Participants By Last Name
A-G | H-M | N-Z

Christine Neipert
Kristi O'Neal
Andrew Patterson
Haley Pugsley
Mary Pulling
Sara Ray

Ashley Ringer
Christopher Rivera
Joseph Roscioli
Tomekia Simeon
Peter Sims

Anatoliy Sokolov
David Strasfeld
Christopher Thode
Jennie Thomas
Sonjae Wallace

Christopher Webster
Nicholas Wigginton
Christine Winschel
Howard Wulsin
David Yeung

I believe the bonds that were created by meeting first in DC made us a better and more unified delegation.

The most beneficial interaction I had with the several of the Laureates was the opportunity to talk to them not about science per se, but life as a scientist in general. It gave me much perspective, and several key issues that I really need to reflect on. John Hall was especially helpful in discussing how to manage life with career. Balance and moderation really is the key, and it is incredibly helpful to hear that from someone who is so accomplished.

Richard Ernst’s talk - Fourier Methods in Spectroscopy: From Monsieur Fourier to Medical Imaging was the most applicable to my research and the most valuable to me. Even though it was general, it is easy to get side tracked with esoteric research subjects, and lose touch with the basics. Seeing the foundation on which my current research is built upon gave me much needed perspective.

I definitely gained many new American and international friends and colleagues whom have a multitude of different research expertise and interests. Having these relationships is crucial for success in the scientific community; true scientific advances do not come from narrowly focused work, but rather collaborative interdisciplinary research. In talking with experimentalists, I was able to help clarify the theory behind ultrafast nonlinear optical methods, and they were able to provide much needed insight into the experimental framework for obtaining rephasing and nonrephasing nonlinear signals in addition to providing clarity to their signal processing techniques. Within the US delegation, I found a person who is studying very similar systems using second order optical methods. Part of my research has been developing a theory to describe the response of these systems -- it is a distinct possibility that a collaborative experimental/theoretical relationship will be developed for investigating these systems. I am a firm believer in always extending yourself to try new things. It is through new experiences that you are able to learn much about yourself, and truly grow as a person.

The Laureates that I was able to speak to personally were nice, and had sincere desires to help the students personally and professionally. Interacting with international students was a great opportunity to compare our academic systems, and build positive international relationships among the up and coming generation.

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When chatting with some international students, I found that they were awed at the organization and preparedness of our delegation. I appreciate the time spent in Washington and I think it was important to meet the other American students and attempt to learn some names before being overwhelmed by the amount of students at the meeting. I feel like many good friendships started in Washington and solidified over the course of the meeting in Lindau.

When you think about Nobel Laureates and the work that they have done, it's easy to forget that they are 'real people' just like you and me; you almost begin to think they have some kind of super power. When I listened to their scientific lectures and discussions about how they came to be a Nobel Laureate, I began to realize that they are still human and they have families and careers just like the rest of us; although they are all exceptionally intelligent. The most important thing I learned from this experience is to choose a research project based on its potential impact. The most valuable research affects each of us, whether we are aware of it or not.

I feel that the lecture with the most value was Prof. Richard Ernst's talk on Fourier Methods in Spectroscopy. My personal research involves much spectroscopy and I understand the incredible impact that the Fourier Transform has had on this field. Not only was the scientific content of his talk relevant to my own work, but he spoke with great passion and had many comments about science that are valuable to any young researcher.

The most interesting discussion I attended was with Prof. Dr. Roy J. Glauber because he reminisced about his early research days and coworkers. I found it fascinating to hear his stories about life outside of the laboratory and the comradery between researchers with a common goal.

It is impossible to return from such an experience and remain unchanged. I believe I have made friends with American students from all over the country as well as students from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Pakistan, China and many other nations. I hope that I will be able to remain in touch with the many friends I have made and I have already begun correspondences with several. I have discussed projects with many other young researchers and found that there are a few already intertwined with my own research. Maybe these conversations will spark some ideas and lead to new projects and collaborations in the future. Having never left the states before, this international travel experience was especially important to me. I feel that my mind has been opened up to other cultures and I want to experience more. It will help me develop as a scientist as well as a person. I now feel more independent than I did before this experience and I want to thank you all for that. I also have a better understanding of the lives of the international students in my own research group and will be more willing to 'show them the ropes' of American life in the future.

I think the more informal lunches and dinners with the Nobel Laureates were some of the most valuable and memorable moments of the meeting. I also really enjoyed 'hosting' the dinner for the international students. It gave me a chance to talk with students from all over the world and learn about their culture and educational systems.

I honestly feel that this is the most valuable experience of my scientific career. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to meet such wonderful people, including the Laureates, the coordinators and sponsors of the American Delegation, and especially the other students (American and international). I have made many friendships that will hopefully last and lead to collaborations across the globe.

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Interacting with the Nobel Laureates on such a personal level was very inspiring and at the same time reassuring. To know that these scientists at the pinnacles of their careers still have trouble getting experiments to work and have papers rejected was a good reminder that even the best scientists struggle at times. Overall the most important lesson I learned from this week was to be persistent.

While the talks on chemistry were interesting, I particularly found the Laureates who discussed the impact of their science on the world to be the most stimulating. For example, Dr. Ciechanover's discussion on how study of the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway has brought forth novel therapeutics for patients with multiple myeloma was fascinating and inspiring.

My favorite small group discussion was with Dr. Peter Agre. The group attending the session was quite small and this gave us the unique opportunity to discuss things ranging from politics to science in schools on a more informal basis. Dr. Agre was very personable and seemed extremely interested in our lives and research. I really enjoyed hearing his stories about his childhood and his reasons for becoming a scientist.

Meeting 50+ students from across the country was a great experience and one that I will not soon forget. In addition, interacting with students from across the world was very educational. Hearing about their research and lives was one of the many highlights of this trip.
I would highly recommend this trip to any PhD student. My research career has thoroughly been enriched through the daily interactions with many of the Laureates and other students and it is something I will not soon forget.

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It was such an inspiration to meet with the Laureates. Before I thought of them as somewhat superhuman and unreachable but now I know that they are just people too. The main things that I learned from them was to work hard, do good science and don’t make your goal winning a Nobel Prize.

The friendships that I have made with people from the US are ones that I would like to continue. It was really interesting meeting with people from other countries and to find out how their education system works. Many of the students that I met I will keep in mind for future collaboration.

The most memorable experiences of the trip were getting to eat lunch/dinner with the Laureates and the Countess; along with getting to walk Peter Agre from the Inselhalle to lunch with the Indian delegation. These were the most memorable experiences because it granted me one on one time with these very influential people.

This meeting was an experience of a lifetime. Getting to interact with the laureates is an experience that I will never forget; it was especially inspirational to talk with Prof. Peter Agre and Prof. Aaron Ciechanover. In addition, I feel that the relationships that I made with other students will lead to life long friendships and possible future collaborations.

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Hearing the Laureates’ perspectives on everything from science and research to politics and ethics gave me a lot to think about. It was interesting to hear how much the Laureates stressed the importance of having a life outside of one’s research- to have other passions and to spend as much time as possible with family. It was also interesting to hear a comment made by one Nobel Laureate that when his research life was at its best and he was producing the most was also the time when his family life was needing the most work. Although this is a little discouraging, it is nice to know that everyone, even Nobel Prize winners, struggles with the balance of work and outside life- and that it is possible to have both. It was also nice to hear how the Nobel Laureates think about science and research in general. Everything they said was food for thought, especially their views on the future of scientific research. Hearing the Laureates talk about how their prize winning research was conducted was very interesting. For most of them, it seemed as though they were just doing research that was exciting to them and working as hard as they could for the sake of the science itself. No one thought what they were doing at the time would eventually earn them the prize. I think this can be an encouraging thought, especially to students.

The lectures that had the most value for me were the ones that didn’t necessarily focus completely on science. Professor Hoffman, for example, spoke about ethics and science and many of the Laureates talked about the relationships between science and government. It was nice to hear the opinions of the Laureates since they have been in the field for so long and have been so successful at it. Such talks brought up interesting discussions afterwards with people, including some who didn’t necessarily agree with what the Laureates had to say. At one of the small group discussions it was also mentioned by a Laureate that just because he had won a prize in science, that didn’t necessarily make him an expert in other fields as well. For example, people were often asking him how he felt about certain political issues. He said that he didn’t want to comment on these issues or use his Nobel Prize as a soapbox. This was something that I had never really given much thought to before.

Throughout the course of the meeting, I met and became friends with a number of American students who I am sure that I will stay in contact with in the future. I met students both in and out of my field which was a nice experience. At most scientific conferences, it can be difficult to meet people who are in chemistry fields that are unrelated to mine. I learned a lot on this trip about how things work in other fields. I also learned a lot about how things work at other universities- in the US and around the world. Having lunch with students from other delegations was a nice way to get to talk to them in an informal setting. This gave us a chance to ask questions- about their research and their universities.

I thought that the meeting itself was very well run and that the organization of the American delegation in particular was incredible. It also seemed that because of all the work of the US organizers the US delegation was able to have even more opportunities to interact with the Laureates than other groups perhaps had. Getting to listen to Nobel Laureates lecture for an entire week is an incredible opportunity and having small group discussions with them afterwards makes it even better, but getting to have lunches and dinners with the Nobel Laureates and actually being able to talk to them one-on-one is a truly unique opportunity.

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It was nice to see so many people who are lauded as the best in their field point out that all they did was set out to do their job well. They wanted their work to be respected not lauded. Too often we set out to impress people. The laureates taught me to strive for self respect in the work that I do because you have to support it in the end. If you have faith in what you are doing, the respect of your community will come along with time. It is not about winning awards, it is about doing good science. They also encouraged me to keep passions outside of science. Few of them failed to mention other things that are just as if not more important to them than their scientific work. They furthered my belief that well-rounded scientists end up doing great work because they have outlets. My future is still unclear, but this meeting showed me the path will be less bumpy if you strive first for personal rather than professional greatness.

I learned that there are positives and negatives to everything in science, even the Nobel prize. I learned how to think about scientific ethics on an everyday basis. I learned that we need to learn how to present science in a narrative form to get the word out to non-scientists. I learned that family needs to be your first priority even when going through the trials of getting a job and then tenure. There needs to be a balance to science.

I have a very special group of contacts now. My friendships within the American delegation are just beginning. I am looking forward to interacting with people on a personal and professional basis at meetings from here throughout our careers. I made some international friends as well. It was very interesting to compare our school experiences.

Many thanks and much appreciation to the Hotel Brugger. They were so wonderful to us. I felt like a member of the family by the end of the week. Thanks to the NSF for this amazing experience. I was hitting a burnout point in science going into this trip, but I have returned refreshed and excited about my future in this field.

I will never forget this experience. Never in my life have I been privileged enough to interact with such an amazing group of people in such close quarters. The American and international delegations were the best of the best and together I think we can change the world.

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Meeting with the Nobel Laureates and hearing their lectures provided me with a much broader perspective about current advances in chemistry than you find at most conferences. The Nobel lectures provided a very broad overview of exciting topics in a manner that was very accessible to me. The enhanced perspective I gained will enable me to develop avenues for my research and expand my scope to include areas I hadn’t thought of before, now and throughout my professional career.

The three lectures I found most interesting were the physics lectures from the new physics laureates because these lectures provided ideas about totally new areas of research that might become accessible with access to new timescales. I thought the most valuable discussion I attended was with Peter Agre because he discussed his professional experiences and how he got to the place he is in his career. He was very encouraging and really talked about how the research process works.

I enjoyed meeting both international and American students at the meeting. Talking with other graduate students from other institutions provided an opportunity to compare academic environments and learn about the best practices of each institution. I enjoyed interacting with other graduate students in my field, and getting their perspective on the research at my institution. Additionally, I think I significantly increased my professional networking skills.

The enhanced perspective I gained from interacting with so many different people from so many backgrounds was the biggest benefit of the entire Lindau experience. Perspectives gained about research, about education, and about the future direction of science in society were all extremely valuable. I got so many new ideas from so many different people which will continue to enhance my professional career.

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The laureates are individuals, are people we, as a scientific community, put on a pedestal so it was a unique opportunity to meet them while they were off this pedestal. We got to meet the real people! To hear them talk to you like an equal is very motivational. If anything, you come away feeling like you could be there someday. How inspiring is that?

Dr. Hall's lecture was very important to me. He is a pioneer who helped create most of the instrumentation used in the ultrafast laboratory. Without his work we would still be in the dark (literally). I really enjoyed his energy and passion but also his humbleness. He was the biggest inspiration to me.

I attended the informal discussion sessions of Dr. Noyori, Dr. Hall, and Dr. Marcus. I thought Dr. Noyori was very honest and he was very open about his life before and after receiving the prize. Dr. Hall is just a great person and so friendly. He had very good answers regarding both scientific and personal questions. Dr. Hall talked about how some of his most important discoveries came by accident. He commented on how you can stumble accross some result that you never saw coming so he encouraged us to take chances and always be aware and observant because you never know when something both amazing and unexpected will happen.

The American students I met were some of the brightest and nicest people I have met in science. Many of whom I was able to become fast friends with and we have already been keeping in touch since the end of the meeting. I met a few of the students from Pakistan that will be in California. Unfortunately there were not as many physical chemists there but you never know who you will run into later in your career!

The dinner that the US delegation hosted was my favorite event of the trip. We met people from Australia, Pakistan, Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Ireland. Some we even met up with later on the trip. Everyone was so down to earth and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

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More than scientific insight, the laureates provided perspectives which helped many of us understand the value of balance of science and outside life, such as family and art. In addition, there was much effort in the meeting to emphasize curiosity-driven research as a means to make scientific advances.

I attended the informal discussions of Lipscomb, Wüthrich, Hoffman, and Hall. The most useful were that of Hoffman and Hall, both of which discussed the value of having other "muses" in your life beyond science, and how to handle having an active scientific career and a family. Also interesting was Hoffman's discussion about scientific integrity, its origin and its direction.

I have absolutely gained friendships with other students, both US and international, in addition to possible collaborations.

I can already tell that the trip was one of the most valuable experiences in my scientific career. The laureates were much more interested in discussing with us the value of balance in our lives, and juggling a scientific career with the rest of our lives. The Roald Hoffman discussion was particularly riveting, as he discussed his life and the future of science, along with the other loves in his life.

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The Nobel Laureates stories about obstacles and road blocks in their early careers due to the lack of access to information and instrumentation, was humbling. The luxury of the information technology era along with the increase in scientific instrumentation has helped me to be in a better starting position in my scientific career. Hence, I am on the “crest of excellence”. If I keep this in mind and remain focused and determined my scientific career advancement is endless.

I attended Drs. Curl, Hoffman, Karle, Kohn and Michel discussions, including others. I appreciate how the Laureates were open and offered suggestions to the different questions proposed. In particular, Dr. Karle wanted learn more about the students and their opinions of different issues ranging from research, politics to world issues.

Diversifying the world’s scientific portfolio requires collaborations between many different entities. The 56th Annual Meeting of Noble Laureates in Lindau, Germany achieved this alliance by partnering noble laureates, student researchers and professors. By attending this conference, I have acquired new contacts that could lead to research collaborations both domestically and internationally.

From my experiences with the Nobel Laureates, I learned they are "real people" and very humble. They reciprocated the same enthusiasm expressed by students with their desire to learn about our research and future goals. I enjoyed observing my international peers eagerness and aggressiveness towards establishing new collaborations and friendships.

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The most valuable part of my experience with the Nobel Laureates was the identification (and pretty unified presentation) of the major problems that I will face during my scientific career. These challenges include problems that the world faces and problems that are very specific to the scientific community. I was touched by one challenge in particular- the lack of scientific interest among young students in the U.S. I am very interested in playing an active role in addressing this problem.

I would say that, scientifically, I enjoyed Richard Ernst's lecture the most. However, I thought that both in the lecture and the discussion, Peter Agre had several valuable comments that were not strictly scientific.

Peter Agre emphasized the urgency of the challenge of getting young students in the US interested in science. He also spoke openly about his daily life during his scientific career. As for Rudy Marcus's discussion, I am working on one of the same scientific problems that he is interested in. I was able to have a technical conversation with him about my work in which he gave me extremely useful advice.

I most certainly formed lasting friendships with my fellow US delegates at the meeting. There are multiple people with whom I will very likely communicate frequently in the coming years. I also made international friends. One particular student from Korea is actually coming to Boston for graduate work in the next couple of months and we plan to meet (I will likely help her find a place, etc.). She is interested in the field in which I currently am working, and we will likely have numerous interactions (she will be at MIT and I am down the street at Harvard).

The most amazing part about the trip to me was that I found myself to be rarely more than one or two degrees separated from the people I met. Almost all of the US delegates knew or worked with someone I knew. In fact, the Korean student with whom I was randomly paired at the dance went to high school (in Korea) with one of my lab mates and closest friends at Harvard.

No one agreed with everything the Nobel Laureates had to say, and I learned the most from the discussions that were stimulated amongst my fellow students.

This trip is easily one of the most important opportunities I've had in my graduate career, and I am still sorting out all that I've learned and heard. The face-time that I had with particular Nobel Laureates was incredible. I was able to have general and even technical conversations with multiple Laureates following discussions and at the organized lunches and dinners. I enjoyed speaking with the theoretical chemists and organic chemists (chemists outside my field of research) about the details of their work and learning about their research stories. I got technical and general advice on my own research from Nobel Laureates and some of the top young researchers in and out of the US, and I learned about how academic research is carried out in a variety of countries.

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The biggest gain from interacting with the Laureates comes from the listening to their viewpoints on general science questions, and not on their specific research. While, none of the laureates that attended was in my particular field, it is important to see how top scientists not only conduct themselves, but how they structure their research, and their (lack of) social time. One particular Laureate made a comment that if he had to repeat his career, he would spend less time in lab and more on building social interactions. The balance of all such comments allows us young scientists to help mold our future balance in life and sciences.

The meeting was excellent, and well organized. A big part of that were all the delegation coordinators who made sure all the activities turned out without any major problems. I was particularly happy to see how the Laureates were genuinely excited and interested in meeting with the students, and giving them pictures and signatures.

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It was my intention to ask the laureates what I should do for a post-doc, but I feel my interactions with the laureates most benefited me in helping me to acquire an appreciation of the scope of a scientific objective. Too often chemists find themselves pre-occupied with a technique rather than the problem that a certain technique might solve. The laureates helped me to realize the importance of getting away from a technique based approach.

I attended the discussions held by Kurt Wüthrich, John Hall, Roy Glauber and Roald Hoffman. John Hall did a wonderful job of elucidating the importance of a home life amidst one's scientific pursuits.

While I met very few students with whom I might collaborate in the future, this experience was useful in that it offered a feel for how graduate students around the world go about conducting their research and finding a way to be productive.

The greatest asset of this conference is its diversity, as advertised. No other conference I ever attend will offer such a diversity of scientific, cultural and ethnic background.

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Meeting with the Laureates was a very unique experience. It was interesting for me to hear many of them agree that the Nobel Prize should not give them anymore political power than anyone else. I also really appreciated Dr. Ciechanover's comments on the value of quality research over quantity. I think one of the biggest effects that this meeting will have on my future scientific endeavors is that I will be thinking of the unexpected as opportunity rather than a failure.

It is very difficult for me to narrow it down to just one. I would have to say that I enjoyed Dr. Ernst's talk the most. While his topic was not anywhere close to my field, his excitement reminded me how important that is to discovery. He also drove home the value of looking to the past for answers to current problems.

The discussion that had the most value for me was Dr. Ciechanover's because we discussed many topics such as scientific integrity and the current peer review system. I really appreciated his candor through the entire session. One topic that surprised me was the group's discussion about how important free journals could be to the scientific community. This was particularly interesting because it is not always an easy decision to publish in a free journal because they do not necessarily hold the same status and impact that Science or Nature do, but without support they will never gain it.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the majority of the members of the American delegation and several of the international student delegations. Many of whom I will be keeping an eye out for at future scientific meetings. Where collaborations are concerned I meet several students with who I shared some research interests. In particular was a student from Denmark who told me about a new nanoscience research facility that has recently opened there, aimed at fundamental research. It got me to start thinking about the possibility of post doctoral study abroad instead of in the USA. Meeting scientists abroad gives you a whole new prospective on just how universal the language of discovery can be. We spent a whole week in a country that was not our own and the only common denominator being science and student life, yet we all found plenty to discuss and learn.

I would say that every interaction I had with laureates or international students was a positive one. I learned a lot from the laureates especially about what they as people valued, which was one of the primary reasons I wanted to attend the Lindau meeting. My interactions with students really showed me how similar institutions around the world are and just how much quality research is going on in other countries. It also really made me think about the possibilities available for studying abroad even at the graduate level and how much potential there is for international collaboration that remains untapped.

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The best thing about the orientation and travel was meeting the delegation and our sponsors. When we arrived in Lindau, we already knew each other and had a nice group of people to sit and discuss the meeting with. Traveling together after meeting in Washington was also very nice.

Learning from the Laureates about the different tracks their careers took was great. It is helpful to know they didn't always know what they were going to do. I have every confidence that when looking for postdoctoral employment, I can count on a few of the Laureates for advice and even help. This will certainly benefit my career immensely.

I have developed relationships with leading chemists who are at the same stage in their career as I am. This will help me as I am searching for jobs in the near future. Have connections at a variety of schools will really help me as I am trying to find a postdoctoral and faculty position. We already have plans for dinner at the next ACS meeting. I also had some nice discussions with two Nobel Laureates in my field, Prof. Rowland and Prof. Crutzen. They were both very nice to meet and hopefully will remember when I see them again in the future. Prof. Rowland is at my school, UCI, and having time with him at the meeting was actually quite unique because he is traveling and giving lectures most of the time. So, finally I was able to develop a friendship with him at the meeting and will continue this relationship at my home institution. In addition, met Roald Hoffmann, who’s work I have admired for a long time. We discussed getting funding from the NSF and the difficulties of a life in science.

I look at this as truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Meeting the students and Laureates has encouraged me to get back to work. I’m have a renewed interest in science and have confidence my career in science can be a success. Near the end of a doctoral program one always faces challenges and questions as to the direction of their career. This meeting came at a perfect time, when I needed some encouragement to finish my doctorate and continue my career in chemistry.

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I got the opportunity to ask the Laureates specific questions relative to my own research. I also heard about their own personal struggles before and after winning the Nobel Prize. Through the advice that was shared I have gained a better understanding, of what it takes both personally and professionally to attain a similar stature.

My research is currently associated with Prof Karle so we discussed some of the proofs behind the Kernel Energy Method and later we discussed some of the applications for the method. From Prof Glauber, there was a general overview of what he thought the theorists of the future would be focused on.

There were many impressive people present from all over the world. I met, talked with and exchanged contact information with students from China, Germany, Holland, Canada, Australia, France, Denmark and the US. I found the potential for new collaborative work with some of the Canadian students, as well as Professor Hoffman, and Professor Glauber.

I thought the atmosphere provided was far better than I had imagined. Lindau is the ideal place for such a gathering. It was almost impossible to walk around, without meeting someone to have a conversation about chemistry.

The students and the Laureates combined to give both the serious, and the social element of the trip a great balance. All the Laureates I encountered were embracing of me and my many questions. And so too were the other students as we discussed our research and exchanged ideas.

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The value I had originally placed on the meeting was with high regards. After getting to be a part of it, I hold it as the most important experience of my 30 years on this planet.

I learned many lessons from this meeting. For one, often the greatest discoveries are fortuitous. I also learned that the experiences of the laureates and true genius appear to follow a proverb that goes "Never change your path and you will end up exactly where you are heading". I believe this means, with respect to the Nobel prize, we must be innovative. Doing things the way they have been done in the past won't allow for the true discovery. My scientific career will be forever changed due to this experience. Not only has it given me a new spark of imagination, but has also made me believe that hard work and opportunity can pay off.

I took the most away from the lectures of Dr. Peter Agre, Dr. Aaron Ciechanover and Dr. John Walker. Both Agre and Ciechanover are medical doctors who have a passion for human health and their talks reflected that. The opening of Ciechanover's talk was my favorite by far, as he discussed the politics of human health and referenced a talk from the previous night’s dinner. I was really moved. Agre was, in my opinion, the most modest of the laureates and spoke about how his system is both necessary for life and can eventually lead to death. Dr. John Walker was my favorite to watch, to see the man who helped to define energy transduction through ATPase, wow, blown away. I discuss his work in the class I teach.

Dr. Agre's discussion was the most enlightening. He had us gather around him and we talked like we were old friends. He greeted us on a first name basis and wanted no less from us. It truly was one-on-one. He talked about his family, politics, and science. Dr. Curl also had a great discussion session. He talked about his work with fullerenes or C60 buckyballs. It was great to hear him talk more about luck than true scientific planning. He was modest but had great knowledge in chemistry and synthesis. These two discussions made me realize that no two paths are the same, some routes are harder than others but not giving up is what defines who we are.

I gained many new friends from this meeting that I will certainly maintain for a long time. Several Americans from our delegation, Australians, and Germans are among my new contacts. This Meeting couldn't have come along at a better time, it allowed me to refocus on my own research and find new passion for science. It really was a priceless venture.

The international students are possibly the most amazing part of this conference. Everyone converges to speak the common language of science. The lunches and dinners with the students are where the true importance of this conference come into play. The Laureates always are willing to talk and discuss anything under the sun, but I found that they would rather not discuss science. They really seem to focus on getting to know us as people and future scientists. I cannot state how wonderful this experience was for me.

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I don't think any interaction with the Nobel Laureates will benefit the 'raw science' behind my career per se, but some have certainly changed my outlook and view of science as an institution. I feel as though I was enlightened to a certain social dynamic within the scientific community that I had previously been ignorant to and that I see as a benefit. Additionally, hearing the Laureates views on globally important topics (especially in the Global Warming/Climate Change roundtable) was both encouraging and energizing. Moreover, such intimate interactions with fellow young scientists--international students in particular--was an excellent experience that I doubt will be duplicated in my career. I foresee returning to my own research with a new sense of commitment, urgency, and excitement, and that I owe to this meeting.

Of all of the Nobel Lectures, those that had the most value were talks by Prof. Crutzen and Prof. Rowland for the simple reason that they touched heavily on the critical intersection between science and the immediate beneficial implications that are sometimes the result of novel research.

I attended the informal discussions with Prof's Michel, Hall, Hoffman, and Marcus. Of these, Hoffman and Marcus provided the most value for me. Hoffman provided keen insight into scientific ethics and abstract thinking. Marcus was a jovial participant with a lot of stories to tell. These discussions were particularly useful for the insight that cannot be gained publicly (e.g. personal story-telling, opinions regarding the state/direction of their particular fields).

I definitely gained new friendships with both American and international students, some which may last throughout my career. A few potential opportunities for new collaborations were also formed with both groups.

In addition to the small-group discussions with the Laureates, the best experiences I will remember will be from the lunch and dinner meetings sponsored by the American delegation. The intimate setting for these meals sparked very informal and meaningful discussions between students and Laureates.

Overall, it was an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will always remember. The highlights for me include the valuable insight gained from the enthusiastic Laureates, meeting several international students in an international setting, the befriending a large portion of the American delegation (including program managers, hosts, students, etc). I am extremely pleased and honored to have been selected to attend the meeting.

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Having the opportunity to interact with the Nobel Laureates has given me a renewed sense of motivation and inspiration. Their devotion to science as well as their call to the younger generations to stay focused yet curious, and to always follow our dreams has assisted me in my career path decision. I will always remember this experience and apply the advice that I have received from the Nobel Laureates in my scientific career.

I truly believe that there were a few key lectures that had a very strong impact on my views of science as well as my future career; however they were all important in different ways. If I had to select one that had the greatest impact I think it would be Prof. Peter Agre. His talk contained similarities to my own personal research and was an inspiration to me on so many levels. One thing that really impressed me about his talk was when he posted a picture of his family after receiving the Nobel Chemistry Prize. He commented that there were two prizes in that picture, a small one and a large one - the small being his Nobel prize and the large one being his family. That comment truly meant a lot to me.

Prof. Richard Ernst's was the most important group discussion for me the entire week. I believe my intense admiration for this talk was due to the fact that he gave a lot of personal advice during this session. It wasn't just about his chemistry and how he won his Nobel Prize. He gave useful advice that I can personally apply to my life and scientific career. He also gave personal stories that made me realize that some of the emotions and frustrations that I deal with on a daily basis are completely normal. I have two pages of quotes written down from this discussion and have already shared them with many people! I was also able to ask my first question at this session as well.

On the subject of science I was able to meet many new colleagues with whom I was able to share my research with as well as learn more about theirs. There were two people in particular that I may be able to collaborate with in the future and possibly even work for since they were post-doctoral students. In addition I was able to gain more confidence in talking about my research with so many different people. I also made time to speak with the individual federal sponsors that went on the trip with us and learned more about what their individual jobs entail.

Having the opportunity to interact with the students, Nobel Laureates and distinguished guests in a relaxed atmosphere added further enjoyment to the conference. Sitting and listening to the Laureates speak is an awesome experience, however it doesn’t quite equal the opportunity to talk to them one-on-one at lunches and dinners. This was where I got to ask most of my questions and in turn received invaluable advice.

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I learned a lot about the importance of creativity and persistence in science.

My favorite lecture was the one by Ted Hansch on the possibility of totally new time standards. My favorite small discussion session was by Erwin Neher on the study of neurons in simple invertebrates.

I learned a lot about science and the path of discovery. Also I met lots of peers who are pursuing the same career goals as I am.

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My experience with the Nobel Laureates further reinforces the notion that there isn't any one path to scientific greatness. The Laureates all arrived via many different ways through highly varied personal experiences. You simply cannot emulate any single one Laureate and expect greatness.

This meeting definitely stressed the importance of interaction among scientists from varying fields of study and fostered the premise of international cooperation among researchers. The future advancement of science depends on the ability of these researchers to work and communicate at the interface of many disciplines.

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01/05/2007