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read comments from this year's participants about their experiences at
Lindau 2006. Participants By Last
Name
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Timothy Anglin |
Travis Bray |
Eben Cross |
Sara Evans |
| Timothy Anglin (University of Utah) | |||
 Meeting
in Washington DC made the group better prepared to interact with others
at the meeting because we felt comfortable and familiar with the others
within our delegation. Because we knew each other in the delegation, we
were better able to spend out attention getting to know people from
other delegations.
Most of all, I would say that this experience has brought me a renewed passion and interest in the work that I do as I see how it fits in and relates to work done by others. It was a great experience to gain perspective about what drives others in their research. I most appreciated the lecture by Roald Hoffman because he chose to talk about the broader issues in life beyond the science that you do in the lab. It is always interesting to see how successful scientists have learned to balance research with family, fun, and the need for sanity. I attended discussions by Shrock, Hall, Hoffman, and Marcus. The discussions by Shrock and Marcus were interesting, but focused more on their research. I felt that I gained more from the discussions by Hall and Hoffman because they spoke about their passions, concerns, and interests rather than the science that they have done. I found this to be more useful because I know that I can read about their research elsewhere, but will have few opportunities to learn about them as people. I definitely enjoyed meeting other students and researchers and expect that I will remain in touch with many of them. I also learned more about the different research going on in the world and will most likely pay close attention to some of the work that I learned about at the meeting.
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| Meghan Anzelc (Northwestern University) | |||
 A result of the Lindau Meeting is that I better understand the
importance of being able to describe my research both to other
scientists and to the general public.
I most enjoyed the talks by Noyori, Hansch, Hall, Ciechanover, Agre, Kohn, Hoffmann, Crutzen, Rowland, Ernst, etc. because they were directed at a general student audience, described their complicated research in terms everyone could understand (regardless of specialization). Given the two US lunches and one US dinner with the laureates, the US delegation had a number of great opportunities to speak with the laureates. The inter-disciplinary nature of the meeting, including the laureates and the students, was one of the best characteristics of the Lindau experience. The Sunday dinner and Monday lunch with international students was very nice, easy to meet people given the small groups at each table.
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| Jordan Atlas (Cornell University) | |||
 Lindau
helped me realize the importance of taking time for scientific
communication. Every single laureate had a fascinating scientific story
to tell, and it was not necessarily about their Nobel Prize-winning
research. My own research vision is to unite computation, engineering
fundamentals, and biology to understand better and in a quantitative
manner how living organisms function. When I graduate from Cornell
University I intend to pursue a career in academia, where I will
increase public awareness about scientific influence on social issues
through research and education. My education has provided a solid
foundation for intellectual leadership in this emerging area, and the
Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Students in Lindau provided an
unparalleled forum to further develop this foundation. Attending the
Meeting of Nobel Laureates was an extraordinary opportunity to learn
about communication of important scientific ideas; it is an invaluable
immersion in cutting-edge interdisciplinary work. The Meeting at Lindau
provided an incomparable stepping-stone towards the rest of my studies
and the start of my career.
The most valuable lecture was either that of Professor Ciechanover or Professor Hoffmann. Those stood out because they were clear, succinct presentations that demonstrated enormous amounts of scientific passion. Professor Ciechanover opened his talk with a comment about how most medical students tend to work with problems that affect a small percent of the developed world rather than real world crises. To see such a successful professor show concern for those issues that affect the masses rather than those that affect solely the wealthy was inspirational. Professor Hoffmann's lecture was valuable because I also enjoy writing and poetry, and it was comforting to know that it is not impossible to pursue those activities within a scientific framework. I attended discussions with Professors (Sir) Walker, Michel, Ciechanover, Hoffmann, Karle, and Lipscomb. Again, the most valuable were Professors Ciechanover and Hoffmann. Professor Ciechanover spoke at length about how developing countries can garner more research funds by exploiting the areas where they have an advantage (eg. studying biodiversity). He also went on a long rant about how the western scientific world is a slave to scientific journals. That was an interesting perspective that never occurred to me. Professor Hoffmann spoke at length about the importance of storytelling in science. He told us that science has a tendency to suppress stories because we prefer to have simple mathematical explanations. But this suppression is a detriment to scientific study because it makes science harder to explain to the public. He also responded to several questions about spirituality in scientists and whether it was necessary. He thought that scientists are all spiritual but that they just don't know it. His words inspired me to find the spiritual parts of my own life and develop them further. He ended this subject by saying that if we are losing this part of our lives we must fight to keep it alive!
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| Aisha Bishop (Stony Brook University) | |||
 The laureates provided tremendous insight
into how the award is granted and what life becomes like after the
award. Very valuable for seeing future career and social (i.e., family)
goals. The most useful discussion for me was the one by Dr. Wüthrich, it provided insight into using NMR to characterize soft materials. I was able to develop new friendships with several American students in various fields and gained valuable insight from several of the laureates relative to research and funding opportunities It was great to see how down-to-earth the laureates were. Even more impressive that they wanted to spend so much time with the student delegates.
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| Scott Borella (University of Tennessee) | |||
 Nobel
Laureates are the torchbearers of their disciplines and provide a
concrete example of what good science can achieve. While it is
impractical to list winning the prize as a realistic goal, interaction
with the Laureates has sparked renewed vigor and enthusiasm to continue
a career in science.
I attended the Schrock, Hoffmann, and Global Warming discussions. Each were enlightening in their own way. Regardless of topic it is important to remember to attempt to stay humble when presenting information and to not be afraid to admit error. It was interesting to listen to students from non-US based institutions. In virtually every case and conversation with an international student, it was profoundly obvious how fortunate USA graduate students are in their chosen disciplines. Opportunities exist for USA students that are not practical for students of other countries. This helped to put life into a much clearer perspective. Everything was memorable!!!!! Every student I met and spoke with in the US delegation was incredible in their own way; students and researchers from abroad were equally fantastic; the Laureates were intriguing; and everyone who helped put this week together were amazing!! It seems highly unlikely that there is another conference or opportunity that can match the Lindau meetings. Access to the Laureates is unreal, the quality of the students as people and researchers is truly amazing, everything about the entire week was fantastic!!
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| Travis Bray (Auburn University) | |||
 My experience really hammered home the amount of work and dedication
required to win such a prestigious award.
I attended Dr. Karle, Dr. Kohn's, and Dr. Hoffman's discussions. As a crystallographer and a person who is very interested in the Manhattan Project, I valused Dr. Karle's discussion the most. I gained insights into what it was like to work on the Manhattan Project, a time when scientists were doing truly fundamental science on a new, uncharacterized, dangerous, element. The most memorable experience for me was my two hour discussion with Jerome and Isabella Karle on the boat ride to Mainau. If all goes well, I will open discussion for them to visit Auburn's campus.
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Orianna Bretschger (University of Southern California) |
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 My
interactions with the Nobel Laureates provided an excellent perspective
on life and a life in science. Their shared experiences and insights
inspired me to think about what I want my life in science to be. These
interactions also motivated me to pursue goals beyond personal
achievement and work toward bringing science further into the
consciousness of society as a whole.
From an inspirational standpoint the lectures by Dr.’s Ciechanover, Agre and Hall were amazing. They discussed not only their science but also their social observations, family perspectives and provided a human aspect to their research world. The discussions that were most valuable to me were those where the professor expanded upon and discussed the posed questions, instead of just answering the question at hand. It seemed as though many students were intimidated to ask questions but still wanted to hear as much from the professor as possible, therefore, it was beneficial when the professor stimulated discussion. I also appreciated the wisdom and honesty provided by Dr.’s Hall and Marcus about balancing family life and scientific research. This trip was an unforgettable experience, not only for the opportunity to hear about amazing science but also for the peer interactions that yielded tremendous insights. The Lindau Meeting was a truly unique and comfortable forum for young scientists to discuss everything from research to politics. I was extremely pleased with all aspects this meeting. The diversity of scientific disciplines, cultures and people provided a very rich experience. The meeting organizers (in Lindau and the U.S.) did an extraordinary job with organizing interesting lectures, sessions and social activities that allowed for personal interactions with the Laureates and international students.
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| Kathleen Chaffee (Southern Illinois University) | |||
 Many
of my own research ideas have been born out of my interactions with
other scientists (or hearing their presentations) at conferences.
Although I have attended other academic conferences and meetings none of
them compare to the discussions I have had with my peers and Nobel
Laureates on such a broad range of interesting scientific topics.
I attended as many of the discussions as a possibly could, but the most valuable ones for me were Prof. Ernst’s and Prof. Wüthrich’s sessions. In Prof. Ernst’s session I learned that to be a world famous scientist sacrifices must be made in your own life. In Prof. Wuthrich’s session I learned a belt could make a pretty good model of a protein in order to explain NOEs! I met so many wonderful people and had many enlightening discussions. I learned about their research and broadened my own interest in other fields of science. I met many students I would like to keep in touch with on a personal basis and a few students I would be interested in collaborating with in the future. My favorite quote from a Nobel Laureate: "My greatest accomplishment was teaching my brilliant students" --Richard Ernst I am honored to have had the opportunity to attend the 56th Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Students. I cannot put into words what I have taken from this experience. I met so many people from around the world to discuss science as well as other issues such as politics and religion. I have learned so much and will always be thankful for the opportunity that I was given to attend this meeting.
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| Matthew Christianson (University of Wisconsin) | |||
 The
presentation about what to expect was probably the most useful part of
the orientation experience. It helped to give me a good starting point
for my Lindau experience. The agency overviews were also helpful. It was
good to know the basic structure and mission of each of the sponsoring
agencies.
Opportunities to meet with the Nobel Laureates were particularly valuable. Interactions with many of them were inspiring and will help me think about big picture issues in science. Listening to their approaches to research will certainly help me in my career. While there were many different opinions expressed by the Laureates as to how to approach a research problem, their comments will help me develop my own style of research. Generally, the lectures with broad themes had the most value to me. Prof. Ernst's lecture on application of Fourier transform in spectroscopy was the most valuable to me. He discussed how his contributions to science fit in to a bigger context and focused on the big picture instead of lecturing on the finer details. He made me want to learn more on my own about some of the topics he presented. I attended the small group meetings with Ryoji Noyori, John Hall, Robert Curl, and Richard Ernst. I also had informal discussions with Hall, Ernst, Lipscom, and Schrock at lunches and dinners. All the small group meetings had value, but in different ways. Noyori encouraged us to help society by pushing for responsible public policy and science policy. Hall and Ernst both spoke a great deal about the need to balance other activities with our own research. Curl spoke about his own experience with discovering C60 in five days and the importance of serendipity in research. The most valuable part of the Lindau trip was forming friendships with the other American students. I got to know several students quite well, and I hope to run into them throughout our careers. A few of these students work in areas similar to mine, so it is clear that we may benefit from discussing our research or even collaborating in the future. More of the students I met do research quite different from my own. While I do not know if collaborations will be possible with any of them, knowing other students with different research interests opens the door to more interdisciplinary, collaborative research. The international travel experience helped to remove us all from our normal lives and create a richer, more valuable experience. The entire experience will be quite memorable to me. Although there was time for socializing and enjoying Lindau, science was intertwined with everything we did. The injection of Nobel Laureates into many of the lunches and dinners, and the opportunity to spend time with other young scientists certainly made this an experience I will remember.
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Shavon Clark (Texas Southern University) |
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Initially, I did not feel that we would have close contact with the Laureates. Imagine what a pleasant surprise I received. The experience of having to interact with the Nobel Laureates was amazing to say the least. The impact on my career is phenomenal! They related real obstacles encounter when doing scientific research and helped me to realize that good science is not the only key. Perseverance is an invaluable attribute as well.
Informal discussions with the Laureates proved to be an experience in itself. It was interesting to hear the questions that International Students asked. Insight was gained on alternative ways to approach a research problem.
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| Eben Cross (Boston College) | |||
 The
take home points from my interactions with the Nobel Laureates and how
these will influence my scientific career have more to do with the kind
of people they were rather than the science that they achieved. Modesty
and youthful enthusiasm for subject matter are two qualities that I will
try to emulate throughout my career. Ultimately, I realized throughout
the progression of the conference that these giants of science were not
omniscient and that we are human beings - passionate about science and
working hard.The most valuable lectures that stick out from the others were Ciechanover, Agre, and Ernst - and although these were very different scientific talks the common link between them was their simplicity. They were done in a way that, in my opinion, effectively held the attention of the whole audience - all 512 students from very different fields of chemistry. I really think that this type of science presentation is the most challenging and I think that each of these guys did an excellent job getting into the guts of their science - but at the same time not presenting an overwhelming amount of detail as to lose those in the audience that weren't familiar with that specific field. In terms of the science discussions - Crutzen's discussion session was the one from which I gained the most insights due to the correlation between the work that I do and atmospheric climate change. In particular I was able to participate in the discussions to realize that one main problem with climate change science and throughout the science community in general is the ability of brilliant scientists to effectively communicate scientific ideas to the general public. There is simply a void when it comes to talking to the public - motivating change in human actions in the case of climate change - through clear, concise, and relevant discussions of the influence that science plays in the big picture world that we live in. Throughout the climate change discussions, panel discussion, and lectures I realized that frustration is as powerful if not more powerful than sitting in on a discussion and agreeing with everything being said. I found each of the discussion sessions very interesting and valuable when it came to questions regarding the family and 'life outside science'. In each of the individuals these responses varied - but in their unique answers there was a certain wistfulness - imagining what their lives would have been like had they not won the Nobel Prize... I met some extraordinary young individuals. I particularly enjoyed discussing some of the challenges and frustrations that other students face and realizing that no matter where you are in the world there are common factors that we all must learn how to deal with in order to maintain a passion for the science that we devote ourselves to. I will keep in touch with a number of people that I met through this experience for the rest of my life - first as a friend and second as a colleague.
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| Claudette Davis (The Graduate Center, CUNY) | |||
 Enjoying science/research is what will bring
benefit to my scientific career. Although the individuals we met are
winners of the Nobel Prize, one aspect that was evident is that they are
devoted to their work; sitting with Dr. Jerome Karle and his wife for
dinner reinforced this. Dr. Karle and his wife are both 80+ and are
still actively involved in research; I can only hope to be their age and
have the strength to continue to do research. Secondly, I also learned
that this prize is not something we should base our careers on as there
are many scientists who are just as good or better than them.
Paraphrasing what one Laureate told to a group of students, "Do research
not for this prize, but because you love it".
I attended all of the lectures although the majority of the talks focused on chemistry and physics. The lecture on mitochondrial DNA by John E. Walker had most value to me. As one of my thesis chapters focuses on the mitochondria and its role in apoptosis, I am interested in the structure of the mitochondria especially the ATPases that the mitochondria use to regulate the flow of protons in and out of this organelle. Dr. Peter Agre's lecture about aquaporin channels was also of interest. During Sunday's dinner I ate with two students from Israel and one from Malaysia. At Tuesday's lunch business cards were exchanged with two students from the Indian delegation. During both events, the conversation focused on the academic rigors experienced in the US and in their countries.
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| Allison Dennis (Georgia Tech) | |||
 I found the biochemistry-based lectures to
be the most interesting scientifically, but moreover I felt that the
talks that best put the work in context of the field as a whole
(regardless of what that field was) were the most interesting for all of
the students present. There was no single lecture that directly
pertained to my work, but it was very enlightening to hear how these
eminent scientists came into their fields and made their discoveries.I attended the discussions by Drs. Agre, Kohn, and Rowland. I very much enjoyed the discussions about environmental topics and various environmental sciences in the discussions with Kohn and Rowland, but Agre's talk was more interesting because of its personal and anecdotal nature. I do have to say though, that I was disappointed overall that the impression given by all of the laureates seemed to be that they had sacrificed much of the personal and family lives in order to achieve their scientific accomplishments. I was impressed at the quality of some of the scientific conversations that I had with some of the other students, particularly the Americans. I was happy to see other students truly excited and motivated about their work and having good discussions. The meeting actually turned out to be quite refreshing and rejuvenating and helped me turn my focus and passion back towards my work after my return. There are several students whom I know I will see at future conferences and I look forward to continuing those relationships. The interactions that were afforded to us not only by attending this conference, but specifically through being members of the American delegation and all of the extra events that were planned for us, made this trip an exciting one, full of stimulating conversation and interesting people.
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| Wallace Dillon, Jr. (Alabama A&M University) | |||
 My
experience with the Laureates was very insightful; I learned that very
hard work and even a bit of luck is required to obtain such a high level
of success. I also realized that all sciences are very closely related;
many of the topics that were discussed had some relevance in my field of
study, environmental soil science.I enjoyed meeting and discussing research and other interests with the students; I think it was a good experience for all of the students. I was excited to see the amount of attention that was given to alternative energy research and global warming at the round table discussion; it shows that the international community is serious about reducing the dependency on oil and coal. I want to thank everyone who is responsible for making this trip possible, it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I really enjoyed meeting and interacting with the American, international students, and the Nobel Laureates. I hope this program continues so more students can experience the meetings.
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| Tiffany Epps (UNC-Charlotte) | |||
 The
orientation session in DC was a great way of meeting all of the
sponsoring government agencies and the US student delegation. This
informative meeting gave expectations as to what to anticipate while on
the island (i.e., hotel, food, money, etc.). It also introduced me to
the many federal agencies that either conduct or support quality
research. I will definitely keep these agencies in mind when making
career decisions in the future.
Meeting the Nobel Laureates was truly a remarkable experience. Their amazing intellect coupled with their down-to-earth demeanor changed the way I viewed the scientific elite. I really enjoyed meeting all of the students from all over the world. These interactions could greatly benefit my scientific career, as I welcome possible collaborations with these young scientists in the future. I have exchanged contact information with many of the students and hope that we can keep in touch in the future. I attended the informal discussions with several Nobel Laureates, all of which were exceptional. I felt like a sponge soaking up all of their knowledge and wisdom. The Laureates were very candid regarding their role in and out of the scientific community. Many of them shared their childhood experiences and humble beginnings that lead them to pursuing a scientific career. The most memorable informal discussion I attended was with Dr. Agre. His spoke to all the students as if we were old friends. His warm personality and great sense of humor, made me realize that science, even at that high level, is still fun. I appreciate the time and patience each of the Laureates had with me. I made many friends with students and sponsors in Lindau. I have already started corresponding with one of the international students from Geneva. I hope to continue this friendship as long as possible. I also spoke to a few of the sponsoring agencies with respect to possible collaborations. I hope to use this experience to foster new relationships and research collaborations from students and agencies. Traveling out of the country gave me an opportunity that I would not have had otherwise, to explore new ideas and cultures from all over the world. It was inspiring to be around the best scientific minds the world had to offer. This trip was absolutely one of the best meetings I have ever attended. The experience to meet other students and experts within the scientific community was inspiring and motivating. I left the meeting truly believing that I was just as capable as anyone else in wining the Nobel Prize. It just does not seem as farfetched anymore. Moreover, I feel welcomed into a group of scientific elite that only a few ever dream of.
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Sara Evans (University of Maryland) |
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I particularly enjoyed hearing Rudy Marcus talk about his theory as I have learned about it in several classes. I attended several informal discussion sessions including Richard Schrock, Aaron Ciechanover, and Roald Hoffman. The scope of these discussions ranged from purely science to social aspects around the world. The greatest insights I gained from these sessions were that, as a scientist, it's important to really like what you do and to be aware of the world around you.
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Daniel Farrell (Arizona State University) |
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I valued making new friends, mostly with American students because we were together so much, but also with some international students. I was impressed that so much good science is going on all around the world.
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| Dixie Gautreaux (Louisiana State University) | |||
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| Cody Geary (University of California, Santa Barbara) | |||
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| Timothy Goodin (Vanderbilt University) | |||
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Our
meeting in D.C. allowed the US delegation a chance to formally interact
with our sponsors and presented an opportunity to interact with each
other on a more personal level before traveling as a group. Travel as a
group allowed more time to focus on sharing/meeting with international
student and laureates once in Europe. 
The
meeting with Nobel Laureates was an amazing experience. All of the
Laureates were very passionate about their work and also very down to
earth. I learned a lot about different areas of science and came away
from the conference with a greater understanding of what it means to
have a successful scientific career.
I
was so impressed to see that many of the Laureates are focusing their
efforts improving conditions in the world around them, like Walter Kohn
and Peter Agre, for example. And many times I heard from the Laureates
their reminder to balance life, to spend time with family (Dr. Hall, for
example, emphasized this). And there were many other thoughts, advice,
and perspectives that I found very helpful. Occasionally, in order to
get your bearings, it is helpful to take a moment to climb to higher
ground, survey the terrain, and then return to work. Spending time with
the Laureates provided for me this "elevating" experience--a moment to
see things from their perspective--before returning back to work. One
important unifying theme that was repeated in many ways was how to be a
great scientist. What I learned from the Laureates is that sparks of
creativity come from passion about the research, that significant
developments are built by combining separate parts, to look for
inter-relationships, and to not merely report measurements but seek to
create new understanding, new intuition that explains things.
Meeting
the Nobel Laureates was an amazing experience both personally and
professionally. These men are the frontrunners of science today, and
being able to discuss science with them at a personal level was great. I
was able to learn how they got where they are today, and the wisdom that
they shared will benefit my future career.
I
learned a lot by meeting so many Nobel Laureates in this environment.
Mainly, I found that these extraordinary people have very interesting
personalities; they were really quite a mix of different attitudes and
disciplines. Overall, I was impressed at the strong agreement between
the Laureates present at the round-table discussion, emphasizing the
importance of energy and global warming.
One
way my experience with the Laureates will benefit my career is that I
saw very clearly that, if you are to be successful, you must really
enjoy and be interested in the research you are doing. I plan to try to
move more in that direction as I continue my research.