Podcast
Fulbright PULSE
Hosted by Fulbright · EN
Fulbrighters - from the first to the current generation – are driven by the desire to create an impact in this world. In PULSE, Fulbrighters of all disciplines, from scientists to artists, from journalists to entrepreneurs, tell their story. A podcast initiated by the German-American Fulbright Commission and Fulbright Alumni e. V. Germany.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
From Nebraska to Berlin: Alexandrea Swanson on Cultural Diplomacy, Women in Tech, and Going All In
May 1901:04:25Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fulbright Pulse, we sit down with Alexandrea Swanson, communications professional, advocate for women in technology, and committed transatlanticist, to trace a decade-long journey that began with a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant in 2014 and has never really stopped since. Alex grew up in Nebraska, studied international relations and German studies at Creighton University, and arrived in Kirchheim, Hessen as one of the few Americans many of her students and their parents had ever met. What followed was not a straight line, but a series of deliberate, all-in decisions: a second Fulbright with the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst, a master's degree in politics, economics, and philosophy, and years of building her career from the inside of German industry — before stepping into her newest chapter as Head of Business Development at VML in Berlin. In this conversation, we follow Alex from that first classroom in Hessen with its overhead projectors and overwhelming number of keys, through the moment she first encountered the word Digitalisierung at a Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung event and felt something click into place. We hear about the years she spent navigating German residency law, working at Scholz & Friends, AmCham Germany, and the Goethe-Institut, before landing at the BDI to build SheTransformsIT. We dive into that initiative: why only 17 to 18 percent of Germany's IT workforce is female, one of the lowest rates in Europe, and what it actually takes to change that number. Alex walks us through the FRIDA project, winner of the Impact of Diversity Award 2024, and the cross-party 10-Point Plan that made it into Germany's coalition contract. She reflects on where she found allies, where she hit walls, and why visibility alone is never quite enough. We close with a conversation that feels especially timely: what it means to be a transatlanticist in 2026, how the Fulbright community fits into a turbulent moment in German-American relations, and why the only thing that will get us unstuck is movement. Alex is the 2025 recipient of the Jürgen-Mulert-Award for Mutual Understanding, awarded by the German Fulbright Alumni Association. Interviewed by Jonas Happ. -- If you liked this episode, please consider rating and reviewing the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing the diverse voices of the Fulbright community. We want to hear from you! If you have recommendations for future guests or stories that should be shared on Fulbright Pulse, drop us a message at podcast@fulbright-alumni.de. We're always excited to hear from our community.
Transcribe →Anne von Fallois (Chair and CEO of Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung): From Fulbright to Fighting HIV
Dec 100:53:48Tap to summarizeIn this special World AIDS Day episode of Fulbright PULSE, we sit down with Anne von Fallois, Chair and CEO of the Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung (German AIDS Foundation), to explore how a Fulbright experience can plant seeds that grow into a lifetime of public service. Anne's journey has taken her from studying international affairs at George Washington University as a 1991/92 Fulbright Scholar, through two decades at the Office of the Federal President of Germany, to executive search consulting at Kienbaum, and finally to leading one of Germany's most vital public health organizations. She took the helm of the Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung on December 1st, 2023—World AIDS Day—a symbolic beginning to her mission of fighting HIV, AIDS, and the stigma surrounding them. In this conversation, we trace Anne's path from Washington, DC to her current role, discussing how her Fulbright year shaped her understanding of diversity, identity, and democratic values. We explore the foundation's work both in Germany and internationally—from supporting people living with HIV at home to funding grassroots health projects in Kenya, South Africa, and Ukraine. Anne shares sobering realities about the current global HIV landscape, including the impact of funding cuts and political uncertainty on communities that depend on consistent support. We also discuss the importance of testing, the game-changing potential of new long-acting prevention medication, and why solidarity matters now more than ever. Anne reflects on what it means to lead a foundation in times of rising discrimination, how civil society serves as a cornerstone of democracy, and why Fulbrighters have a special responsibility to defend transatlantic friendship and shared values. This episode is published on December 1st, 2025, World AIDS Day and the two-year anniversary of Anne taking leadership of the foundation. It's a conversation about memory, responsibility, and the ongoing fight for a society that celebrates diversity and stands up for those at the margins. Interviewed by Jonas Happ. ------------ If you liked this episode, please consider rating and reviewing the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing the diverse voices of the Fulbright community. We want to hear from you! If you have recommendations for future guests or stories that should be shared on Fulbright Pulse, drop us a message at podcast@fulbright-alumni.de. We’re always excited to hear from our community.
Transcribe →Prof. Dr. Vincent Sitzmann (Professor at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab)
Oct 1300:43:10Tap to summarizeIn this episode, our guest is Prof. Dr. Vincent Sitzmann, Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, where he leads the Scene Representation Group at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. We talk about his research vision. And we talk about his path graduating from the Technical University of Munich with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, moving to Stanford for his Master's degree in computer science, becoming a PhD student at Stanford in electrical engineering, and rising to prominence as a world-leading scientist in his field of computer vision. We find out about some of the key moments along that path and about his and his groups' most recent breakthrough, published in Nature, the world's most prestigious journal for scientific research, inspiring the future of cost-effective and ubiquitous robotics. And we learn about the people, culture, and conditions needed for trailblazing research as he experienced it in Stanford and fosters it in his group at MIT. Interviewed by Mohamed Kari (mkari.de).
Transcribe →Hannah Eve Rothbard (Multimedia Artist, Writer and Curator)
Jun 9, 202500:49:55Tap to summarizeArt, Identity, and Memory in Berlin with Hannah Rothbard, Multimedia Artist and current Fulbright Grantee In this episode of Fulbright Pulse, we speak with Hannah Eve Rothbard, a multimedia artist, curator, and writer from South Florida, usually based in New York and now in Berlin: As a 2024/25 Fulbright Scholar, she is spending the academic year in Germany's capital exploring the regeneration of German Jewish culture through painting and mixed media art. Hannah's work interweaves themes of Jewish identity, diaspora, queer culture, memory, and built space—drawing on her background in fine arts and urban studies. In this conversation, we follow her Fulbright journey in Berlin, from long walks through Charlottenburg to hosting her first solo exhibition, Willkommen, which combines archival research, layered symbolism, and personal reflection. We talk about Hannah’s experiences engaging with Berlin’s Jewish community, the absence of visible Jewish identity in Germany today, and how art can act as a medium for processing history and imagining new forms of connection. She shares the stories and symbolism behind two of her striking pieces—Ghosts and Guilty and Jüdische Wissenschaft von heute—and how they reflect both historical memory and contemporary realities in Berlin’s queer and Jewish communities. We also hear about Hannah’s reflections on security, visibility, and belonging, the subtle influence of Jewish history on Berlin's present-day culture, and her thoughts on fear, dialogue, and building bridges across communities. Finally, Hannah shares her advice for future Fulbrighters, what she’s learned by slowing down, and what’s next for her as she brings her work back to New York. This is an episode about art as research, cultural exchange as healing, and the importance of talking—and listening—even across difficult divides. Interviewed by Jonas Happ. —---------- If you liked this episode, please consider rating and reviewing the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing the diverse voices of the Fulbright community. We want to hear from you! If you have recommendations for future guests or stories that should be shared on Fulbright Pulse, drop us a message at podcast@fulbright-alumni.de. We’re always excited to hear from our community.
Transcribe →PULSE x Diversity: Zeynep Alraqeb (MBA Candidate at Columbia Business School; former Diversity Chair of German Fulbright Alumni association)
Nov 13, 202401:01:15Tap to summarizeWith this episode, we launch our PULSE x Diversity series, spotlighting personal stories and perspectives on belonging within the Fulbright community. Our aim is to celebrate the diversity of experiences and amplify underrepresented voices. Our first guest is Zeynep Alraqeb, a multilingual economist with a rich background in economics, social entrepreneurship, and politics. Currently based in New York and pursuing an MBA at Columbia University, Zeynep has previously worked on macroeconomic issues at Banque de France and the Deutsche Bundesbank. She holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Warwick and the University of Cologne, where she was a Friedrich Ebert Scholar: She also studied abroad in Turkey and in the USA, where she went to the University of Kentucky with Fulbright Germanys Diversity Initiative. Besides her professional achievements, Zeynep is committed to social impact and has, among many other things, served as Diversity Chair of the German Fulbright Alumni Association. In this conversation, we explore Zeynep’s identity journey and her reflections on belonging—from her initial draw to the United States to how her perspectives on Germany shifted through her experiences abroad. She shares the story behind her name, her ‘identity superpower,’ and the cultural misconceptions she wishes would disappear. Interviewed by Enes Karacaoglan.
Transcribe →Prof. Gloria Mark (Chancellor's Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at UC Irvine)
Aug 22, 202401:04:56Tap to summarizeGloria's blog on Substack: https://gloriamark.substack.com/ Gloria's most recent book "Attention Span": https://www.amazon.de/dp/1335449418 -- Professor Gloria Mark is a Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and one of the most renowned psychologists in the field of human-computer interaction. Gloria is a book author, science communicator, sought-after speaker in the tech industry, and a blogger. Her best-selling book "Attention Span" synthesizes scientific insights from her decades-long research on focus, distraction, technostress, and productivity, and in this episode we talk about some of these insights. After obtaining a master's degree in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from Columbia University in Psychology, she became a lab director in the field of team communication software, in 1990. In 1995 she joined the GMD, a German research institute that is now part of Fraunhofer. Since 2000, Gloria has been a professor at the University of California in Irvine. On a Fulbright grant, she conducted research at the Humbolt Univerity of Berlin department in 2005/06. She worked with IBM in Haifa, the University of Haifa, the National University of Singapore, with the MIT Media Lab in Massachusetts, and with Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington. She has received a US National Science Foundation Career Award, multiple Google Research Awards, and has been inducted into the CHI Academy, a group of the most impactful researchers in the field of human-computer interaction. In our interview, we find out about the average attention span has developed from the early 2000s, how this attention span dropped, how Gloria and her team investigated the physiological effect of short attention spans, the effects on productivity, and how to find focus again. We also learn about some of Glorias other research and about her scientific approach more generally. And we talk about Gloria's personal approach to including digital devices in her life, and the advantage of living in Southern California when it comes to stress reduction. Gloria is also a reviewer for the US Fulbright Commission, and in this episode, she shares some perspectives on an ideal grant application. Interviewed by Mohamed Kari.
Transcribe →Prof. Anett-Maud Joppien (Architect and Professor of Architecture at TU Darmstadt)
Jul 10, 202401:05:25Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fulbright PULSE, Prof. Anett-Maud Joppien, Professor of Architecture and Head of the Chair of Design and Building Technology at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany, is our guest. Anett's portfolio of architectural works includes many buildings in the skyline and cityscape of Frankurt, in all of Germany, and beyond, such as the Marienturm and the Taunusturm in Frankfurt's Banking Quarter, the One Forty West in Frankfurt Westend, the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, the Kaffeelager in the Hafencity of Hamburg, the Neue Lustgarten in Potsdam, or the Exhibition and Convention Center in Helsinki. Her works have received over 50 national and international awards. Anett received her pre-diploma from TU Berlin in 1980, and her diploma from TU Darmstadt in 1985. On a Fulbright scholarship, she first joined the University of Illinois at Chicago. Then she transitioned to the University of California Berkeley where she graduated with a Master of Architecture in 1987, before returning to Germany, working as a freelance architect and becoming a professor. In this episode, we talk about sustainable architecture in the 21st century, the architecture in Anett's very first projects, the architecture of the Max-Schmeling-Halle, of skyscrapers, Anett's approach to architecture more generally, and her inspirations. We also talked about her time as a Fulbright scholar in the US at UC Berkeley and how she got there. And, during this emotional UEFA Euro Championship, we find out about Anett's involvement in architecting the DFB campus.
Transcribe →Manuel Bewarder (Investigative Journalist at WDR and NDR)
May 30, 202401:12:47Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Manuel Bewarder, investigative journalist at Germany's public media WDR and NDR, is our guest. His journalistic research spans security, migration, and domestic policy, and one of his current long-running investigations includes the events around the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. Manual studied at the University of Leipzig and graduated from the Humboldt-University of Berlin with a teaching state examination. On a Fulbright grant, he then graduated with a Master's degree in Journalism from the American University in Washington DC. In the subsequent 13 years, he worked at different Axel-Springer-Outlets, working his way to the head of the investigative journalism department at WELT, before then moving to investigative teams at WDR/NDR. In this episode, we talk about his investigation of the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and some possible explanations of what had happened. We also talk about the journalistic process behind these investigations, both in the early phase, and when the first investigative breakthroughs took place, and how the investigation team rented out the same boat that the saboteurs might have used. We also talk about investigative journalism more broadly, its value, how Manual approaches a new topic, and how he deals with his sources. We also learn how Manuel's path to becoming an investigative journalist, and how he sees his role today.
Transcribe →Prof. Dr. Rainer Storb (Pioneer of the Stem Cell Transplantation)
Mar 13, 202401:11:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we are joined by Prof. Dr. Rainer Storb, one of the trailblazers who established bone marrow and stem cell transplantation as an effective treatment for diseases like leukemia, lymphoma and aplastic anemia. Rainer is a medical doctor, physician and professor for hematology and oncology at University of Washington's School of Medicine, pioneer of the blood stem cell transplantation, and one of the most impactful biomedical scientists and research translators of our time. He is also a founding member of the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, heading its transplantation biology program and its clinical research division. As a physician, he has been treating patients himself with therapies he has discovered, designed, studied, and standardized. We talk about the seemingly hopeless case he and his colleagues took on when he first entered the field in the 1960s, the adversarial circumstances under which they were conducting their research, the challenges they faced, how he dealt with these challenges, and how first transplantations in humans started to work consistently. We also find out how stem cell transplantation evolved into a procedure that has been performed more than 1'000'000 times around the globe since Rainer and his colleagues laid the ground-breaking foundations. And we talk about how Rainer envisions a cancer treatment, free of aggressive radiation and heavy chemotherapy, on the path to eliminating cancer.
Transcribe →Vera Kostiuk Busch & Dr. Hanna Shvindina (Charity/NGO Founders in Support of Ukraine)
Sep 30, 202300:54:29Tap to summarizeVera is the founder and president of Pro Ukraine e. V., a charitable organization in Germany supporting Ukraine. As an American Fulbrighter going to Germany, Vera completed her Master's studies at Middlebury College in Mainz. For her outstanding commitment of over twenty years to relieve poverty in Ukraine, she has received the Mulert Award by the German Fulbright Alumni Association. Hanna is the founder and CEO of the Lifelong Learning Center, an NGO in Sumy, Ukraine, and she is a professor of Management at the American University of Kyiv, also teaching at Sumy State University. As a Ukrainian Fulbright going to the US, Hanna conducted post-doctoral research at Purdue University in Indiana. We talk about daily life in Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion, about how Hanna and her organization have helped residents in her city, how Vera and her organization have helped Ukrainian pupils, and how their work has changed since Russia's war against Ukraine.
Transcribe →