Building balloons, rockets,
and satellites and sending them to outer space, making amazing
discoveries - a childhood dream of many. Guenter Riegler, a native of
Bad Kreuzen in Austria, did all of these things. He literally built "by
hand" an X-ray detector, put it on a balloon, and sent it into the sky.
Later, Riegler's X-ray detectors flew on NASA rockets and even
satellites.
But Riegler has not only been an outstanding scientist:
After almost 20 years working as a scientist at various NASA centers,
in the 1980s he followed the call to become a research manager at
NASA's headquarters in Washington, DC. A position that was originally
scheduled for two years turned into a 15-year appointment, and the
experienced hands-on scientist turned into a successful research
manager.
bridges vol. 10, June 2006 / News from the Network
by Sonja Strohmer
When Austrian scientists pack their luggage to go to North America to further their studies or to do research, they rarely tinker with the idea of staying there for decades. Usually, they come to stay for a short-term contract or an exchange program and the dilemma of national identity and citizenship is non-existent.
bridges vol. 10, June 2006 / News from the Network
Peter Palese
is professor of microbiology and chair of the
Department of Microbiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New
York. Dr. Palese (in conjunction with Prof. Yoshihiro Kawaoka) was
awarded the 2006 Robert Koch Award, endowed with €100,000, in
recognition of his pioneering research into influenza viruses and the
development of methods for the molecular genetic production and
investigation of influenza pathogens.
The OeNB Jubiläumsfonds (Anniversary Fund) for the Promotion of Scientific Research and Teaching
As the central bank of the Republic of Austria, one of the
Oesterreichische Nationalbank 's main tasks is to supply the general
public and the business community in Austria with high-quality (i.e.,
counterfeit-proof) cash. At least for researchers, the OeNB's role as a
supplier of cash has a second dimension: namely, the connection with
its Anniversary Fund for the Promotion of Scientific Research and
Teaching.
Reverse Culture Shock: Personal Experiences told by an Austrian Scientist Returning from North America
bridges vol. 10, June 2006 / News from the Network by Peter Ertl
I have been working at an Austrian Research Institute since September
2005 and I felt it was time to reflect on my experience as an Austrian
scientist returning from North America. I am a chemist by training and
currently employed at the Seibersdorf Research division of
Nano-Systems-Technologies. My research focuses on the development of
novel microfluidic systems, also called lab-on-a-chip to monitor, to
analyze and predict dynamic cellular behavior under varying
environmental conditions.
bridges vol. 10, June 2006 / News from the Network
The OST network of Austrian scientists & scholars abroad was
established by the Office of Science & Technology (OST) at the
Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC, and focuses on the outreach of
government-related agencies to Austrian scientists in North America.
Its main objective has been to support the scientific community with
information and specific advice wherever necessary and requested.
Encouraged by the OST, an independent association - ASciNA (Austrian
Scientists and Scholars in North America) - was founded in 2002 with
local chapters being established all over the US and Canada. For
further information about ASciNA please visit www.ascina.at.
Building balloons, rockets,
and satellites and sending them to outer space, making amazing
discoveries - a childhood dream of many. Guenter Riegler, a native of
Bad Kreuzen in Austria, did all of these things. He literally built "by
hand" an X-ray detector, put it on a balloon, and sent it into the sky.
Later, Riegler's X-ray detectors flew on NASA rockets and even
satellites. 
I have been working at an Austrian Research Institute since September
2005 and I felt it was time to reflect on my experience as an Austrian
scientist returning from North America. I am a chemist by training and
currently employed at the Seibersdorf Research division of
Nano-Systems-Technologies. My research focuses on the development of
novel microfluidic systems, also called lab-on-a-chip to monitor, to
analyze and predict dynamic cellular behavior under varying
environmental conditions.
