Four Colorado State University undergraduates have been selected for the highly competitive DAAD RISE Summer Internship program, in which students study at top German universities.
Madzie Boyles, Addison Lambert, Claire Lundstrom and Isabel Ong will represent CSU and conduct research on subjects ranging from geoinformatics to biochemistry.
About the DAAD RISE Program
DAAD — which translates to German Academic Exchange Service — funds research internships in many STEM fields across Germany. This prestigious program matches students with a German host institution to work on a research project compatible with their area of interest.
RISE – which stands for The Research Internships in Science and Engineering program — sponsors undergraduate students from around the world to give them a glimpse of advanced research work while gaining desirable professional experience in their field.
During their DAAD RISE internships, students will acquire new skill sets through their lab work and research opportunities, while simultaneously gaining exposure to new cultural, academic and professional environments. Through interactions with their primary investigator and fellow lab colleagues, students will gain knowledge about Germany and take their first steps to learn the German language – or practice their existing language abilities.
Long-lasting friendships and professional relationships develop through the intensive and rewarding work experience. Evening and weekend trips during the internship add to the appeal of this unique program.
Perhaps what makes DAAD RISE most attractive to STEM students is its funding structure. Selected students receive monthly stipends to help cover living expenses while abroad, with host universities and institutes providing housing assistance. Additional funds are provided, either through DAAD RISE or CSU, to cover roundtrip airfare to and from Germany.
“There’s a misconception that education abroad opportunities for STEM majors are limited,” says Christopher Snodgress, an adviser who works closely with international internships. “Programs like DAAD RISE are out there and we encourage students of every major to have a conversation with our team to discover what options are available to them.”
Summer 2023 DAAD RISE Interns
Claire Lundstrom
Lundstrom will be working at Ruhr-University Bochum in a biochemistry lab. Her project is focused on investigating the characteristics of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. The work is focused on understanding how these cells migrate through the brain, utilizing two different types of super resolution microscopy in order to image that process.
Lundstrom learned about the RISE program through the CSU Office for Scholarship and Fellowship Advising (OSFA). At an information session she learned about the application process, as well as chatted with two CSU RISE alumni.
“As I learned more about the program, I felt like it was a great opportunity for me to combine my interest in research with the opportunity to spend a summer abroad,” Lundstrom said.
Madzie Boyles
Boyles will be conducting their research at Bochum University of Applied Sciences in the electrical engineering and computer science department. There Boyles will be working on a sustainable energy education project that helps provide vocational training and planning for sustainable energy introduction in Germany.
“I have never traveled abroad before, and the preparations have been a little overwhelming,” Boyles said. “However, at this point I have found my housing, booked my plane ticket and have communicated with my adviser about my internship plans. The stressful parts of planning are over, and I am able to fully enjoy how grateful and excited I am about participating in the DAAD RISE program this summer!
“I am genuinely very excited for my internship. It is going to be really interesting to learn about sustainability from a non-American lens.”
Isabel Ong
Ong will be working at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. She will be studying microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), focused on creating concrete-like materials through bacteria as a sustainable alternative to current construction technology.
“I’m really excited to soak in the culture and just live life in Germany,” Ong said. “My grandmother is from Germany, and I still have some family throughout the country, so I’m very excited to go back to my roots and have this very special experience.”
Ong went on to give “a huge shoutout to CSU, because they sponsored part of my scholarship for this program. I only transferred here this year so the fact that they had that much faith in me to make this investment means a lot!”
Addison Lambert
Lambert will be working at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. With a specialization in bioengineering, her project will focus on process engineering for production of ethyl-butyrate.
CSU students interested in applying for the program can contact Christopher Snodgress, Education Abroad Senior Coordinator for the Office of International Programs at christopher.snodgress@colostate.edu.
