DAAD RISE Program
Humboldt University of Berlin is one of several top German universities or research institutions that will host University of Rochester undergraduate students taking part in this summer’s DAAD RISE internship program. (Getty Images photo)
University of Rochester undergraduates regularly number among those selected to participate in the DAAD RISE summer research program in Germany.
The DAAD RISE program offers undergraduates from North America, Great Britain, and Ireland summer research internships at top German universities and research institutions. Students are matched with a host university or institute based on their area of interest (biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering, or a closely related field) and work with PhD student mentors or researchers.
DAAD is the German Academic Exchange Service, and RISE stands for Research Internships in Science and Engineering. The government-funded program was established in 2005 and provides students with a monthly stipend for three months to cover living expenses. The working language is English.
Learn more about DAAD RISE and other fellowship, scholarship, and award opportunities available to Rochester students.
Recent DAAD RISE Scholars
Congratulations to the most recent DAAD RISE participants from the University of Rochester!
Edward Caine ’28
Area of study: Physics (BS) and math (BS)
Caine, who works in quantum computing lab of Assistant Professor of Physics Machiel Blok, will spend this summer in Dresden at the Technische Universität Dresden in the Physics of Life program.
Annapurna Chakraborty ’27
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Chakraborty, who works in the lab of C. Rose Kennedy, James P. Wilmot Distinguished Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, will spend the summer in Karlsruhe at the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Institute for Organic Chemistry.
Jervon Cole ’27
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS)
Cole, who works in the lab of Mercer Brugler Distinguished Teaching Professor Dragony Fu, will spend the summer in Lübeck at the Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology.
Theresa Karp ’27
Area of study: Audio and music engineering (BS)
Karp, who worked as an audio and music engineering course development intern in the summer 2025, will spend this summer in Clausthal-Zellerfeld studying at the Technische Universität Clausthal's Institut für Elektrische Informationstechnik.
Yijin “Leah” Li ’28
Area of study: Data science (BA), finance (BS)
Li, who works as a data analyst in the lab of Research Assistant Professor Zidian Xie and Professor Dongmei Li from the Department of Clinical and Translational Research will spend the summer at Universität Kassel’s Verteilte Systeme.
Kelly Nguyen ’27
Area of study: Microbiology (BS), boiethics (BA)
Nguyen, who works in Associate Professor David Dodell-Feder’s Social Cognition & Psychopathology Lab and Professor Scott McIntosh’s Nicotine & Tobacco Research Core Lab, will spend the summer in Hamburg at Universität Hamburg's in the Department of Cognitive Psychology.
Quan Nguyen ’27
Area of study: Electrical and computer engineering (BS)
Nguyen, who works in Professor Hui Wu’s Laboratory for Advanced Integrated Circuits and Systems, will spend the summer in Mühlheim at Hochschule Ruhr West’s Institute of Measurement and Sensor Technology.
Owen Oxley ’27
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS) and music minor
Oxley, who works in the lab of Sina Ghaemmaghami, George Y. and Catherine H. Wu Professor in Chemistry and Professor of Biology, will spend the summer in Karlsruhe at Karlsruher Institut für Technologie's Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, in the Division of Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering.
Misha Parikh ’27
Area of study: Computational biology (BS)
Parikh, who works as a technical assistant in the lab of Professor Robert Minckley, will spend the summer at Universität Leipzig.
Palomi Schacht ’27
Area of study: Molecular genetics (BS)
Schacht, who works in Christoph Proschel’s lab in the Department of Biomedical Genetics, will spend the summer in Marburg at Philipps-Universität Marburg's Institute of Molecular Oncology.
Sydney Snell ’28
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS), English: Creative Writing (BA)
Snell, who works in the lab of Assistant Professor Alexandra Paton, will spend the summer in Quedlinburg at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research's Institute for Resistance Research and Stress Tolerance.
Arthur Winslow ’27
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
Winslow, a transfer student who previously studied abroad through the Sea Education Association, will spend this summer in Clausthal-Zellerfeld at the Technische Universität Clausthal's Institut für Elektrische Informationstechnik.
DAAD RISE Professional Scholars
This program offers summer research internships in Germany to master’s and PhD students from the US, Canada, Great Britain or Ireland, at companies and non-university research institutions with strong connections to industry.
Aditi Jasapara ’25 (Ecology and evolutionary biology BS, and Environmental studies BA)
Area of study: MS in data science with a genomics concentration
The graduate student will work in Freiberg at the environmental consulting company Beak Consultants GmbH.
Past DAAD RISE Recipients
2025 Recipients
2025 Scholars
Marlena Berger ’27
Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Electrical Information, Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
Erhan Ertekin ’26
Technical University of Munich, Chemistry Department, Garching
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Leo Liang ’26
Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund
Areas of study: Applied math and computer science (BS)
Lily Matt ’26
University of Hamburg, Institute of Geology, Hamburg
Area of study: Environmental science (BS)
Katherine Neyland ’26
Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg Institute for Biology, Freiburg
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS)
Misha Parikh ’27
European Forest Institute, Resilience Program-Biodiversity team, Bonn
Area of study: Computational biology (BS)
Ngoc Mai Pham ’27
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering faculty, Karlsruhe
Area of study: Data science (BS)
Hanna Wang ’26
University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Essen
Area of study: Molecular genetics (BS)
2025 DAAD RISE Professional Scholars
Hailemariam Mitiku ’23 (MS)
Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT
Area of study: Chemistry (doctoral candidate)
Maria Lizarazo Rojas
Dechema Research Institute, chemical technology division, Frankfurst
Area of study: Chemistry (doctoral candidate)
2024 Recipients
2024 Scholars
Robert Ghetiu ’26
Clausthal Technical University in Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Emerson Jenen ’26
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön
Area of study: Molecular genetics (BS)
Daniel Kesler ’25
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Priscilla Peters ’25
Westphalian University of Münster in Münster
Areas of study: Health, behavior, and society and chemistry (BA)
Jensen Sminchak ’26
Ulm University in Ulm
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
2023 Recipients
2023 Scholars
Adarsh Mavathaveedu ’24
University: Julius Maximilian University in Würzburg
Area of study: Neuroscience (BS)
Xijue “Jade” Wu ’23, ’24 (T5)
University: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Areas of study: Chemistry (BS), music (BA)
2021 Recipients
Note: In 2021, some students offered research positions were unable to participate due to COVID-19 restrictions, while others completed their projects remotely.
2021 Scholars
Jenna Diamico ’22
University: Forschungszentrum Jülich (Remote)
Area of study: Geomechanics (BS)
Minor: Sustainability
Befikadu Mekonnen ’22
University: Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Thien Hung Nguyen ’21, ’22 (T5)
University: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (remote)
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Hristijan Stojkovic ’23
University: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS) (Remote)
Navya Uberoi ’22
University: Technische Universität Dortmund (Remote)
Area of study: Physics and astronomy (BS)
2021 Scholars-Elect
Abdelraham Nahar ’22
Area if study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Minor: Japanese
Priscila Passerotti Vaciski Barbos ’22
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Minor: Business and chemical engineering
2020 Recipients
Note: The 2020 program was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and some students worked remotely.
2020 Scholars-Elect
Karim Abdelmaqsoud ’22
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Mauricio Araiza Canizales ’22
University: Sulzbach-Rosenberg
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Andrew Balogh ’21
University: Wilhelmshaven*
Area of study: Electrical and computer engineering (BS)
Ognjen Bosic ’22
University: Wolfsburg
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Anis Idrizovic ’22
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
Hana Kalco ’22
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Eli Kosson ’22
University: Braunschweig
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Sufian Mushtaq ’22
University: Kassel
Area of study: Computer science (BS)
Thien Hung Nguyen ’21
University: Jülich
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Edmund Sepeku ’22
Area of study: Physics (BA)
Joshua Sobel ’21
University: Saarbrücken
Area of study: Computer science (BS) and mathematics (BA)
Navya Uberoi ’22
University: Dortmund
Area of study: Physics and astronomy (BS)
Jiayin Zhang ’21
University: Hamburg
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Sylvia Zhong ’21
University: Würzburg
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
2019 Recipients
2019 Scholars
Melissa Chang ’20
University: Paderborn
Area of study: Neuroscience (BS) and psychology (BA)
Jack Dalton ’20
University: Neustrelitz
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Minor: Computer science
Nivedita Iyer ’21
University: Erlangen
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS)
Bartlomiej Jezierski ’21
University: Konstanz
Area of study: Computer science (BS)
Kimberly Llajaruna Peralta ’20
University: Karlsruhe
Areas of study: Mechanical engineering (BS) and studio arts (BA)
Renee Niles ’19
University: Hannover
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Patrick Phillips ’21
University: Hamburg
Areas of study: Computer science (BS) and engineering science (BA)
Stephen Savchik ’20
University: Potsdam
Area of study: Data science (BS)
Minors: German, music, and linguistics
Aman Shrestha ’21
University: Saarbücken
Area of study: Computer science (BS)
Leonor Teles ’21
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Minor: Chemical engineering
Jisoo Woo ’20
University: Ulm
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Bryce Yahn ’20
University: Berlin
Area of study: Brain and cognitive sciences (BS)
Minor: Mathematics
2018 Recipients
2018 Scholars
Diwas Gautam ’20
University: Hannover
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Collin R. Gwilt ’20
University: Hamburg-Eppendorf
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Muhammad Hadi ’19
University: Hamburg
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Carley S. Haft ’19
University: Berlin
Areas of study: Health, behavior, and society (BA) and biology (BA)
Shemmar F. Jackson ’20
University: Dortmund
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Megan G. Kice ’20
University: Leipzig
Area of study: Microbiology (BS)
Yunke “Claudia” Ren ’20
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Adina Ripin ’20
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Physics (BS)
Erin G. Sumfleth ’20
University: Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
Lauren C. Testa ’20
University: Tübingen
Area of study: Molecular genetics (BS)
Minor: Spanish
Aime Laurent Twizerimana ’20
University: Jülich
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Isaac Wong ’19
University: Berlin
Areas of study: Computational biology (BS) computer science (BA)
Sifan Ye ’20
University: Saarbrucken
Area of study: Computer science (BS)
Victor Z. Zhang ’19
University: Stuttgart
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Minor: Clinical psychology
Dingzhe Zheng ’19
University: Giessen
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
2018 Scholar-Elect
Javon J. Walker ’19 (declined)
Area of study: Electrical and computer engineering (BS)
2017 Recipients
2017 Scholars
Rachel A. Clune ’18
University: Darmstadt
Areas of study: Chemistry (BS) and applied math (BA)
Lei Ding ’18
University: Jena
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
Rui Gao ’18
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Zunran Guo ’17
University: Göttingen
Area of study: Applied math (BS) and physics (BS)
Weidi Liu ’18
University: Hamburg
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
Stephanie S. Viteri ’18
University: Erlangen
Area of study: Cell and developmental biology (BS)
2017 Scholars-Elect
Janson Ho ’18 (declined)
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Sue Zhang ’18 (declined)
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
2016 Recipients
2016 Scholars
Austin Bailey ’17
University: Heidelberg
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Raymond Chin ’18
University: Leipzig
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Eric Holmgren ’17
University: Mainz
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Haberly Kahn ’18
University: Hamburg-Harburg
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
John Jacobs ’17
University: Paderborn
Area of study: Computer science (BS)
Minor: Optics
Natalie Jara ’18
University: Freiburg im Breisgau
Areas of study: Electrical and computer engineering (BS) and studio arts (BA)
Marina May ’17
University: Berlin
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
William Porter ’17
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Minor: Math
Ge Song ’17
University: Erlangen-Nürnberg
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Clara Wolfe ’18
University: Magdeburg
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS)
2015 Recipients
2015 Scholars
Luke P. Daily ’16
University: Erlangen
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Claire R. W. Kaiser ’17
University: Bonn
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Tianyi Liu ’16
University: Jülich
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Zhaoyu Nie ’17
University: Münster
Area of study: Optics (BA)
Nathaniel S. Potrepka ’17
University: Bonn
Areas of study: Computer science (BS) and audio and music engineering (BS)
Zhenzhi Xia ’16
University: Erlangen
Area of study: Optical engineering (BS)
So Han Florence Yip ’17
University: Jena
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
2014 Recipients
2014 Scholars
Corey M. Garyn ’15
University: Göttingen
Area of study: Cell and developmental biology (BS) and philosophy (BA)
Austin M. Mottola ’15
University: Dresden
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS)
Minor: Chemistry
Seth L. Schober ’16
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Electrical and computer engineering (BS)
Minor: Spanish
Natalie Y. Tjota ’16
University: Münster
Areas of study: Biomedical engineering (BS) and East Asian studies (BA)
Steven B. Torrisi ’16
University: Hamburg
Areas of study: Physics (BS) and math (BA)
2013 Recipients
2013 Scholars
Kristin N. Abramo ’15
University: Göttingen
Area of study: Molecular genetics (BS)
Kevin C. Allan ’14
University: Langen
Area of study: Neuroscience (BS)
Alexandra M. Born ’15
University: Dresden-Rossendorf
Areas of study: Microbiology (BS) and chemistry (BA)
Sarah Koniski ’14
University: Jülich
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Minor: Business
Louis J. Papa, III ’14
University: Jena
Areas of study: Biochemistry (BS) and chemistry (BS)
Robert A. Rietmeijer ’15
University: Tübingen
Areas of study: Biochemistry (BS)
Zhongwu Shi ’15
University: Aachen
Area of study: Applied math (BS)
Qianli Sun ’15
University: Kaiserslautern
Areas of study: Applied math (BS) and physics (BA)
Jamie M. Strampe ’15
University: Ulm
Area of study: Microbiology (BS)
Minor: German
2012 Recipients
2012 Scholars
Katie M. Bredbenner ’13
University: Göttingen
Areas of study: Molecular genetics (BS) philosophy (BA)
Amanda Chen ’14
University: Bremen
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Minor: Chemical engineering
Maria V. Guano Zapata ’14
University: Jülich
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
2012 Scholar-Elect
Justin L. Roncaioli ’13 (declined)
Area of study: Molecular genetics (BS)
Minors: Psychology and chemistry
2011 Recipients
2011 Scholars
Ashley M. Haluck-Kangas ’12
University: Greifswald
Area of study: Biology (BA)
Minors: Psychology and political science
David A. Narrow ’12
University: Berlin
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
2011 Scholar-Elect
Jonathan Raybin ’12 (declined)
Areas of study: Chemistry (BS) and physics (BA)
2010 Recipients
2010 Scholars
Emily F. Hart ’12
University: Heidelberg
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Caityln Rose Kennedy ’11
University: Dortmund
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Mark D. Levin ’12
University: Braunschweig
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Minor: Math
Joseph P. Shapiro ’12
University: Heidelberg
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS)
2009 Recipients
2009 Scholars
Matthew R. Golder ’10
University: Berlin
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Minor: Biology
Alexander G. Hajduczok ’11
University: Halle
Area of study: Biochemistry (BS)
Minor: Economics
Stephen Keeley ’11
University: Heidelberg
Areas of study: Physics (BS) and neuroscience (BS)
Minor: Math
Kirsten E. Ross ’11
University: Berlin
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
David Reiner ’10
University: Frankfurt
Area of study: Neuroscience (BS)
Minor: Psychology
2008 Recipients
2008 Scholars
Victoria A. Chu ’09
University: Bonn
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Minor: Japanese
Colleen A. Kellenberger ’09
University: Jülich
Area of study: Chemistry (BS) and molecular genetics (BS)
Zachary J. Kozick ’08
University: Kaiserslautern
Area of study: Physics (BA)
Minor: Math
Matthew S. Merriman ’09
University: Düsseldorf
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)
Minor: Biology
Justin J. Peczkowski ’09
University: Berlin
Area of study: Chemical engineering (BS)
Minor: Environmental engineering
Kristina V. Siliunas ’10
University: Cologne
Areas of study: Psychology (BA) and biology (BA)
2007 Recipients
2007 Scholars
Nicholas E. Brown ’09
University: Berlin
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Minor: German
Marc D. Karasek ’08, ’09 (T5)
University: Ilmenau
Area of study: Mechanical engineering (BS)
Joseph R. Lust ’07, ’08 (T5)
University: Münster
Area of study: Biomedical engineering (BS)
Minor: Optics
Timothy E. Stacey ’08
University: Berlin
Area of study: Chemistry (BS)