of-the-art equipment, I was impressed by how friendly and accepting everyone in the lab was. I was invited to visit EPFL, the Swiss equivalent of MIT, was invited to sit in on discussions regarding other projects that were of interest to me, and was taken on rounds in the NICU and PICU – all were great experiences that were beyond what I had expected of my time in Switzerland! I knew that Geneva was an international city, but had had no idea that I would meet so many incredibly talented people from all corners of the world. The opportunity to share cultures was one that pleasantly surprised me and thoroughly enriched my experience.

Aside from the language barrier, there were few difficulties to be had when I actually got to Switzerland. Before arriving, however, I had a lot of difficulty in locating housing but was lucky enough to find a room in a dormitory run by nuns (also extremely, extremely wonderful people!) that was a five minute walk from the hospital. I had hoped to travel more in the country while I was there, but found that train travel is very expensive, to the point that it precluded a lot of trips. It was hard to justify spending 150 francs to visit Zurich when I could fly to France or Italy for less. I learned, a bit too late, that the Eurorail pass works in Switzerland and – if you are traveling frequently – is much less expensive (less than $300 for a pass good for 6 days of travel in 4 countries) than purchasing tickets once in Switzerland.

I would definitely consider going back to Switzerland – it is a beautiful country! – but most likely for vacation (mostly because my inability to speak Italian, French, or German would highly preclude my working there as a physician). Maybe one day, if I learn French (or they start speaking Spanish or English!), I’ll have to consider it.

Final Report

2009-08-28T22:41:00.001-05:00

In general, I feel that my research stay has been a very successful one. I worked for the last two months on industry-sponsored applied research projects in the field of composite fabrication for construction at EPFL’s School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering. The research work itself met my expectations and exceeded them greatly. My knowledge of the field has increased significantly through hands-on experiences that would have been harder to come by in the U.S, where research in this specific area is not as developed. My stay in Switzerland has been a very pleasant one, and I managed to travel quite extensively during weekends and explore many hikes, cities and villages across the country. Needless to say, the locals were always eager to assist whenever and wherever needed.

Although there were many more, three prominent positive points are: First, the opportunity to learn and implement a very different research culture from the one I got exposed to in my home institution. Research work and pace at my Swiss lab was of a very individual nature, yet all researchers involved adhered to a structured conduct, where they met weekly to discuss each other’s research and offer assistance. This is of course was done in addition to frequent meetings with research advisors; Second, being an open ended program that is subject to personal interpretation, ThinkSwiss offers participants to truly craft a research stay that is tailored to their specific interests, be them industry oriented or purely theoretical. Speaking with fellow participants, I realized just how wide the spectrum of opportunities allowed by the program is; And finally, I found Swiss universities (especially EPFL and ETHZ) to be very English-friendly. Going to a French speaking region, one of my concerns were that a foreign language (non-French, that is) may pose a problem. I was surprised to find that all researchers in my lab (including most of the faculty) almost did not speak French at all. This was not the case anywhere else in the French speaking part of the country. In Lausanne or Geneva, lack of adequate French skills proved to be a substantial obstacle in any situation.

Focusing on some of the challenges encountered during this research stay, here are three: First, I feel that if the professor that accepted me to work in his lab would have been better informed by ThinkSwiss about the nature of the program and its general objectives, possibly my research stay could have been much more organized and enriching as a learning process; Second, except for our meeting in Bern in late July, which was very well thought through and precisely constructed, I feel that the program lacked real content, in addition to our experiences in our respective labs. More frequent meetings where knowledge would have been shared among participants might have had a greater and more coherent impact; And finally, this has nothing to do with the program itself, but one must admit that coming from the U.S, Swiss cities tend to over time be…well, boring. As beautiful as cities in Switzerland are, the fact that nothing is open after 6 pm (6:30 if you’re lucky) or on Sundays turns any city into a ghost town when you would most like it to be lively. I had a hard time getting using to it, even after staying in Switzerland for a couple of months.

Comparing Swiss and American Research, as I mentioned earlier, I found Swiss research mentality to be very different from the American one. The clear advantage in Swiss research as I see it is the relaxed atmosphere. The lack of apparent competitiveness, as well as a true importance to free time, make the research process much more focused and obstruction free. On the other hand, it also slows down any discoveries or development processes that would have been expedited in a more intensive and competitive environment.

In light of the wonderful time I had and the numerous positive experiences I encountered, I would definitely consider returning o Switzerland. Having said so, this would probably be limited to working rather than studying. I find that the importance of having leisure time in Swiss mentality is very beneficial in a job context, but rather hindering in a research context.

Thank you so much for allowing me to experience Swiss research and culture. This was for sure an unforgettable summer that will undoubtedly have a substantial impact on my future research and professional career.

May you keep assisting fortunate students in exploring new intellectual territories.

Epic Hike

2009-08-26T03:19:00.001-05:00

That which readjusts

I was in need of a mountainous readjustment. It had been three weeks since I last went for a real hike, and unfortunately as long since I’ve posted. The plan was to go to Ticino, the southern part of Switzerland that borders Italy. After some frantic research and some last minute planning, I narrowed down an itinerary and a mountain hut for Saturday night. The weather looked pretty good with rain ending on Friday, so I would start on Saturday morning and head fairly deep into the glacier passes of the Italian-Swiss border.

Part of the new plan

Fate had different plans for me of course. When I arrived in Airolo at the end of my train leg of the trip, the weather had gone from bad (in Zurich when I left) to worse (when I arrived at the last stop). I expected the opposite because it was supposed to get nicer the further south I went, so my potentially glorious train ride through some amazing territory was ruined by incessant fretting about the weather and an obsession with looking over each hill for the bit of blue sky that never came. The trouble is that it’s not smart to just go for it, especially when you’re an inexperienced hiker like I am, so I was really concerned that I’d have to just come home.

As luck would have it, the two Italian speaking women at the information desk of the train station proved extremely helpful and made it their mission on the slow rainy day to help this soaked and distressed traveler. It actually turned into a fun 45 minutes because I got a chance to speak some Italian in a real conversational setting as opposed to a last resort in Zurich trying to get a Swiss person to understand me. In the end, I changed my route to accommodate the weather delay and chose a shorter safer pass in case the rain returned to ‘downpour’ mode. Luckily, by the time my bus left to take me to the new trail head, the rain had subsided and was replaced by a misty haze with a few pockets of blue trying desperately to make an appearance.

Blue sky please

I was bummed about the change at the beginning because my Saturday hike turned from an epic 5 hour 1200 m climb to a modest 300 m ascent up a gentle path. I arrived at the new hut around 5 pm not tired and not ready to relax, so I decided to do a little mini roundtrip hike to a small lake that was up another 400 m from the hut. GREAT idea I must say—though not my own as my Italian friends suggested it—because that little lake made the entire weekend worthwhile and immediately rectified my planning errors/bad luck .

Lago delle Pigne

Lago delle Pigne is an amazing place. It sits at 2250 m hidden on a tiny plateau amidst the ridgeline and neighboring alps. With the sky as it was, the lake resembled a pool of almost black ink with only the shallow edges reflecting a less sinister greenish blue. The surrounding ridge and slightly elevated adjacent pastures protect it from the prevailing winds that course through the valley. For my hour spent there, Lago delle Pigne was frozen in time, totally still and perfectly silent. The amount of snow that falls in this region makes for epic summertime melts. There was water all over the place throughout every leg of the weekend hike, which was a new Swiss mountain phenomenon for me. My previous hike, though beautiful and breathtaking, was dry and almost arid at the upper reaches of its peaks. Not so in Val Bedretto. On the way to Lago delle Pigne I crossed the first of many alpine streams and waterfalls, which do their part to create these little lakes like Lago delle Pigne. To be near water changes everything somehow. The constant feeling of motion brought on by the water and the melting of the snow reminds you of the seasonal transition there that never has enough time to complete, as the approaching fall’s temperatures and the following winter’s snowfall begin an entire new cycle of precipitation.

Next to the quiet place.

On the way back from Lago delle Pigne I napped by the mountain stream that runs by the hut and worked up enough of an appetite after 200 situps to warrant the hearty alpine meal waiting back at the Capanna Piansecco. I met some rock climbers at dinner there, two of whom worked at UBS in Zurich, so I enjoyed the Italian cooking while fielding friendly fire about how the Americans were causing quite a stir for the UBS banking utopia. “Boo hoo”, I said, “you and your Swiss brothers have too much money anyway”. I don’t know enough about the intricacies of the UBS-US rife to have an educated debate, so instead I try to make fun of Swiss people in general while openly admitting to the countless flaws with the people from my own country. This has proved a jovial and friendly technique. On only one separate occasion did I encounter a Swiss guy (also a UBS employee) so hell-bent on blaming the entire UBS problem on Obama (which of course makes no sense in the timeline of the banking crisis) that I actually had to request that he kindly find another American to absorb his irrational bitterness.

Panorama. Click to enlarge.

Back to the mountains! Well fed and fairly tired, I hit the sack only to battle the ruthless snoring of a guy in another bunk who I immediately found myself hating more than anyone else in the world. How he did not wake himself up from the heinous symphony of decongestion I do not know. With nowhere else to turn, I listened to some Harry Potter and finally got to sleep to the comforting sounds of Jim Dale.

Wake up to this.

Bluebird sky, crisp, clear mountain air…and raging techno coming from kitchen of the mountain hut greeted me on Sunday morning. I could tell that this was going to be a perfect day before even brushing my teeth. Fueled by an acceptable breakfast, I set off from the hut in search of higher altitude, epic vistas, and finally, Italian turf. It was of course my plan to walk into Italy, so I began the day with a pep in my step and headed off to really explore Val Bedretto.

Odd cow.

The first leg of my hike rolled through green pastures in the valley accented by the odd cow here and there. The trail began around 1900 m and went up and down a fair amount, ending around 2000 m at the base of the climb towards the mountain hut at Corno Greis. That climb was short and enjoyable, with lots of fun and friendly hikers along the way. I met a dog named Scott and tons of Italian speakers, which put me in a great mood. Scott actually found another dog to play with, got distracted, and completely lost his owner, so I helped lead him back down the trail until he heard the distant familiar cry of the man yelling “Scott!”.

Capanna Corno Greis: architectural and lifestyle inspiration

Capanna (mountain hut) Corno Greis is new construction and I must say boasts some pretty impressive architectural characteristics considering its location and function. I was immediately inspired by its materiality and I think that when I renovate my mountain hut I will recall Capanna Corno Greis. The people there were really hospitable and offered suggestions for the next leg of the trip. Because I was moving really quickly, my original plan didn’t include enough distance, so I added an extra 3 hours to the day by continuing deeper into the valley past Corno Greis and then returning back to that point to continue my original route.

Approaching serious.

This. Is. Italy; panaroma, click to enlarge.

GREAT IDEA. I found so much snow, another beautiful lake, and a massive reservoir that looked like something out of a James Bond movie. The trail was absolutely spectacular. I really like long generally flat trails where you can eat up distance without struggling with too much up and down. Ascents are great, but I really liked being able to get a lot of mileage on that stretch. I even did some trail running through the pass, which added some excitement and got the heart rate up. I reached another mountain pass to the south that opened up into another adjacent valley that was entirely Italy. The mountains in the distance there reached a much higher elevation and the lake at the base was even further towards sea level in the opposite direction. The wind was howling through there. It was just epic.

Panorama. Right in the middle is where the next picture was taken. Click to enlarge.

Pasture overlooking Val Bedretto.

The extra walk past the Capanna Corno Greis added almost 10 km to my day and was well worth it. When I got back to the mountain hut, I continued on my original route back east through the Val Bedretto along a path cut into the ridgeline at about 2100 m. It began in a gorgeous grassy pasture that sat below the mountain hut and then narrowed into a dramatic mountain pass that crossed over countless waterfalls, small and large, with water from the melted peeks flowing down into the valley.

The view from this part of the day was majestic. On my last hike I was just shocked at how varied the textures of the Swiss mountains are, with trees, lakes, pastures, rocks, and the odd patch of snow. Here that condition was amplified a thousand fold. The valley began 800 m below my perch at 2200 with a river that receives all of the water from the waterfalls and streams coming down from the mountains. The area around the river at that elevation is lush with foliage: green fields with dense pine forest sretching part way up the adjacent ridgelines to the north and south. At the end of the tree line, the green pastures stretch up another couple hundred meters and disperse in various paths and patterns until the terrain turns almost completely rocky, with patches of green and color interspersed seeping out from the lines cut into the ridge by the many water flows. Eventually the rocky terrain turns nearly vertical and transitions to the dominant ridges and snow covered peaks. In between the peaks, instead of the grass turning to rock, the green pastures wrap into the space between the mountains and add another amazing element to the scene: huge rolling sections of luscious green that wind through the snowy peaks. When you add the sky, which was that brilliant Italian blue sky, the resulting palette gets your attention.

Swiss palette; panaroma, click to enlarge.

The walk that offered the view of what I just described led me to one of those flat areas in between two peaks. The path from there takes you to Passo San Giaccomo, which is the pass that sits right along the Italian-Swiss border. This was of course an exciting moment, even though the view from that junction paled in comparison to some of the other places I'd been over the weekend. It was fun to have one foot in Switzerland and one in Italy. Even though the last place I was in Italy was hours away and over 2000 m lower in elevation, it still felt good to be home.

Two feet, two European homes

On the line.

Unfortunately, my glorious return to Italy was cut short as my hike continued back through Switzerland. I then had to descend 800 m into the valley to the bus stop that would start my journey home. It was 3:25 at that point and the descent was supposed to take 1h 25min. The bus I wanted to be on was at 4:11 and the next one wouldn’t come until 6:30. I had no idea where the path led and how long it would actually take, so I decided to not watch the time and descend at a comfortable but slightly quicker pace than usual. The walk down was technical for the first half and absolutely fantastic for the second. Once I got past the disorganized rocky terrain that was kind of a "take whatever path you want" situation, the trail began to level out as it wove through the pine forest. It was so neat to be lost in the humid and hot forest after being up with snow covered mountains only an hour before.

Entering the pine forest at the base of the Valley

I was absolutely exhausted at that point. I did not know it at the time, but I was heading into my 15th mile of the day by the end of it all, and I was definitely beginning to feel the burn. I had no idea what time it was and I figured that I would miss this bus and try to find out another way to get to the train station. Just as I had basically resolved to follow that plan, the road came into view from the trail. About 2 minutes after that I saw the bus fly by and with my heavy pack on and my tired legs below me I burst into a full on sprint, bouldering through the forest past other confused hikers. Finally, the riverside path met a bridge, and I crossed over and up a staircase to the road, where the bus was in sight, stopped in the town of All'Acqua. Sure that it would leave at any second, I kicked in the afterburners. Just as the right side of the bus came into view I saw the doors close. I was within range of flaling my arms and yelling something useful in Italian, so I ripped off the t shirt that was wrapped around my head to protect my neck from the sun and started waving it while running down the street with my pack flying all over the place. That combined with "ASPETTA ASPETTA ASPETTA", which means "wait wait wait", saved the day. The bus driver opened the doors and I stumbled into a cabin filled with senior citizens who appeared to have just finished a leisurely 12 minute guided tour.

Panorama; click to enlarge

When a car overheats and you pull over to the side of the road, the disguising wind is gone and you recognize that the engine is spewing smoke and emitting strange odors. I definitely experienced the human version of that as the world that was moving so fast for the previous 8 minutes halted to a dead stop inside the bus cabin, where all the sweat that didn't have time to escape during the frantic sprint just dominated my situation. I can't imagine I was a welcome addition to the bus, but man was that a clutch effort. A perfect sporting end to a physically challenging and spectacular day.

All in all, I traveled over 30 km that weekend, doing about 7 on Saturday and 25 on Sunday. I started at 1500 m, reached the highest point at 2550, and finished again back at 1500, with too many ascents and descents in there to calculate. Let's just say that I'm still exhausted and when I woke up in Zurich on Monday morning, I felt like I had been hiking for a week. That's just unbeatable baby.

Final Report - Great Summer!

2009-08-26T01:16:00.015-05:00

I have been back for a week and am busy settling down for another year of university. Needless to say, I could not have wished for a better summer than this one. There are countless memorable and enriching moments to my internship, so I will only designate a few that have influenced it the most.

Firstly, the Berne trip was one of the highlights of the summer. It was a nice way to mingle with other scholars as well as to enjoy the Swiss capital. I had actually never visited Berne before, so I was very excited for the trip. I was delighted to meet many of my fellow scholars and it struck me how diverse our group was; there were architects, biologists, chemists, engineers... The city historical tour and at the US embassy was very instructive and interesting. At the end of the day, we swam in the Aare river, which was quite an experience due to the strong flow from melted glacier water.

Secondly, I traveled to many places and discovered new hiking trails in the Alps. Every Swiss boasts about their public transportation and how Swiss's location in Europe is ideal for traveling. I now understand such national pride because I have personally experienced the convenience of traveling on Swiss public transportation. I jumped on the train to Geneva to see my family; jumped on the train to go hiking. I hopped on the train or the bus wherever I needed to go, it was just quick, reliable and easy.
Thirdly, my mentor, Susan, is probably the person who most positively influenced my internship. I was able to work, plan and progress in my research project independently, yet she would often give me feedback and challenge my critical thinking skills. I was able to not only become proficient in new biomedical research techniques, but also to learn how to interact and work with different people in a large lab setting. I hope to work again with her in the future

I very much enjoyed my research experience and have had no issue integrating in the lab, in fact I felt entirely immersed in the team from the first day of my internship. Everybody was very hospitable and welcoming for example almost every week we had a lab barbecue or festivity taken place.
The Swartz lab is primarily comprised of scientists and students from North America, however there are a fair number of students from Europe and Asia. The research mentality was thus not too different from my previous research experience.
I was astonished by the immensity of Swiss labs in contrast to US labs. My Swiss lab almost occupies an entire floor building and dozens of major cutting-edge projects are being undertaken there. At least for bioengineering and biotechnology research, one big advantage Switzerland clearly has over the US is in research operating budget. With large research budgets and great working conditions, Swiss research labs are highly regarded and sought by scientists worldwide.
At a barbecue, a fellow ThinkSwiss scholar said to me that Swiss (or Europeans in general) are too laid back in life and are too relaxed at work. People in the US have a lot more competitive mindset than in Europe, but it was interesting to notice such difference in mentality.

During my stay, I encountered several drawbacks mainly due to my ill-considered planning. Firstly, I should have planned to stay longer for my research stay. Although time is always an uncontrollable issue for summer students, I could have perhaps further contributed to my research project had I stayed for a few more weeks.
Advice for future ThinkSwiss scholars: I would encourage you to stay as long as possible, because TIME FLIES when you're there! Trust me!
Secondly, I did not balance my work and leisure very well. Many a time being carried away by interesting experiments, I found myself stuck in lab until midnight on a Friday night. In the future, I need dedicate more time to actually enjoy life.
Advice: Unless you are a 100% lab rat or take no pleasure in exploring one of the most beautiful country in the world, please plan you weekends and traveling time well in advance. Preferably, allocate and plan your time before even arriving there.
Last advice I want to say is be prepared to meet and connect with as many people as you can during you stay.

Overall, I am beyond satisfied with the research experience Thinkswiss has provided me. Although I am quite familiar with Switzerland, I discovered and travelled to more beautiful places. More importantly though, I not only visited family and friends, but also met many of my fellow aspiring researchers and interacted with scientists from the Swiss community. In the future, I certainly consider returning to Switzerland for studies and work. I highly recommend this research opportunity to anyone. Thank you very much ThinkSwiss!

Italian Switzerland (and beyond…)

2009-08-25T23:19:00.003-05:00

After venturing quite a bit all around Switzerland during my stay, these final weeks seemed like a good opportunity to explore adjacent countries. Knowing this blog and the program as a whole is all about the Swiss experience, I allow myself to discuss some of the influences that make this country so culturally diverse and intriguing.

Around Lugano, Ticino

First such destination would be northern Italy and the canton of Ticino. Basking in an untypical constant sunny weather, this canton, defining the entire Italian speaking region of Switzerland, offers landscapes and atmosphere found nowhere else in the country. Palm trees, long stretches of sandy (lake) beaches and fine Italian cuisine make you forget for a moment that you are in the homeland of alpine cheese and chocolate. Furthermore, cities like Locarno and Lugano support vibrant nightlife and extreme sports. Just outside of Locarno, one would find Verzasca Dam, creating the small Lago Di Vogomo and protecting the Verzasca delta from getting flooded. The dam is also home to the Goldeneye Bungee Jump. First undertaken by James Bond’s stunt crew, this 220 m free fall is a must for any adrenaline junky (needless to say, I preferred watching the rocky bottom of the dam from a safe distance).

Varzasca Bungee Jump

A long weekend off work allowed me to also check out the Southern shores of France and Eastern Spain. Very different from any part of Switzerland, these regions show a clear North African influence, both culturally and demographically. Most of my time during that weekend was spent in Alicante, a coastal medieval town, constituting an important part of the region of Valencia. Everything, from its wonderful roofscapes to its long beach stretches, spells out western Europe, but also reminds you very much of Morocco.

Alicante, Valencia Region

My final post -- an end to the greatest summer I have had

2009-08-25T11:34:00.002-05:00

I am back to the US now with a myriad of beautiful and enriching memories and experiences from the land of chocolates and cheese. I have some soveniers and a bunch of pictures which will always remind me of those wonderful months spent in Switzerland.
Let me share with you for the last time my experience which I hope would help the future participants in preparing themselves.

• Overall impression – Did your stay meet your expectations?

This was my first time in Europe and I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to the most beautiful place in the world for 3 months. The experience was far beyond what I had expected.
The stay in Lausanne for 3 months was superb and exceeded my expectations. The time flew really fast and even before I realized it, I was packing my bags to fly back to Chicago. Work at EPFL was very productive and I learnt new stuffs. Moreover it opened up a new approach to what I was already doing. The lab I worked in is very well managed and has some excellent faculty as well as phd and post docs.

• Three positive points?

At EPFL I got a chance to work in a lab (the biomedical imaging group headed by Prof Michael Unser) which has produced some of the pioneering works in the field of biomedical image processing and houses a very multi-talented gamut of leaders as well as students. I worked with Dr Dimitri Van de Ville which was an enriching experience in itself and I hope to be in touch with him in future and we plan to publish some of the results that we got out of the work I did there. Although I do not work with images, but analyzing a problem from a different perspective can potentially produce fruitful results.
Working in the lab, I learnt new techniques in the field I am working in, I got to interact with people from different countries in Europe(which is not very common in the US) and I was exposed to a new culture. Apart from work, I visited some very beautiful places in Switzerland over the weekends and it was a perfect balance between work and vacation. I was amazed to see how well maintained the country is and how precisely the trains are on time. The public transport was well above my expectations. I fell in love with the coffee, the cakes, the pizzas and the paninis which I am terribly missing out here in Chicago.
Finally I would say that this was the best summer I have ever had and I would take this opportunity to thank Thinkswiss for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

• Three negative points / challenges?

I would not say that there were any negative points, rather shortcomings on my part as I was not aware of them before.
Firstly I had a some problem in communicating with people for the first couple of weeks primarily because I didn’t learn any French before going which I should have and secondly because I lived in Crissier, which is a small town and most people did not speak English. However, I overcame this problem once I knew my way around and where to find stuffs and managed to skill the art of communicating without actually speaking the language. The first few days I would go around with all the maps I could find and writing down stuffs and asking people to read that and help me as they would not understand my accent even if I tried speaking a French word.
The second challenge I faced was the financial scenario. I was not aware that I could actually ask my lab for extra funding as I thought the thinkswiss funding would be sufficient. But its quite expensive out there and I would spent atleast 1500 CHF per month just for my living and then I spent another 500CHF or a little more per month for travelling. Getting a demi tariff was a wise decision on my part as it cut down train,bus and boat fares by 50%.
The third challenge which was not that big an issue for me was the closing times of the stores. If I had to do groceries, I would have to leave the lab early. Every store would be closed on Sundays, so that made groceries impossible on weekends as Saturdays were mostly devoted for travelling. However its not very difficult to get used to the system.

• How well were you coached and integrated in the research team?

I worked with one of the project leaders of the team. As far as research was concerned I primarily interacted with him. However that did not bar me from interacting socially with the other team members. I joined them for the lab aperos as well as a barbeque on the beach. My supervisor, Dimitri was extremely helpful and a great person to work with. I learnt a lot from him and we would still be corresponding for publishing some results of the work I did there.

• Comparison (advantages and disadvantages) between your Swiss and your U.S. research lab, research mentality and team.

I really didn’t find a lot of differences between the research lab here in Chicago and at EPFL. The lab at EPFL was much bigger than the one here. People are more relaxed in their work and would go out for lunch together almost everyday and spend some time over coffee which is not that common here. I didn’t find any notable differences in the research mentality. I would love to work in either place.

• Do you consider going back to Switzerland for studying, a Ph. D. program, work or on vacation?

I would definitely apply for a post doc in EPFL and ETH Zurich, if I plan to do one. I would also certainly love to go back for vacation with my family if I get a chance to.

Kind regards
Ishita

Tschou zäme

2009-08-25T08:15:00.021-05:00

It’s been a long time since I posted, time just goes by so fast in Switzerland. I have enjoyed many Swiss adventures and spent loads of quality time with my Swiss family and friends. I stopped working at the University about two weeks ago and have been enjoying free time ever since. I always seem to be busiest when I am not working. I have enjoyed the Brienzer Rothorn, Tango Week in Zurich, Bern, having a GA to travel with, Pany, Ballenberg, Thurnersee, Meiringen (Sherlock Holmes sends his regards), and Basel where I enjoyed the fabulous artwork of Vincent Van Gough. I also had some rough experiences including a painful (for mouth and wallet) trip to the dentist but despite some bumps in the road this summer has been amazing and I can not be more thankful to the ThinkSwiss program.

I spent several hours writing out several postcards that I have been collecting throughout my journeys here. Writing the cards helped me remember the highlights of my summer. I enjoyed seeing snow in July on top of the Rothorn when I went with another family I know to their holiday apartment in Sörenberg. I loved swimming and taking in the views of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) which I can see from my bedroom window. I also took two days to visit Graubünden where my host grandmother lives in what can best be described as a fairy tale (complete with the slew of knitted fairies that can be found all over her house and a heavy use of gem stones which she uses for healing). There I took a six hour hike with my Swiss dad Christian, and knitted a lot on the day it was raining. The following day I took a three day journey with my Swiss mom Doris, through central Switzerland which included Thun, Ballenberg, Meiringen, Luzern, and Hergiswil. Thanks to our GA, we traveled all by boat taking in the breath-taking lakes, waterfalls, and mountains. On our second day, we went to Ballenberg, which is an open air museum featuring period houses from all the cantons of Switzerland. In the early evening, we caught a train over to Meiringen which is famous for its invention of meringues and a tiny Sherlock Holmes museum. Sir Arthur Canon Doyle often frequented that area of Switzerland and so he incorporated some of Holmes’ adventures in Meiringen including the final battle with Holmes’ arch enemy. The museum is really cool with several artifacts from Holmes’ tim, complete with a remake of Holmes’ house on Baker Street. The journey ended with a train trip to Hergiswil on the third day where I purchased some of the famous glasswork to bring home for souvenirs. My other Swiss journey was also with Doris the following week when we went to see the Van Gogh exhibit at the Kunstmuseum in Basel. The artwork was spectacular and sad considering Van Gogh was severally ill and ended his life way too early. Basel was beautiful as always but also very hot and humid.

When I was not on a train taking in the sites, I was busy spending time in my village, enjoying the Swiss life. I visited all my friends and neighbors, some of which I hadn’t seen in four years. I knitted a sweater for the first time thanks to the knitting Queen Doris, who always knew how to help after dropping a stitch or some other knitting failure. I took advantage of the fresh raspberries by adding them into several Birchermueslis, cakes, sorbet, and a raspberry cheesecake that I was rather proud of. I also took several bike rides around the village with my Swiss parents, experiences that I keep close to my heart despite my inexperienced biking skills that allowed me to crash twice (I now have a nasty blue bruise above my knee). Unfortunately, I am leaving before I can help harvest the Zwetschge(plumes), Mirabellen, grapes, kiwis, and pears but I got to taste one or two this week as well as fresh pear sorbet…..yum.

Since posting last, I have learned a lot as well from some hard experiences. The worst of all was discovering that USB sticks can completely die on you the day before, within-hours-of turning in the final version of your paper. I lost several hours of work and did not have a backup due to the several times I had been moved from computer to computer while people were on holidays. So I learned not to give full faith to USB sticks and to have a backup no matter what. Amongst other things I have learned how to properly structure 30 page plus research paper and how to manage my time better. I have learned an incredible amount on climate change policy and shocked myself when I started explaining to people how cap and trade systems work, the CDM, and the proceedings at the UNFCCC.

I am both devastated and excited to go back to the States. It is now time to share with others what I have learned and to apply these lessons there. This summer has been extremely successful and productive, it is just a pity that it has come to an end so fast. Switzerland will always be a huge part of my life. I can not believe how lucky I was to come back and continue this special relationship. Christian always says I am half Swiss because I half a set of American and Swiss parents. After spending 15 months (in total) in Switzerland with my Swiss family, I consider myself to be a very Swiss Miss.

2009-08-24T23:51:00.015-05:00

Just returned to the U.S. on Saturday from the week-long course in research instrumentation/measurement. Still a little jet-lagged, but I'm going through all of my photos and reliving all the great memories. What a fantastic trip! Each new place we traveled to was better than the next, and I only wish we had had had more time...

A few photos of beautiful Luzern...

We visited the Alps (Stanserhorn) after a short train ride from Luzern...

One of the best parts of our trip was our tour through Bern (organized by ThinkSwiss). From reading other posts, it seems that others agree! We had a great presentation about the Swiss healthcare system...very interesting to hear and compare to the U.S. given our current healthcare issues. We then had a scooter tour through the city and a lot of fun at dinner there that night...

We loved swimming in the Rhine!! Apparently, this happens all over Switzerland...(though this particular photo is from Bern)

Aside from all of the sightseeing and fun, the main reason we were in Switzerland was for our class in measurement in healthcare research. We had a great experience in working in groups to develop a research instrument! Very interesting to hear opinions and differences in perspective from so many different cultures! Here is a picture of our presentations on the last day of class...

I had a great time...obviously :) I hope to be back soon!!

More than chocolate and cheese

2009-08-24T19:12:00.007-05:00

I was unsure what to expect in Switzerland. I knew it would be good, but I had no idea.

First the people: I've made great friends with pretty much everyone in the BUSS program, there an international smart bunch.

The Swiss people from my lab and else where are hard working and know how to balance their lives many other things. They make time for exercise and hanging out as well as being culturally diverse. I value that and have mad respect for them all. Lastly the people from ICF, (International Christian Fellowship) are incredibly diverse and interesting. They all have different backgrounds and have a huge desire to explore and make new friends.

Next the experiences: There is so much to do in Zurich. Every minute of the day there is something fun to do. There's work, which is cool. After that, it's anything from: swimming in the lake and river, rock climbing on the Irchel campus, playing soccer at Rettinshalt, Jumping off the low (and sometimes high) bridge at Letin, getting cultured at the country presentations, playing volley ball with the crew, going to ICF bible study, and spending hours laughing with all my friends. And eating. That's not including all of the travel and special events in Zurich and Switzerland. For example the hiking and climbing at Santis, Braunwald, Interlaken, and Lutzern and also the street parade in Zurich!

Lastly the food: I love Swiss food.

street parade, Zurich

Switzerland has been a blast and I've learned so much here

Summer School at the University of Basel

2009-08-24T18:58:00.010-05:00

I was looking forward to this trip like you wouldn't know. I have not been to Europe before and this was the first trip ever to that continent. Growing up whenever somebody mentioned Switzerland I conjured up these beautiful pictures in my mind. Now, here I was taking my first trip to Europe and it will be in Switzerland.

My arrival point was at the Euroairport in Basel. I was so glad that international flights flew into this airport. I had a reservation for a hotel where a mobility bus card was included but I did not know how to avail of this at this point in the journey. I was vacillating between taking the green colored bus or taking a cab to the hotel. The cab ride won. Expediency over practicality. I paid approximately 37 swiss francs from the Euroairport to the Hotel Spalentor. Hotel Spalentor is situated a block or two away from the University of Basel. The hotel was nicely situated relative to the University of Basel.

The one thing that I did not anticipate was the weather. It was about 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The last time I looked online through weather.com it was supposed to be a low of 52 and a high of 74. This appeared to be not the reality and the only clothes that I brought was for cooler weather and I did not bring any for warm/hot weather. Hotel Spalentor unfortunately did not have any air conditioning. Anyway, enough about the weather.

Summer school itself was very productive. Dr. Jerilyn Allen and Dr. Miyong Kim from the John Hopkins University were very knowledgeable about their subject areas. They brought their knowledge and expertise in instrument development and testing. The University of Basel is an idyllic setting. The classrooms are large and comfortable. The AV equipment were also up to date. The two buildings we were in were the Kollegienhaus and the Biozentrum. The group of students were international in nature. There was good mix of students from the USA, Switzerland, Iceland, The Netherlands, and Belgium. This brought an international perspective to the development of instruments.

The city of Basel is quite beautiful. The Rhine river runs through the city and because of the warm weather you could see a lot of people jumping and floating in the river. It was quite an amazing sight. People were having a lot of fun in the river. The city is very walkable and the public transportation system runs well. The buses and trams are well synchronized. The expected arrival times for the buses and trams were also quite accurate.

The US students were also able to go to Bern. A big shout out to Marianne and Adrian. They were wonderful hosts for this part of the program. Both were amazing in their patience with us. The two of them were always pleasant and wonderful to be around with. They were very friendly and also great conversationalists. This helps make it easier for people in large groups to be more comfortable around each other. Especially if they just got thrown together for a few days to attend a one-week program.

Bern is also a beautiful city. A group of us were taken on a tour around the city - on scooters. No - not the motorized kind. These scooters were propelled by one leg. Get ready for a workout. The lady who took us on the tour was quite fit. She was just zipping through the Bern streets. This was a very enjoyable part of the Bern trip. It allowed us to go through the city streets and explore the small nooks and crannies of this wonderful city. Plus take lots of pictures from several vantage points.

I also had the opportunity to visit Zurich and Luzern. Both of these cities have their own charm. The boat ride on Lake Zurich was amazing. The views were just spectacular.

Luzern is also very charming. The sun setting casted this amazing hues on the surrounding mountains.

I also took the Glacier Express from Zermatt to Chur. This is a not to be missed ride. The scenery from the train is just spectacular.

This trip brought to realization my childhood impressions of Switzerland. Great country along with great people. I look forward to more opportunities to travel to Switzerland both personally and professionally.

One word about Switzerland - Amazing!

Weekend in Basel

2009-08-23T17:55:00.000-05:00

During my last full day in Basel, I spent time with a classmate who lives and grew up in Switzerland. She has been very kind to show me around Basel and Riehen and to answer all my questions about Swiss culture. With our class finished, we had time to ride bikes and talk about what it is like to live in Switzerland. We found a small zoo where families were taking advantage of the sunny day to bring their children to see the animals. Its been nice to have a little time today to reflect on my experiences here while biking through beautiful forests and gardens in Riehen (a town just northeast of Basel). I really appreciate the interest that the Swiss people have in exercise and maintaining beautifully manicured landscapes around the cities. Also, the culture at the university made it a really enjoyable place to study. Although I found most aspects quite similar to my university, I've really appreciated the opportunity to meet and work with a diverse group of students. I hope that I was able to offer some interesting perspectives for the other students as well. Although I will have to pack to head home tonight, I'm already eager to return to Basel for another trip in the future.

Update of the field trip in Basel

2009-08-23T16:31:00.018-05:00

As a student with architectural background, Basel must be the most important place for visiting in Switzerland. In last week, other two Ph.D. students of EPFL and I did a field trip at there and also studied the sustainable features through measurement and simulation for certain buildings.

That the bulidngs stand out in Basel is often because their contemporary architectural characteristics, especially form and technology. The first architectural center that we visited is the Vitra premises which is a collection of the interesting buildings like the museum building designed by Frank Gehry, the fire station designed by Zaha Hadid, and Tadao Ando's conference pavilion.
Also, we visited other notable buildings according to the handbook named Architectural Tour Guidance from tourism office. Some buildings with high-tech envelope attracted us more, and we entered the interior to measured the lighting environments. I got lots of information and knowledge from this trip, and we will think over the possibility to
combine with our present program----sustainable physical environments with the high-tech envelop.

Trip to Bern

2009-08-22T17:46:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, the US students from my class were invited to a day in Bern, Switzerland. We attended a presentation about the Swiss health care system given by the Federal Office of the Public Health, and then enjoyed a tour of Bern. I was really impressed by the presentation and I hope to bring a few ideas to my colleagues in the U.S. The tour of Bern was one of my favorite experiences on this trip. We went through the city's cobblestone streets on scooters. The scenery was gorgeous; we sailed by ornate cathedral-style churches, traditional Swiss buildings neatly framed by brightly colored flowers, and a busy town square crowded with cafes and shops. We ended the evening with dinner in a traditional Swiss restaurant overlooking the city.

In addition to learning about the Swiss system from the public health perspective, I had the opportunity to tour a hospital in Basel on the following day. I wasn't surprised to find that it was very similar to an academic hospital in the U.S., with only very minor differences with the legal aspects of nursing practice. Many of the nurses were eager to meet us and to ask questions about nursing in the U.S. My course in Basal has been flying by and there is so much more that I want to see. Even though my time here is limited, I will be leaving with a long list of contact info for my new international colleagues.

A most wonderful summer

2009-08-22T09:07:00.002-05:00

I am back in the U.S. after a spectacular summer spent in Zurich participating in the Biology Undergraduate Summer School. In Zurich, I was able to explore a vibrant city filled with so much to do (swimming in the river and lake, hiking, discovering quaint shopping districts, dancing!, etc), do some interesting environmental microbiology research and get acquainted with the University of Zurich system, and spend time with an international group of students that could not possibly be any more wonderful! I have learned so much this summer, academic-related learning about microbiology and getting more comfortable working in a laboratory as well as cultural knowledge from interacting with so many people from all over the world.

I have also been able to explore some of Switzerland, with trips to Bern and Luzern with the BUSS group. Switzerland really does not contain one place that is not filled with natural beauty, and there is so much rich history to be found all over the country as well. My extended family also all live in Switzerland, and it was very fulfilling to be able to visit them during my stay. Many of them live in the beautiful St. Gallen canton, so I was able to do a lot of hiking in the mountains with experienced aunts and uncles who always chipped in with interesting historical and nature-related facts!

This summer could not have been traded for a better experience. I will always retain fond memories of my time spent in Zurich- culturing microbes in the environmental lab, jumping into the river Limmat and floating down the current in its freezing water, great conversations and laughs with good friends, delicious Swiss foods (and chocolate!), and hiking in the gorgeous Swiss countryside. It could not have been better!

Sailing down the streets of Bern

2009-08-21T16:48:00.011-05:00

I was happily sailing atop a scooter down a neatly cobblestoned street in Bern during the late afternoon yesterday. Sunlight was glinting off the highest of the geranium-bedecked window panes, and the humming of conversation drifting out of the little cafes along the way was growing steadily stronger.

An energetic, enthusiastic guide had skillfully sheperded our little herd through the arcades and archways of the beautiful Swiss capital Bern, pointing out the highlights of what easily could have taken several days to fully appreciate. The town had a charm to it akin to that of a familiar bedtime story - inviting, magical, but somehow oddly familiar, as if I had walked these streets before in a dream or perhaps, a favorite book.

It was difficult not to drift into a meditative state as I propelled myself, with each step, further along the lanes of what must be one of the most picturesque places I've ever had the pleasure of touring.

In my experience, it is moments such as these -- moments when time seems to slow down, when sounds and sensations intensify, and when you become distinctly aware of yourself in the world - each breath, each step that propels you further, and each experience, such as the delicious feeling of wind across your face as you sail over the crest of a steep hill and peer down a lane that could just as easily have been a watercolor as real - it is in precious moments such as these that I feel most alive - alive does not even do it justice- invigorated, electrified, joyous - they might be a start.

If there's anything I can say for this past week in Switzerland its that it had been such a pleasure to immerse myself in this place, however briefly - its people, its culture, its ideas, and its hospitality. I will be sure to write more about the learning experience, the fantastic collaborations with international colleagues, and Basel, but for now, I will fall asleep - very content to have made the trip and extremely thankful to ThinkSwiss and the University of Basel for making it possible.

Widerluege, au revoir, and arrivederci

2009-08-21T16:13:00.005-05:00

It hardly seems possible, but the course is over and it is time to pack my things in preparation to travel home. I feel as if my time in Switzerland has been a grand adventure- viewing the Matterhorn, traveling through Bern on scooters (!!), seeing landmarks and institutions much older than anything in the U.S., making new friends, and - of course- learning about instrument development from and with some very fine people. (Special shout-outs to Malou, Joey, and Vu- not only for the fun times, but also for pointing me in the right direction when I - as usual- had no idea where I was going!)

Our Swiss hosts have been nothing but wonderful. Ever accommodating, always patient and friendly, I could not have asked for more from my first truly international academic experience. Far from just enjoying the cheese and chocolate (as I jokingly referenced during introductions on Monday), I have been impressed with all that Basel (as well as the other cities I've visited) has to offer.

Thank you to ThinkSwiss and INS for a wonderful program. It is all I had hoped it would be and more.

It's over already?

2009-08-21T00:51:00.003-05:00

This one-week Summer Course has been a whirlwind. We've been working with students and faculty from all over the U.S. and Europe. It has been a true education in international research.

On top of all of the planned activities, we even managed to find some time to swim and float down the Rhine here in Basel! (I'm afraid I have no pictures from the float...)

Yesterday we went to Bern to meet with representatives from ThinkSwiss. We received a very interesting presentation on the Swiss health care system, and then had a great tour of the city by scooter. The heat was rough, but we all seemed to agree that it was worth it.

I'm looking forward to getting back to Switzerland sometime soon.

Posted! ( ....finally)

2009-08-20T11:15:00.003-05:00

It's taken me forever and a day to post something on this blog. My only semi-legit excuse: there's so much to do! Given the choice between 1) sitting at a computer after lab or 2) jumping off bridges/hiking the Alps/swimming in lakes/chatting it up with happy people from foreign countries/etc etc etc...I just kept picking the second option.

So what have I been doing?

-Serving as a lollipop for baby cows! They must really like salt and have come to learn that hikers get quite sweaty. Last weekend in Braunwald, a group of calves tried sucking our hands off. Super cute!

-Sleeping under the stars! Up in the mountains, the sky is so clear! We were snuggled up in sleeping bag out on the terrace of a little mountain cottage, and the whole sky was littered with big stars, little stars...everything!!! Once, we also slept in a barn full of hay that a farming family rents to travelers. The next morning, we woke to the sound of bleating goats. Super funnnn!

-Now I have to tend to some HeLa cells. I'll try to contribute more later--ciao!

Lessons from a summer in Switzerland

2009-08-20T08:26:00.006-05:00

Spending time abroad can really change your viewpoint. It is humbling to be, despite my college education, essentially illiterate here in Switzerland. Most people in Zurich do speak some English, but I still cannot read signs or labels. Grocery shopping turns into a guessing game when you don't understand any of the three languages the label is printed in! One of the amusing differences I have found is that those red-and-green vegetables we can "peppers" are known as pepperoni here and in several other European countries. The type of meat called pepperoni in the US is just "sausage" here--they don't use different names for each variety of sausage like we do.

The research I am doing here is also fairly new to me. As a chemistry major, I have a fair amount of experience in the lab--but not the kind of experience you need in a biology lab! It is a bit disorienting not to have numbers and equations to predict the outcomes of my experiments. Biology is more like cooking: there is a recipe, but in general it does not have to be followed exactly. And like trying out a new recipe, it is difficult to predict whether the outcome will be successful if you are not an experienced cook! Despite the uncertainty, it is a relief not to have to be painstakingly precise in my measurements. The sterile procedure however I will not miss....

A full bucket of lab waste....yuck!

Outside of lab, I have had the opportunity to see a great deal of Switzerland. The public transport here is excellent--the trains run smoothly, are almost always on time, and cover virtually the entire country. Of all the places I've been, I must say that Lauterbrunnen and Kandersteg have been the most beautiful. These small valley towns surrounded by the Alps have amazing hiking trails easily accessible by cablecar. Although the trail was exhausting, seeing Lake Oeschinensee in Kandersteg was well worth it.

Reflections off Lake Oeschinensee

Not being fluent in another language, I never expected to have the chance to spend a summer abroad. In addition to having something exciting to do every weekend (rather difficult in the US when you don't have a car), spending two months in a German-speaking country in a biology lab has truly been mind-opening. Spending time abroad has been one of the most educational experiences I have ever had, and I must recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.

I can't believe we are almost done with the 2009 program!

2009-08-19T14:29:00.003-05:00

Wow, I can't believe that tomorrow is Thursday, when we go on our exciting trip to Bern, and then Friday is our last day for the program.

This summer school has been a wonderful experience! I am surrounded by intelligent people in our class, privileged to learn from two great professors, and was lucky enough to travel to Basel to share this week with everyone.

I've learned new knowledge and touched up on others during the class this week. The group project we've all worked hard on has been a lesson not only in Psychometrics, but also group dynamics. My luck has continued, because my group members are smart, funny, and willing to listen to each other. These wonderful ladies are (in alphabetical order): Anne, Antoinette, Elisabeth, Eydis, Jill, Laura, and Rachel.

In addition to my group, I have had the honor of meeting new friends such as Janine, (the other) Elisabeth, Krista, Veronica, and Ditmark; and becoming better friends with my co-UCSF student, Joey. I am thankful for all of the help from the Institut of Nursing at the University of Basel, especially Brenda, who has supported us administratively.

I truly hope that my time in Basel will create linkages with others in the program for future research and projects. I look forward to staying in touch with everyone as we all continue in our academic and professional journey.

Second ThinkSwiss trip to Bern August 20, 2009

2009-08-17T17:24:00.003-05:00

Welcome to all the ThinkSwiss newcomers who just arrived to Switzerland or who are going to arrive this week!

On Thursday, August 20, you are going to join the second ThinkSwiss trip to Bern. Again, we have put together an exciting program: One focus of the trip will be the Swiss Health Care System, since most of the participants are enrolled in the Nursing Science Summer School at the University of Basel.

Apart from visiting the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, you will also get to know more about the ThinkSwiss Program and meet staff of the U.S. Embassy. Of course there is also a touristy side of the trip: first you will have to get active on a guided city tour by scooter and afterwards you will be able to relax at the Restaurant Altes Tramdepot, where you can enjoy dinner with a great view over the old city of Bern.

ThinkSwiss participants on the trip:
ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship Awardees: Kayla from EAWAG (Research Institute of the ETH Zurich).
ThinkSwiss Travel Grants Awardees from the University of Basel Summer School on Measurement in Health Care Research (Institute of Nursing Science): Anne, Jill, Rachel Klimmek and Rachel DiFazio, Monica, Janine, Jose, Todd, Maria Lourdes and Asha.

Don’t forget to print out and bring along your e-ticket. For the city tour you need good shoes and rain gear in case of bad weather.

I look forward to reading your comments about the trip on the Blog!

Have a good time in Bern,

Ursina
Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education
Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C.

Impressions of Swiss life and society

2009-08-16T17:45:00.002-05:00

Jill and I have been having a great time since our arrival in Switzerland as you have read in her blog. Aside from great beauty, cleanliness, efficiency and precision, I have been very struck by the free and comfortable ambiance. I have also been impressed by the helpfulness and kindness of the people who are physicially fit, self-regulated and seem to enjoy life very much. I was amazed that with all of the people filling the streets of Basel Friday night for Jazz Fest, we saw no skirmishes or the visible presence of police. The next morning the streets were immaculate like nothing had taken place the night before. Not to mention that the wonderful music, food and spirits were so elegantly presented and the Fest was so well organized that it will always remain for me a great memory.

On Saturday we went to the Kunstmuseum to see the Van Gogh exhibit which was spectacular not only for the quality and importance of the masterpieces but also for the wonderful presentation by the museum.

A word about the environment, when traveling to Stans today, I was rather surprised not to see more snow capped mountain peaks or glaciers. Perhaps the lower altitude of this particular area of the Alps was the reason, but I couldn't help wondering if global warming was a factor.

I look forward to meeting everyone tomorrow!

Summer School in Basel

2009-08-16T17:38:00.001-05:00

My summer school course started on Monday morning. The course involves a lecture in the morning and group work in the afternoon. I found the group work very interesting because our group was so diverse. In my group we had students from Switzerland, Iceland, Belgium, Germany, and the U.S. In addition to discussing our assignments, I was really interested in lean ring abut the different health care systems across our countries. It's one thing to read about another system, but quite another to hear the experiences of the citizens who better understand the culture and sociopolitical aspects of their health care systems. After an interesting class, we took some time to relax in Basel by walking around the city and having dinner in a cafe near he university. I've been getting so many good ideas for my research; although my classmates and I have different research areas, having the opportunity to interact with people with different perspectives has been really valuable.

2009-08-16T16:25:00.003-05:00

So, I arrived in Switzerland this past Thursday with my colleague from the University of Pittsburgh, Monica. We are here for the week-long course in measurement in healthcare research. I'm very glad we decided to come a few days early, because Basel and Switzerland are just amazing!

I was a little suprised at how Basel is so metropolitan, yet charming at the same time. As we walked through the old towne at the jazz festival on Friday (which was excellent, I must say), I couldn't get over how the old half-timber type houses were right next to stores you would find in NYC. I think both of us were suprised too at all of the cultural influences converging in one area...which I guess explains all the great food :) I don't think we've had one bad meal since we arrived. We were warned upon our arrival that the pastries and breads were top-notch, and I must agree. (I already assumed that the chocolate, coffee, and cheese would be great and I haven't been disappointed!)

Today, we ventured a little further into Luzern. I wish I could move there! Wow! The Alps are just breathtaking next to the lake, and the city has a charm all its own. The riverwalk is great, with the cool breeze from the lake and all the little restaurants. We also took a short train ride and cable car up to one of the Alps (the name of which I can't remember now). I'm typically afraid of heights, but for some reason I wasn't today. The view was like nothing I've ever seen. I think I took too many pictures, because my camera's battery (which was fully charged when I left), died shortly after our arrival on the moutaintop!

I can't wait to see more of Switzerland this week. Monica and I are still looking for a really great chocolate shop, but didn't see any during our walks in the old towne. Perhaps we missed it...we seem to find something new each time we walk through there...

2009-08-14T17:27:00.001-05:00

Another weekly update from Liza, in standard form:

Last week was indeed the last week of running subjects. By Friday, I had 19 and pretty stable results. My Matlab-savvy supervisor has gone, and this Tuesday my original fmri-specialist supervisor came back. Today was the last day that I battle matlab in any way alone—I’ve done all I can to crack the logic of scripts to make them do what I want for me, but I failed, and I don’t feel even a little bad about it. Now my task is to write, put together a powerpoint, a poster, and watch what others are doing. Just a little more quick analysis left for me. Actually next week in Neuchatel there is a conference where everyone from the lab will go to hear one of the lab members give a talk (and attend the conference in general). If I can get funds for it, I will also go—a highly productive way to spend my dwindling time, now that I am not tied to subjects but to word documents that can be edited on trains, at home, by the lake (today I worked by the Post Office at EPFL for a while---there is a circle of stones, a sculpture of sorts there that served as my seat).

Thus is my work. As for fun, this past weekend I went to Zurich and Salzburg. At Zurich of course was the street parade, but this was really not my goal in going there, so with a few other people I hopped some churches and enjoyed their Kuntsmuseum. At night we met up with the larger group of summer students who had in fact come there to party, and party we did until it was time to catch the overnight train to Salzburg. Salzburg was excellent in some ways, except in the unpleasantness of its train station and nothing opening until 9 AM (we arrived at 4, when it was still dark and Saturday night for some people). Another day of many churches, their fairytale castle, a satisfying pretzel, unusual number of traditional outfits, ending with a concert in the Franciscan church. The way the trains worked out, I only got back to Lausanne at 9:15 AM. It was a journey of little sleep. I enjoyed it.

Heading to Switzerland

2009-08-14T17:25:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my blog about my stay in and around Basel, Switzerland. I am a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where I have been working on a dissertation about symptoms with chronic heart failure. I was excited to be invited to an international summer school course the the Universitat Basel. The course is about measurement in health-related research. This course has come at a perfect time for me because my dissertation involves a number of different measurement issues. I am a registered nurse in the U.S., and I care for patients with heart failure. I am interested in measuring common heart failure symptoms (i.e., fatigue, depressive symptoms) that are frequently overlooked in both research and practice. I will be looking for correlations between the symptoms and several physiological variables. I'm hoping that I will meet colleagues who can advise me about my research, as well as introduce me to the culture of Switzerland.

When I arrived in Basel, the weather was very hot. The heat led me to seek some shade in the cafes along Schutzgraben (a street near the Universitat). Here I've meet people from many different countries - some of whom were on holiday, and others who were not Swiss but had come to Basel for education or for work. It was really interesting to hear stories about how these people came to be in Switzerland. The first impressive thing I have noticed is the extent to which Switzerland is very multilingual. I've found that many of the people I've met so far seem quite fluent in a number of languages, particularly German, French, Dutch, Italian, and English. I had a great time sitting in the cafes. But next I need to learn my way around Basel. I'm finding the winding streets of Basel very different from the city layout that I know in Chicago, IL. So I'm relying very heavily on my map. Hopefully, as the week goes on I'll become better with finding my way. And I also hope to learn more about the language and culture. Auf Wiedersehen!

Notice the funny little things....

2009-08-11T10:52:00.000-05:00

After spending the short bit of time here that I have, there are a few things I have noticed…

1. Lavender is everywhere. This plant is a pretty little thing to look at and the little flowers come paired with a notable fragrance. Pay a bit of attention and you will start catching whiffs of this delightful scent everywhere you go. Pick a few sprigs for your room (though not from some private garden!) and you will enjoy coming home a little bit more each evening.

2. The keys here are incredible. Instead of having keys similar to those found in the states with different cut outs and shapes for different locks, Swiss keys are all pretty much the same size with different indentations across the surface. This is one of those things I didn’t notice for a while but once I saw it I noticed it everywhere. Swiss keys are so interesting.

3. Fanny packs are everywhere. In the states no young adult would be caught dead with one of these old fashioned change purses; no one wants an added lump around their middle. In Switzerland it is different. People of all ages wear these little bags. Some wear them around the middle as tourists to the US tend to do but many also wear them diagonally across their bodies. We should have our fashion gurus rethink these accessories because they really are quite practical.

4. There are some manners that are very different. Here in Lausanne (and I believe it is the same in most of Switzerland) greetings consist of three cheek it cheek kisses. It is also widely known that you must say hello and goodbye to everyone. This means that when you come into work and don’t say hello to your labmates because they seem so focused on their work you are being rude. You also need to say goodbye before you leave even if you are pretty sure they don’t care whether or not you are there. These little things can make a big difference in the feeling you develop in the work environment. (Oops!)

5. Batteries are outrageously priced. If your camera eats batteries the way mine does and you love taking pictures be sure to pack a ton of extra batteries. This will be key if you do not want to spend a fortune. Similarly, McDonalds prices are also through the rough so find somewhere else to meet your craving for fast food/a taste from home.

6. People here do not tip their waitresses or waiters. This seemed odd to me but when people get the check the only thing they do is round up to the nearest whole dollar. This certainly makes splitting the bill a whole lot easier!

That is all I can think of for now but I am sure more will come to me. I will post something closer to a narrative sometime soon but look at it this way: no news is good news because it means I am too busy to write!

life in Zurich

2009-08-08T01:48:00.004-05:00

Zurich has surpassed my expectations. It has a bustling city feel, yet you don’t need to go too far to be surrounded by the gorgeous landscape that Switzerland offers. Being together in this foreign country has brought all of the exchange students together, and has greatly enhanced my experience here. Earlier I organized a day trip to Luzern, and using the reliable and efficient train system we all ventured over to this enchanted city. In the afternoon we hiked Mount Pilatus. What I’ve come to realize is that this impressive mountain is just one of many that Switzerland has to offer.

We are all very excited and committed to our lab work as well. It is an amazing hands-on opportunity and I know that I am learning a lot of new techniques as well as a lot about the “research process”. So far I have learned that doing research is slow, sometimes frustrating, and yet very rewarding. I’ve learned how to write a research paper, put together a scientific presentation, as I have also learnt what it means to work in a “lab team”.

I speak English here almost all of the time, but I have also taken the opportunity to learn some Swiss German. It is so different from any other language I have learned, and very difficult to learn since it is not a written language and there are so many different dialects. However, I’ve noticed that Swiss people get really excited when they see someone makes an effort to speak their language. As an American, so often I go to a foreign country and expect people to speak English to me. After a lot of practice with the Swiss students, I am happy to say that I can now understand and speak a bit of this language, which I used to think would be impossible to learn.

Another weekend I helped organized a trip with some of the other BUSS students to Interlaken. On the first day we hiked in the rain, but once it cleared up, we looked down from the mountain at a rainbow arched over the city. That night the American students prepared s’mores- something that is apparently only really eaten in America. We couldn’t find graham crackers or the right marshmallows, but with a bit of improvisation (and some delicious Swiss chocolate) we made it a tasty and memorable experience. Now every time we go camping the foreigners always request that I we make s’mores! During the night, we pulled out our sleeping bags and slept in a barn that belonged to a Swiss family. It was surprisingly very comfortable sleeping on the stray, although we were woken up in the morning by the rooster and then later the goats. That next day, after having a delicious breakfast prepared for us by the farmers, we headed to Grindlewald. We hiked up an incredibly steep mountain and five hours later, with aching calves, we reached the snow. We were so high up, that we could see all of the glaciers in the mountain’s crevices but we could no longer see the village we had started form. We took the gondola down the mountain and arrived back in Zurich later that night.

Even though Switzerland is not all about chocolate and cheese, I think we have all adapted it into our diet and consume it in much higher quantities than normally. Even the cheapest chocolate here is delicious. Swiss people are proud of their chocolate, and will find any excuse to eat it. I would never have thought to just eat a chocolate bar on top of a slice of bread, but that is completely natural for them.

With three weeks to go there is still so much to do, and so much to learn. I know that I am not going to want to leave this incredible city.

Work & Play

2009-08-06T14:36:00.006-05:00

Although this is my second post, I totally skipped the personal introduction part last time, so let me start from scratch. An architect by training and studying architectural computation in the US, I work at the Composite Construction Lab at EPFL’s school of architecture and engineering since the beginning of July. Quite similar to my research back in Boston, I work here on the physical manufacturing of building components with complex geometrical attributes (double curvature, for example).

The lab consists of doctoral and post-doctoral architects, structural engineers and aerospace engineers, all laboring on the appropriation of new lightweight materials to building construction, whether through fabrication studies or load tests and stress flow modeling. Recently, the group started exploring an extremely thin basalt-based weave that, in sandwich form, promises to have the best stiffness to strength ratio in the industry, surpassing structural steel and timber.

Building component prototypes in timber and steel

But, as interesting as work is, the real treats around here are the weekends, when it’s hard to resist the nearby Alps and the cloudless skies. Last weekend I joined Amy, a fellow ThinkSwisser and a group of friends to take on the Tour de Mayen, a seven hour long, steep hike with a thousand meter climb. Exhausting as it was, the view from the summit was worth it all: a bird’s eye view of Lake Geneva, hours before the August 1st celebrations in the cities and villages around the country. If we could only stay up there late enough to watch the fireworks….

Views of and from the summit of Tour de Mayen

of metal poles and matlab

2009-08-05T15:32:00.004-05:00

First, the work: My work in lab has fallen into a pretty regular routine (which will most likely end next week). I have spent most mornings recording subjects, most afternoon doing a little data clean-up and analysis, with a little time left for reading. Today we had our 18^th subject, which means we are almost done collecting data. One of my supervisors, who has been here for the past three weeks and knows how to run the EEG analysis in Matlab, will be leaving on Friday, and has been working to get the analysis of this part of the data running smoothly, because without him there is little I can do in that area. Once he leaves, my other supervisor will come back Monday morning, we will do the tail end of the data analysis (which will rely more on Excel—more familiar lands) and then I will just read and write until I can read and write no more. Actually, in a week and a half I have a presentation coming up in the lab,which will be quite intimidating—to stand in the place of competent speakers, in front of two labs that love to ask questions… I’d rather not think about it now. And after that, my time here will be almost up!

Last week, of course, was also the wonderful Bern trip to the American Embassy. The city was lovely, as was our mini-tour around the old city and demonstrations of time. We SRP folk showed up a bit early and walked around the city for an hour before the official meeting time. We also stayed a bit into evening. My only regret is not seeing the art museum... I will certainly have to go back (on a Tuesday night, when it is open late, perhaps).

Now, the play: this past weekend I went to Lyon with a few companions. Being France, the city certainly had a different feel to it than any place here so far. I got to know it very intimately when, glued to the map, I managed to walk straight into a large metal lamppost on the University Bridge, leaving a sizable booboo on my forehead and a bruise on my knee that is still evoking questions and cringes four days later. As this was my first pole encounter in life, it managed to snag first place in my list of most memorable things about Lyon. We also saw a few of their museums (the Marionette one was interesting, but somehow it failed to tap into the fascination I had with puppets at a slightly younger age; the art museum also had some nice sculptures). The ornate churches all managed to have pretty different character. The town center was full of quirky/monumental sculptures. Our hotel was just grand, just grand.

This week has otherwise disappeared into exhaustion and sleep. Perhaps its last two days will stand out more. Now there are only three weeks left. My plan for this weekend is still hazy. Next weekend, my parents are using me as an excuse to visit Switzerland, and I was going to use them as a way to see Salzburg, but they don't want to drive that far, so now the plan is to see Zermatt, Lugano, Locarno.. After that, I believe there is a Basel trip planned. In between, I will be writing writing writing my research up, and hopefully find time during the week to visit one or two local museums I have yet to see and some nearby towns, like Nyon. This is the way things have been.

-Liza

My Final Post

2009-08-04T08:40:00.004-05:00

Switzerland is one of those amazing places that exists in the imagination – a land flowing with cheese and chocolate, guarded by snow-capped mountains, full of international money, and thus rendered immune to the outside world. I had a tiny glimpse into Swiss culture due to the 10 weeks I spent working with a Swiss post-doc last summer, but this did not completely prepare me for the experience of living here. My stay was in no way less than my expectations, but then again, the Swiss only aim to exceed the standard. I had expected to come into an excellent lab full of diverse people, which I did, with the exception that the people were even more diverse than I realized. I also expected to see much of Switzerland and Paris while I was here, and I have done that with the addition of Italy. I feel as if I have visited many other countries, through my many discussions with people from all over the world.

I cannot say enough about the beauty of Switzerland, and I will always remember the awesome feeling of waking up every day to that view! Then when walking to work, I'd come out of the metro only to be greeted by the Alps and Lac Léman again. Furthermore, I was able to get on a train and travel around the region to see more beautiful places. I will also remember how incredible it was to work with such a diverse group of people. Switzerland is a great way to meet most of the world's (and especially Europe's) cultures in one place. The country attracts, almost magnetically, a group of talented and fascinating people, who all get together over coffee to discuss their lives and experiences. Moreover, I could change languages within an hour's train ride. This is such a novel thing for an American, and it really makes one feel as if she is at the epicenter of world activity. Given that, people are incredibly welcoming of other cultures, in most instances, and are usually able to speak English. There were a couple of exceptions, but mostly the language barrier was not an issue. Finally, I have to note the ease of transportation as another of my favorite parts about Switzerland. Coming from the United States, where convenient public transport is really only available in the biggest of cities, and certainly not between them, I was enormously impressed by Switzerland its handling of the system. Lausanne is the smallest city to have a metro system of its type, and it is so convenient. I really did set my watch by Swiss trains, and getting to them, understanding their schedules, and riding on them could not have been easier. I never lacked for mobility, and have now become quite spoiled by all this convenient riding around!

Now that I've stated my favorite things, and you can have no doubt that I truly enjoyed myself, I will comment briefly on the “non-ideal” aspects. Firstly, Switzerland is a very regulated country, which has both its ups and downs. Although I was quite lucky to have mostly free access to washers and dryers, most people I know have “laundry day”. On a person's allotted laundry day, he has a half of a day to complete his laundry on a given day of the week. If you're lucky, there may be a free day. Now, when I say a half of a day, I mean that it could be morning or afternoon, so someone could be assigned Wednesday at 8AM. It is, in my estimation, close to insanity to tell someone to only wash clothing on a workday, during normal working hours. In Switzerland, it is completely understood and really only complained about by us foreigners. Along the same vein, the flexibility in shopping hours is limited, even compared to other European countries. In the US, most cities have a 24 hour grocery store, and if not, your grocery store likely closes around 9 or 10 PM. In Switzerland, the average shop closes around 5 or 6PM, and then is not open at all on Sunday. It came as a complete surprise to me that all Swiss towns turned into ghost towns on Sunday – not only were shops closed, but there were few to no people on the streets. Although in some ways this could be considered good time to relax, as a person who's doing a lot of traveling and working, it makes life rather difficult. Traveling on Sunday is only a good idea if you don't care much about shopping where you're going, and certainly if you then travel on Saturday instead, you better have picked up your groceries on Friday. Otherwise, it's a trip down to the train station, where a more costly, less-stocked, and low-variety store stays open for you. Not even that store is open 24 hours, even though they call it the “24”. Finally, I'll have to note my own, and not Switzerland's, shortcomings. I learned very little French before I arrived, and it was pretty difficult to learn here as well. Had I stayed longer, immersion classes could have been an option, but this was too little too late for me. Although I stated earlier that people often speak English, they do when they have to speak to you. Otherwise, you may be in a conversation over lunch that you only partially understand, because the rest of the table is chattering away in French whilst you sit there confused. In the US, this would probably be considered somewhat rude, but I did not take it that way. It's simply a fact, when in a French speaking country, don't expect the social culture to cater to your language barrier. If I had really known more French, I could have made closer friends and learned quite a bit more from people than I did.

I cannot comment highly enough on the quality of the research lab. My colleagues were excellent, and all very helpful. Their diversity of experiences and ways of looking at the same protocol really helped shape me as a scientist. In figuring out your own way of doing things, as all scientists must do,there is really no better education than observing the habits of others. I had no doubt that if I walked up to a colleague, they would help me, whether they really could spare the time or not. Everyone for the most part was really easy to get to know, minus those, as I mentioned before, that I had a language barrier with. Then again, we would converse on occasion, but not at length. I was very fortunate to have an excellent PI as well, who was very attentive to how I was acclimating, where I was traveling on weekends, and who I had met. I was that “summer student from New York” in a setting where there were no other Americans, nor do they really take summer students. Furthermore, I had a very nice mentor who was there for all the ups, downs, and oops-es of my journey. She was really wonderful to work with, and gave me a lot of room to grow on my own, without being distant when I needed her. This also provided me the opportunity to develop relationships with others in the lab, who were not only helpful but also just a lot of fun to get to know. From these people, I actually gained many new ideas for protocols that enabled me to do new and different things. They taught me to go search out answers from many people, because you never know what will work best for you. The only difficulty in the whole experience was the project, which is really no one's fault. The science sometimes just doesn't work as you expect, and although I got things done, I came out with no new earth-shattering conclusions. But if I had expected that, it would have been foolish to do so. A lot of the connection I formed with the lab was through my traveling. Once people started asking me how my weekend had been, and I rallied back with a wild story of where I had been and what I'd done, the question “So where are you going this weekend?” started popping up on Friday. It was really enjoyable to be able to share my experiences with them, and they definitely enjoyed the crazy, hair-brained adventures of a wild American and her research comrades on their outlandish Swiss adventures. Social life in the lab, though, is associated with three little mental images in my head. I can see myself working in cell culture, laughing with a couple colleagues as a post-doc tries to start singing in the middle of work. Then I have a snapshot of all of us sitting around in the center lab where the Nespresso machines were, talking about our varied experiences. Finally, I recall the Sunday morning I got invited to brunch at an adorable little cafe in Lausanne where a whole bunch of us, Australians, Germans, and an American, sat down to enjoy a real French meal together. These are the memories that last a lifetime.

The research lab, however enjoyable, was quite a difference from what I'm used to. First, as I've mentioned before, it's a little interesting to have German spoken above your head, French across from you, and Italian behind you. This was not an uncommon occurrence for me, and although it was different, I really enjoyed it. Some languages are just fun to listen to, even if you don't understand it at all. Aside from that most obvious difference, the biggest difference was the safety procedure. When one first arrives in an American lab, you go through at least a day of safety briefings, often on- and offline, getting you prepared to handle these dangerous chemicals. Then there's training for working with human cells, and then any extra machinery they consider a little more dangerous. Here, I signed some papers and I was thrown immediately into the lab. Now, I don't consider this unsafe, since I know not to bathe in hydrochloric acid or poke myself with contaminated needles, but I did keep waiting for something to arise (although it never did). Then on the flip side of that, I listened to the stories of those who had to get certified to work with mice here. In Switzerland, the process is much more stringent, as one must attend 5 days of classes, full days with both “theoretical” and “hands-on” training. I have no idea what's so theoretical about holding a mouse, but maybe that's only because I never attended a class. In the US, you have to take an additional training, maybe 2 hours at most out of your time, then you learn from your mentor. We even joked about it here, that so-and-so completed their training, so now they're capable of touching a mouse. Kind of funny, but true. For many people, they don't use enough mice in their research to warrant that kind of time, so others who are trained will handle the mice for them. It seems too that this lab, although very high caliber, was not the “empire” that many US labs come when they are as successful as this one. Often PIs will take the strategy of multiplying numbers of people to keep cranking out the papers, but in this lab, the strategy had more to do with the quality of papers. Then again, there are always other differences one notices among labs, no matter where they are found. Definitely unique to the Swiss environment, though, is the acceptance of vacation. In the US, a week's vacation feels like forever, and you're “under the gun” for weeks to prepare for your upcoming departure. In Switzerland, people plan these two week vacations, and that's not the only time off they take each year. There were weeks when the lab felt so empty, and one week when we canceled the lab meeting because most of us were gone. One would think that this translates to less productive people, but I have yet to find it the case. Additionally, this PI was more visible than I've previously experienced, as he'd come in and chat with people as he took breaks from his office work. In some ways, too, this lab was much more organized, as it had registers of where common reagents could be found (even if the register wasn't completely up-to-date, it was much better than a shot in the dark). Finally, some of the ways in which the people organized to discuss their current research, or even just to shoot the breeze, really aided the environment both professionally and socially. It's taught me a lot about how important it is to get to know one's colleagues, and the summer has left me with many friends I hope to keep up with.

With all the great things about it, I'd be crazy not to have Switzerland on my list of places to return, for any reason! I have been telling my family all summer that we need to come back here for a while, so they can see all these amazing places with me. The hardest part will be picking only my favorites, and then not getting exhausted trying to visit to all of them. I think it would be difficult to come back to Switzerland for a PhD program, given the time stretch required. I am a very independent person, who thrives on change for its own sake, but this summer has given me a new appreciation for the familiar. In a place where people are coming from everywhere, it's impossible to miss the gleam in someone's eye when they speak of the coming of a loved one or their opportunity to go back home for a week. It's okay to miss home, it's okay to want to go back, what's important is enjoying where you are right now for its own merits. It's amazing how subversively stressful it is to be in such a different environment for such a long time. You don't realize it for a very long time, but once you do, you become aware of how hard you have to think to go into a shop or restaurant, how nice it is to experience the familiar culture, and how great it is to have the food you're used to. If anything, it's made me more appreciative of both Switzerland and the US, as now I can not take either of their great qualities for granted. But aside from that, I would love to return for studies as well. If I have the opportunity, Switzerland strikes me as a perfect place for a post-doc (given successful completion of a PhD, of course). Given the research environment, the culture at large, and its central location in Europe, there just aren't any better places to spend one's time.

So in concluding this experience, I want to thank all the people who made this possible. First, let me thank the ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship, who made this summer so much more affordable, and really provided us with so many resources to help us along. The trip to Bern was a great way to cap off my experience, and explain the importance of our presence in Switzerland. I thank Professor Jürg Tschopp for so graciously inviting me into his lab, providing such an excellent work environment, providing a stipend, and being one of the few people that I could converse with about home when I was homesick. I thank Mirjam Eckert for her endless support in the lab, and for Emmanuelle Logette, who also provided me with support and direction during my stay. When giving thought to the lab members I wanted to thank, I found myself listing them all, so let me thank the entire Tschopp lab for their help and companionship. I also thank my “office buddy”, Laura Lighaam, whom I had many great talks with over our incubation breaks about the US, the Netherlands, science, and life. This list would be incomplete without Etienne Meylan, a native of the area and Tschopp lab alumnus who been a fantastic mentor and friend over the past two summers, as well as introducing me to this wonderful group of people and encouraging me to pursue this opportunity here. Also a big thank you to Ishita Basu, Nasreen Shareq, and Hifsa Kazmi, who were all excellent traveling companions and friends, who patiently tolerated my endless questioning about their home countries. I also thank my boyfriend and best friend Dennis, who is an incredible support and encouragement to me. I thank my family, without whom I could not have made it this far, and who have also been with me every step along the way. Finally, I thank God, the enabler of and inspiration for all I have accomplished.

forgetting what home means

2009-08-04T04:21:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how quickly it is to adjust into the lifestyle of a traveller. Living out of a backpack, hopping from one place to another. Forgetting whether home is a bed, a friend, Basel or that place back in the states.
After 3 weeks of traveling, I am finally home. In Basel that is.
First it was a summer workshop at Max Plank Institute (MPI) in Berlin. A workshop on bounded rationality. It was my first chance to speak tons of German and I left the workshop most days utterly exhausted and inspired. Adaptive Behavior and Cognition (ABC) is the lab at MPI that hosted the institute. Peter Todd, my professor back at IU, was a founding member of the lab and so since I was already over in Europe, we decided that I should apply. It was an amazing week and a half. Lots of interesting people, exciting research and new ideas floating around. The institute was great. In the morning we had 2 talks. then a break for lunch. then another talk followed by a workshop where we applied some of the ideas presented earlier in the day.
Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of time to see Berlin but one day there was a tour of a Stasi Prison followed by a city tour. I also managed to meet up with my host brother from my year long exchange in Germany in 2006. We had a great time. I also met up with my pen pal from when I was in 6th grade. She happens to be studying in Berlin. That was such a great experience.
After 10 great days in Berlin, I was more than ready to meet my boyfriend on our vacation to Vienna. He has been studying in Freiburg, Germany for the past year and upon finishing classes (around the end of July) we decided to take a trip down to Austria. I stayed with one of my fellow lab mates, Andreas, who was doing an internship 30 minutes outside of Vienna in a tiny town on the bank of the Danube. We spent the first day around Andreas's institute which was absolutely beautiful. I unfortunately cannot upload photos right now because my computer hard drive failed and I have only a lab computer now.... We made it into Vienna the next three days. We walked around the city and saw the main sites. We also managed to waste away hours in cafes. The cakes in Vienna are so decadent! I have to say though that my favorite memory of Vienna was actually swimming in the Danube.
After Vienna I once again returned to the research mindset as I attended my first conference in Amsterdam. Lawrence and I took an overnight train up to Amsterdam (I love train rides!) and the next day was the beginning of CogSci 2009. It was a lot of fun and quite the perfect first conference. However, my talk was not until the last day of the conference and thus most of the first 3 days were spent stressing about my presentation. After my presentation was finished, we cut out of the conference and went to see the gay pride parade along the canal. It was the largest one in Europe. It was quite a site worth seeing.
Now I find myself back in Basel for about 3 more weeks.