Sustaining Lifelong Global Connections for Knowledge

American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a transatlantic bridge builder and home of the US Humboldt alumni network. We promote networking, exchange, and collaboration among researchers and professionals in many disciplines and fields and leverage their expertise to address today's most critical issues.
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Illustrative map of the USA highlighting key academic institutions and research centers.

About

American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (American Friends of AvH) was established in 1999 as the US nonprofit professional partner of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), and the over 6,000 members of the US Humboldt alumni network. We are part of a worldwide network of 30,000 alumni of AvH programs, including 61 Nobel Laureates and two former US secretaries of energy.

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We execute our mission through shared programs in recruitment and alumni stewardship, and through programs paired with those of the AvH, and other services, publications, and fundraising.

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Celebrate with us

American Friends of AvH is turning 25 on October 4th. Celebrate this milestone with us!

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25

YEARS

Latest commentary

Headshot of Betsy Baker, taken in April 2024, showcasing her academic contributions.

CommentaryApril 18, 2024

Humboldtians and the Changing Arctic

Portrait of AFAvH President Christian Haenel.

CommentaryDecember 01, 2023

The Time for Science Diplomacy Is Now. This Is the Time for Humboldtians.

Portrait of Sandra Rebok, a professional partner of American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

CommentaryOctober 30, 2023

Alexander von Humboldt as an Early Advocate of Science Diplomacy

Image of Gale Mattox, emphasizing political and academic significance.

CommentaryMay 24, 2023

Chancellor Scholz Embarks on a Zeitenwende: Germany Breaks with the Past

Portrait of board member Catherine Epstein.

CommentaryMarch 27, 2023

Undergraduate Research: Preparing Future Leaders

Image of AFAvH board member Louise Davidson-Schmich.

CommentaryJune 10, 2021

Emerging from COVID … the Impact on Networks

Humboldt Stories

I spent my time as a Humboldt and Calder Fellow collecting and collating the second-century “Acts of Thekla” in the Syriac language. During my time in Germany, I collected thirteen manuscripts—nine of which had never been edited—and compared and translated them for a critical edition and study of the Syriac version of the Acts of Thekla. I have since submitted a complete draft of my upcoming book, Thekla in Syriac: The Acts of Thekla and Its Reception in the Syriac Traditions, which will appear in the “Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum” series at Mohr Siebeck (Tübingen). The funding I received via the William M. Calder III Memorial Fellowship in Classical Studies allowed me to purchase images of manuscripts from the “Scriptorium Syriacum” repository under the protection and preservation…

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Dr. Jacob A. Lollar 

William M. Calder III Memorial Fellowship in Classical Studies (2022-2024) 
Universität Regensburg 

In honor of July’s International Day of Friendship, German Chancellor Fellow Rocío Guenther discusses the many international friendships she has forged through her Humboldt experience: “My journey as a German Chancellor Fellow has been transformative. The opportunity to live and work in Germany for a year, immersed in its rich culture and dynamic academic environment, has been a cornerstone of my professional and personal growth. One of the most rewarding aspects of my time in Germany has been the friendships and collaborations with colleagues from around the world. I can now proudly say that I have a professional network in countries like Brazil, South Africa, India, and China—in addition to Germany. These relationships have not only enriched my understanding of global issues, but they have also provided a support network…

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Rocío Guenther

BUKA (2023-2024) Schader Foundation in Darmstadt, Germany

Image of Dr. Kirsten Traynor, Humboldtian, presenting on her research.

I spent my time as a German Chancellor Fellow investigating the differences between European and American beekeeping. I didn't want my bee journey to end after my fellowship, so I applied to graduate school at Arizona State University. I convinced Robert Page to take a chance on an unusual graduate student (an English major) with a fascination for bees. He allowed me into the graduate research program in biology on the condition that I pass the GRE Biology subject test within the first year. I succeeded and earned my master’s and PhD, focusing my research on how young honey bees use pheromone signals to manipulate their caregivers. After a postdoc at the University of Maryland, I returned to Germany as a Junior Fellow of the College of Life Sciences at…

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Dr. Kirsten Traynor

BUKA (2006–2007) LAVES Institute for Bee Research in Celle, Germany

Professional Profile of Karina Pallagst.

My Feodor Lynen Fellowship at UC Berkeley offered me the chance to conduct research at a world-class university. As an urban and regional planner, I was able to gain profound insight into a highly fascinating metropolitan area. My postdoctoral research dealt with growth management in the San Francisco Bay Area. I met fascinating people at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Urban and Regional Development, including US experts and visiting scholars from all over the world. This fellowship was highly supportive for my career, as it opened up the pathway for a professorship in Germany at the University of Kaiserslautern. I am still highly grateful for being part of the Humboldt network, and I always seek to support young scholars in building their careers.

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Professor Karina Pallagst

Feodor Lynen Fellow (2001-2003) University of California, Berkeley

Portrait of Nader Vossoughian, highlighting his academic contributions

My Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship brought me to the faculties of Gestaltung and architecture at the Bauhaus University in Weimar (2014-2015, 2021), as well as to the faculty of architecture at the University of Kassel (2016). It is hard to put into words how meaningful these experiences were for me. On a professional level, the experience allowed me to gain knowledge about the history of modern architecture in Germany that most scholars in field only dream of. I visited key buildings and explored the major archives. I was able to publish numerous essays and am working on many more. I benefitted from the support of the Humboldt Foundation’s wonderful staff and am proud to say that I became fully fluent in German. On a personal level, I was able…

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Professor Nader Vossoughian

Humboldt Research Fellowship (2014-15)
New York Institute of Technology

Photo of Carles Corbella Roca and Klaus Bewilogua, emphasizing research collaboration

My Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films was a life-changing experience. I was very lucky to have had Dr. Klaus Bewilogua as a mentor. He instilled in me skills such as decision making and scientific intuition—skills that have helped me in every aspect of my career. Dr. Bewilogua was not only an excellent guide as I took my first professional steps, but he has continued to advise and support me to this day. After I completed my research training in Spain and Germany, I moved to the United States and am in the process of launching a new line of research on the study of interactions between plasma discharges and materials for applications in functional coatings, microelectronics, and biomedicine. I…

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Carles Corbella

Humboldt Research Fellow (2006-2008)
The George Washington University, Washington, DC

Portrait of Ed Grew, emphasizing his academic achievements and contributions.

My Humboldtian mentor was highly recognized. Working with him was more valuable than getting another PhD. I collaborated with him through the end of his life and now work with his other former students in Germany. I learned that there was no reason to confine my thinking.

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Dr. Edward S. Grew

Humboldt Research Fellowship (1983-1985)
The University of Maine

Portrait of Hannah Shafaat, highlighting her academic contributions.

My postdoc in Germany was critical for launching my independent career. I had the opportunity to use world class instrumentation to look at important problems in energy conversion. I was introduced to a completely different set of researchers, complementing my training in the United States, and those networks persist in my career today.

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Dr. Hannah Shafaat

Humboldt Research Fellowship (2011)
The Ohio State University

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Your donations build on the support that AFAvH receives from the AvH to create and grow programs and services for US alumni so that we may extend the Humboldt experience and network in the United States.

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