Participants By Last Name
 A-F | G-O | P-Z

On a number of occasions I saw non-American students express reservations about coming to the United States to do research because they have gotten the impression that they are not wanted. They cite a number of new American policies regarding, among other things, student Visas. Indeed, one student felt this to be a large enough question that he asked a Nobel Laureate about how well Americans accept, in this case, Chinese students. Not in the sense of being accepted to a University, but rather how they are welcomed by people here. This was very disturbing to me. I had no idea how much our current administration's policies are severely hurting the future of American science until I had the chance to discuss the issue with foreign students.

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The orientation session was paramount in bringing the US delegation together before the conference. It provided me with the opportunity to learn more about my fellow colleagues and traveling companions. Furthermore, the interactions with the American students before the meeting dispelled any fears I had being a biologist submerged in a pool of physicists. My interaction with the Nobel Laureates was a truly inter-disciplinary experience. It brought to my attention how easy it is to become engrossed in one’s own research. The conference provided a rare venue where I was immersed in an entirely different facet of science. This gave me great perspective and reminded me how important it is to step back and look “outside the box”.

The most noteworthy of this experience however, was to see that the laureates are “real” people who are truly passionate about the work that they do, and that they are no different from the students sitting in the audience. I left the conference inspired and ready to take on my own work with new vigor. I felt lucky to have had this once-in-a-life-time experience. The conference was a unique environment which enabled me to forge friendships with other American and foreign graduate students from a wide variety of scientific backgrounds.

As a biologist, I left with a true respect for my fellow colleagues in the physics branch of science, and gained new perspective on how others approach scientific hypotheses. The people I have had an opportunity to interact with on this trip both from the scientific and non-scientific worlds have left a positive impression on me. Overall this trip was worthwhile experience, and I hope to rub elbows in the future with the many bright, and enthusiastic students I was fortunate enough to have met.

I want to say “thank you” to the DOE for supporting my trip to Lindau as well as those hardworking individuals who spent many long hours making everything about the trip perfect. If there is ever a need for additional persons to assist at the conference please contact me! Having the opportunity to meet with the Nobel Laureates and talk with them one-on-one was invaluable. I felt encouraged to know that even they too, were frustrated graduate students and that we are not alone in our struggles. The Laureates provided a great deal of inspiration. The students, though, completed the conference. Both the international and American students were a great bunch to get to know, and I could not have asked for a better group to be a part of.

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Hearing the German representative was helpful, particularly for me since I knew nothing of travel abroad. It was interesting to hear talks about how the NSF and DOE contribute to the advancement of science and technology. I got the feeling that the Nobel Laureates were normal guys for the most part. This gives me the impression that hard work and being in the right place at the right time in your work can make it possible for any good researcher to get a Nobel Prize. This serves as motivation for me to not take the research that I do for granted, and to work hard and be as great a scientist as I can be.

I feel that I made pretty good friends with some of the people in the group. That was a wonderful experience, and I had a great time with these people. I got to meet and talk to a few of the Indian and Pakistani students at the dinner we had on Sunday. I talked to these people throughout the week. I met a couple of people who are in similar fields of research as me. It was nice to talk shop, and to hear what other people are doing. It is good to hear how some things come easy for everyone, and how others fall into the same traps as you.

 I also learned some valuable information talking with some of the students, which I feel could help me later on in my research. The travel experience was my first time overseas. I can only sum it up by saying it was awesome! The trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Getting to meet the Laureates up close at dinners and lunches was something I'll never forget. I learned that they are normal people, who have worked hard and got recognized for it.

The international students I met were wonderful people. The dinner on Sunday really helped in getting us to know some of them. Like I stated above, it I talked to the students all week after meeting them on Sunday. Overall, the whole trip was something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this experience, so I will end this summary by saying thank you!

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Professor Richardson's discussion on scientific education and opportunities was illuminating in that I discovered challenges we face in North Dakota are not only common to the US, but also being felt internationally (such as recruitment of scientists and retaining women). From the other students and a certain Laureate, I discovered that even an intelligent and reasonable person can have passionate blind spots that obscure clear thinking. Many new friendships were initiated on this journey. 

I met several students who I will be excited to call "friend," and have already planned to meet a couple of them again in the near future. Although there were not a great number of chemists at this meeting, I met about five people with coinciding research interests; we have already begun correspondence. 

One of the most memorable things about this trip was the fairly unique experience of being with a group of people who were balanced in representation of the sexes.  All too often in the physical sciences, women find ourselves isolated and then in the organizations meant to help address this problem, we find ourselves overly represented. At this meeting, it was very clear that our age peers are going to be much less isolated than the generation before us; this is encouraging and exciting.

It was wonderful, too, in interactions with the laureates, that they generally treated the students as young colleagues; while sharing their wisdom, several challenged us to draw within ourselves to find the answers to the questions we asked.

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The orientation session in DC turned out to be quite useful. The background descriptions about the NSF, DOE, and ORAU also proved useful. Many people at the conference asked about the group that sponsored us, and it was good to be able to tell them about the program. It was also helpful in a long term way to know more about the funding agencies, their goals, and their priorities. Also, because we had spent time getting to know each other in D.C. and on the bus to the airport, I think we tended to be more outgoing when we reached Germany.

It was also really helpful to hear the brightest lights of physics putting major emphasis on topics that I think are important but other members of my department may not consider often. I had the opportunity to meet some of these scientists and students from Germany, and especially in developing countries. The Laureates seemed to encourage interdisciplinary approached that are hard to comprehend as a graduate student (aren't we learning to specialize at the moment?).

Overall, the conference gave me a much better sense of perspective about how physics research fits into science as a whole as well as politics or even international relations.  Dr. Osheroff and other scientists gave some good advice about finding "good projects."  Almost all of the Laureates said look for projects that are interesting to you, and don't worry about the impact of a particular journal. Their point that good science will get published and with the indices available today, other scientists do have access to the material. I gained a great deal of new friendships with both American and international students. I look forward to staying in contact with the people I have met.  I've already received some email from other members of the delegation, and I'm looking forward to seeing one of the other attendees at a conference in Denver.

The trip as a whole really opened my eyes to what advantages we have in the U.S. -- funding, opportunities, and choices in research topics -- as well as the limitations we put on ourselves by dissolving the links between academia and industry.  The whole experience gave me a new perspective on American science that I hope I can keep as I continue my career. 

I especially liked the informal meals that were set up with the Nobel Laureates. It was good to talk to them in such a small group, and I wish there was some way to get to know more of the Laureates in this way. This was a fantastic opportunity to have been given. It was good to meet the Nobel Laureates and learn how they think as well as how they were different from (and exactly the same as) other scientists. It was also encouraging to meet other graduate students from around the country and the world. It was a wonderful chance to compare and contrast our limited experiences at our own institutions and get a better perspective on our place in the scientific community.

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I was also glad to be with the group while traveling, especially as this was only my second time overseas and it would have been nerve-wracking if I had to have found my way around Germany by myself.  I spent the majority of my time at the afternoon discussion sessions with ‘t Hooft, Osheroff and Giacconi. The discussion of Superstring Theory was the most valuable to me scientifically. 

Between the afternoon discussions and the discussions at the various social functions with the Laureates two points were often reiterated: (1) the Laureates were adamant that no scientist should ever consider the Nobel Prize as the ultimate goal of his or her work, as that is likely to lead to disappointment but also that (2) any scientist has the potential to receive the Nobel Prize someday and it isn’t just a matter of pure genius—Osheroff, for example, told us how he only came to work on his Nobel Prize winning research because he got kicked off a piece of instrumentation that he was using to do different research. 

Conferring with other American students from across the country and other students from around the world was one of the most valuable parts of the meeting. In addition to gaining new friendships, it was very enlightening to hear about how science is conducted and considered in other countries. I look forward to hopefully running into some of the students I met at other conferences and perhaps to working with them at a later time in my career. 

I had the opportunity to talk at length with several of the Nobel Laureates’ wives, and found them to be as intelligent and interesting as their husbands. They were very much the unsung heroes of the hour and a strong reminder that no one, not even Nobel Laureates, can achieve success entirely on their own. The Lindau meeting was a very valuable experience for me, for many reasons. Getting the chance to travel abroad and to meet students from around the world are just two of the main reasons. 

Another was having the chance to personally talk with the Nobel Laureates—the meals that we ate with them were the most memorable and valuable events of the whole meeting. The Laureates were friendly and very open and honest, both about their scientific and personal lives. I am very glad I had the opportunity to attend the Lindau meeting.

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Meeting in Washington was extremely valuable. It gave me a chance to meet the other Americans going in a more easily accessible setting. It also helped me to see what fields were being represented in our contingent. I think had we not met until arriving in Lindau I may not have been able to make the friendships that I have now.

I think the experience that is most beneficial is to see the passion the Laureates have for their work. The lecture that had the most value for me was the roundtable discussion on Basic vs. Applied Science. It was valuable to me because my research is a basic science problem so I am often asked why it is important. The discussion kept going back to how basic and applied science is intertwined and that the two are necessary for each other to exist. The discussion gave me a new insight into the fact that this is a more widespread concern than I had thought.

The most valuable discussion for me was the one given by Dr. Koshiba. He said that we should all find something we're passionate about and we'll be successful. On a personal level I gained insight into how limited my view of the world was. The international students I was able to talk to all knew everything that was going on the U.S. while I had no clue what was going on in theirs. I was able to make several new friends and learned things about other cultures.

I haven't gained as much out of any conference I’ve attended inside the U.S. as I did at this international conference. I thought the experience was great. The dinners with the Laureates were great. I really enjoyed being able to talk with them in a less formal setting. The social with the international student peers the first night in Lindau was one of my favorite events. I was able to get to know students from countries where I had never met anyone before.

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The lecture by Penzias regarding the development of science over time was the most interesting for me because it presented a very broad picture of scientific understanding rather than a focused view of a single part of physics. I think the value of the student discussions are that the Laureates don't have to be as careful with what they say as they normally do. They are more free to talk about instincts, personal stories, and guesses about what will happen in the future. 

Meeting other students, both American and international, was the best part of the meeting. I met a student from Austria who is doing research related to my own, and we will likely collaborate as a result of meeting in Lindau. I was able to make many new friends, to learn about their research, and to share my research with them as well. Traveling to Lindau was the first time I had been outside of the U.S. Being exposed to so many different cultures alone made the trip worthwhile.

The Nobel Laureates were eager to share stories and thoughts with anybody who happened to be around. The international students were very friendly and eager to discuss physics and culture.

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It really just got me excited to be a scientist. I get pretty frustrated doing research, and to hear some of them talking about their failures as well as successes made me feel like I am not incompetent.  My favorite talk was about optics, it just fascinated me. I thought I made quite a few good friends on the trip. It also made me want to work on a variety of projects. I think it was like getting science ADD, I wanted to talk to everybody to see what cool things they had cooking up in their lab.

It was an eye opener to talk to international students and see that they are the same as me. It was a once in a lifetime experience I can't put words on. Just a lot of great things came together. It was great to have more personal experiences with the Laureates at dinner. That made them seem like real people. The trip was great; I met lots of cool people, got exposed to a lot of eye-opening topics, saw a lot of cool things. What more can I say. The whole thing was good enough that nothing really stands out. The planners must have done an excellent job.

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The one lecture that really sticks in my mind is Josephson's lecture. Maybe this is because it was so entertaining. Yes, on the surface the lecture was rather crazy and certainly unorthodox. His message, that scientists have a responsibility to listen to and respond to the most crack-pot ideas, was a point well taken and well justified in his presentation. I don't think science can afford to be so snooty as to ignore some theories and experiments because they break all the rules. They must at least be properly refuted.

I left the meeting with a greater network of colleagues/friends, primarily based in the US. Besides the planned conference activities, I really enjoyed the time I had socializing with all other people in the American delegation. It was generally really neat to talk to so many people who study physics from all over the country and observe what a diverse and interesting group we were despite the fact that were are all American and (mostly) people who study physics. 

The best experiences I had with the Laureates were the dinner and lunch meetings. I encourage you to schedule AS MANY OF THESE AS POSSIBLE. The smaller the groups of people meeting with the Laureates, the better.

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Overall, I think the Nobel Laureates inspired me to keep my work in perspective, and in addition, to keep an open mind to other areas of research, or other methods of doing something. Some of the student discussions were very interesting and helpful. I enjoyed hearing Dr. Kroemer's comments on the comparison of different countries' educational systems, which helped me to realize that there are a lot of similarities, but also a great deal of differences between the systems. In addition, I enjoyed the discussion led by Dr. Penzias, mainly because he discussed questions I was interested in concerning topics such as dark energy and black holes.

I gained a lot from this meeting. I met a lot of students from around the world. For instance, at the US-hosted dinner with the international students, we sat with students from Sweden, Japan, and Germany. We had a great time talking about everything from the Swedish educational and social system to movies, food, currency, etc. In addition, at the social event at the Inselhalle, I met some German students, whom a group of us had dinner with another night (and we also watched one of the Euro '04 matches that night). It was great to meet so many people and have a chance to get to know them, even outside of the conference. I also met some great people in our delegation. For example, my roommate, Melissa, and I had a great time together with some of the other US students, eating, walking around, talking, etc. It was also nice to meet many students in my field, that I look forward to meeting again at meetings such as the Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) meeting.

Lindau was a beautiful place to have the conference. In addition, I really enjoyed the social events, including the concert and dinners with the other students and Laureates, in particular. Overall, this was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was great to sit down for lunch next to a Nobel Laureate, and hear his thoughts on various issues. It was also very valuable to meet students from around the world, and hear about their research and programs. Thanks for the amazing experience!!

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The orientation was a good use of time and I was also glad that we traveled to Europe as a group. This experience was of great value to me for two reasons. First, my personal journey to become a scientist has been a rough ride for a number of reasons. Along the way I have often felt doubtful of my abilities and wondered if I should keep trying. Being selected for this trip has given me a sense that I am valued by my professors and advisors as someone who can contribute something valuable to science. This has led to a boost in my self-confidence that will serve me well in the future. 

Secondly, I believe I have benefited greatly from the opportunity to meet with other students and discuss my research with them. I have often tended to shy away from the kinds of discussions that I had there because of the feelings of self-doubt, but in Lindau it was impossible to avoid such discussions and I found myself discussing matters of science very freely with my peers and feeling good about what I was able to contribute to the discussions.

Because of this experience I believe that I will feel much more confident about attending conferences in the future and will be able to get more out of the experiences as well. I mention the lectures of Professor's Richardson and Josephson because I'm very interested in the public's perception of science and therefore very concerned about issues relating to scientific fraud and scientific prejudice. These two lectures were excellent because on the one hand professor Richardson's discussion was an important reminder of how science can be abused by charlatans who risk the reputation of science for the sake of a profit, while Professor Josephson's discussion was a reminder of the fact that scientists themselves sometimes close their eyes to good ideas without sufficient scrutiny due to an overzealous skepticism.

Most importantly this trip has brought home to me the importance of going to conferences and talking to other people about science. It is a great way to get the creative juices flowing again, to meet new people, and a great way to remind oneself of just what it is about my field of study that excites me because that is brought out with great clarity when you're faced with someone you've just met who wants to know about your interests. I have also met a number of people with whom I hope to maintain contact. I strongly recommend encouraging future delegates to spend as much of their spare time there as they can by making friends and enjoying the surroundings.

I can say that it was nice especially to be able to have dinner/lunch with some of the Laureates. It was on these occasions that one is most able to get a sense of their humanity. For myself I can say that being more often unsure of myself than not, Nobel Laureates are an intimidating bunch, but having the chance to sit down and find out the extent to which they are "ordinary" people, with interesting and sometimes amusing characteristics was of value to me personally. In my case I was fortunate enough to have been able to sit for meals with three different laureates.

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Meeting with the Nobel laureates has given me a new perspective on the prize. I think Prof. Giacconi put it best when he thought the prize was a nice "bonus" to his career. He stated that many people deserve it, but few are actually awarded it. Furthermore, he remarked how several people he knew were ruined by trying to work for the prize (or because they thought they deserved it). So, the Nobel prize would be an honor, but I will not feel my career has been a failure if I never win one. 

Prof. Veltman was one of the few Laureates who didn't feel compelled to offer an opinion on topics he wasn't qualified to discuss.  Interactions with other students (both from our delegation and from others) were much more fruitful and useful.

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After this meeting I was really inspired, and excited about getting back and doing research, and possibly one day doing work that will result in a Nobel Prize. I really enjoyed all the lectures I attended, even though I am not a Physicist and did not understand everything they talked about; I did learn what the important issues are. I made friendships with U.S. students as well as international students that will last a lifetime. I had opportunities to learn about other student’s research and the important areas in Physics, which I would of never, had the opportunity to learn about. 

This really was an opportunity of a lifetime and I will continue to benefit from this trip. I had the opportunity to talk to Physicist whose research relates to Turbulence, and I am a Chemical Engineer whose research relates to Turbulence. It was a wonderful opportunity to see how Turbulence is important in other disciplines. Being around Physicist helped me really appreciate the work they do and have done. I would really like to thank everyone who planned this trip.  

I was really impressed by how well organized it was with such a big group. Sometimes I would look at my watch and we would be arriving to that place we were headed right on time! Everyone from DOE, NSF, and ORAU did a wonderful job in making sure everyone was safe and where we were supposed to be. Also after talking to other students, the USA group had the most competitive screening process to be selected for this trip. Some other students from other countries told us that they received an email asking them if they would like to go.  It was nice knowing that I was selected on a competitive basis! Once again this was an opportunity of a lifetime.  I had the opportunity to talk to so many international students and make wonderful friendships. The dinner that we hosted was a wonderful idea.  Many of the friends I made we meet that night. 

The interaction with the Nobel Laureates was also wonderful. I never thought I would be this close to one and have the opportunity to interact with them. My favorite thing was the dinner and lunches with them.  I had the opportunity to sit next to them and they were ready to discuss science and many other things. Also, many of them were very funny!

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I very much appreciated traveling together. Knowing that we were taken care of, especially on the German side was very reassuring.  I think I learned that success in research is very much an issue of luck especially when the Nobel Prize is concerned.  My favorite lecture was Josephson's talk about cold fusion and how the scientific establishment treats research that's not mainstream. 

I learned that journal editors and referees sometimes have too much power over the direction the scientific discussion will take. He showed how completely a line of research (in this case cold fusion) can be dismissed by the scientific community. It is sad that papers are rejected based on topic instead of reviewed based on the scientific merit of the work. 

I think by far the most valuable thing for me was meeting other students. There were a very large number of "non-traditional" students in our group, students who did not go directly to graduate school from undergrad. They had a very different view of graduate school and of their future. It was fascinating talking to them.

The international students were wonderful. I ended up talking mostly to German students. I learned a lot about the educational system, their future opportunities and about their opinion of the United States and the scientific community here.  I really liked all the social opportunities we had with other students. The reception on Sunday, for example, was wonderful. I talked with at least 10 international students and learned a lot from them. 

During this trip I learned most from and about other students, both US and international. Talking to students with very different backgrounds, experiences and goals opened a door for me into a larger world.

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Meeting in Washington, D.C., and traveling to Europe as a group is a good idea.  It gave us a chance to meet the other students before the busy activities of the conference. It was a very good experience to meet with the Nobel Laureates. Most of them are surprisingly modest and open minded. They were really interested in meeting with the students and sharing their experiences and viewpoints.  In essence, they are performing a kind of scientific altruism by giving up a lot of their time to meet with students.  Listening to their advice from them will definitely benefit me in the future. 

I also received a good introduction to several different areas of physics. Often scientists get stuck concentrating too much on their own subfield. The Laureates really encouraged us to branch out into different fields and not be afraid to try something new. Osheroff's talk on the space shuttle Columbia disaster clearly described what it is like when the government conducts investigations into scientific and engineering matters. 

Kroemer's talk on negative refraction was a good introduction to the subject and taught me a lot about a subject which I didn't know much about previously. The most interesting student discussion for me was with Osheroff.  It was very interesting to me to hear about the investigation into the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia.  He also had some interesting and somewhat controversial viewpoints on science policy and science education. 

Meeting with other students from the U.S. was helpful and broadened my experiences. It gave me a chance to meet with students from other universities and fields of physics and see their perspectives. One of the best parts of the experience for me was eating dinner with three German students and comparing our experiences and cultures.  Although I have met a lot of foreign students in the U.S., I had never before been out of the country. Meeting foreigners on their own territory was a different experience. Being able to eat lunch and dinner with the Nobel Laureates and chat in an informal manner was a very memorable experience. It helped me to learn a little bit about their personalities and see that they are generally nice and humble people. 

Going to the Nobel Laureate conference in Lindau was a fantastic experience for me. The conference was very well organized and it was great to be part of the U.S. delegation. Being able to discuss the experience with other U.S. and international students allowed us to share what we learned and learn from other students as well as the Laureates. Before leaving, I wasn't really sure what to expect from the conference. I ended up being surprised at how open and honest the Laureates were, and how interested they were in meeting with the students. They are very in touch with people and care a lot.

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I appreciated hearing about the organizations that sponsored us. History of the Lindau meeting is also useful. It is good to hear about how even famous scientists went through struggles. They went through periods when many did not believe their results. This perspective was probably the most inspiring thing about the conference. 

The most beneficial of the lectures I attended was Gerardus 't Hooft's lecture on supertheories. I work in the area of superstring theory and this was closest to my research topics. I did indeed meet American graduate students that were very impressive in many ways. However, the chance to meet students from places like Malaysia and Morocco was rather unique. 

I also enjoyed the chance to chat with Professors 't Hooft and Veltman. The question and answer sessions had more value because we got to see some of the depth of these scientists and what makes each one unique. The chance to meet students and scientists from around the world and visit a foreign country was quite beneficial. I appreciated it.

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I attended all the lectures. The most interesting ones were the round table discussions, as they presented a lively back-and-forth debate between audience, panel members, and other laureates rather than a 30 minute monologue. The most important thing I gained was the interaction between other students. I hope to remain in contact with many of them throughout my career. An excellent experience all around.

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The orientation session was very useful. This is an experience that I will never forget and reenergize my desire to do physics in the future. 

I learned a lot about physics outside my field and which physics is the most important to the international community. New friendships with students, new ideas about how to do the physics I do on more of a worldly scale. Great experience I will never forget. Most wonderful time of my life.

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09/02/2004