When I graduated in 1988 from the University of Michigan with a bachelor in physics, I would never have imagined where this degree would take me. I went to Harvard for a PhD in physics and then moved to Europe. I lived in both Austria and Germany, learned German, and did basic research at two universities up to the assistant professor level. Then I transitioned to industry where I gained extensive experience in technical product development, in management as the Managing Director (Geschäftsführerin) of two high tech companies as well as in sales as a Key Account Manager. Today, I design surgical microscopes for ophthalmology. My career is also strongly influenced by the work I do as the president of a non-profit association dedicated to founding an Albert Einstein museum in Ulm, Germany – his birthplace (see https://einstein.center).

Throughout my career, my motto has been: LEARNING BY DOING and it has served me well since I left Ann Arbor. In this seminar, I will share some insights for transitioning from academia to industry and why I found a career in industry and in a non-profit so multifaceted. I will also share my passion for the Einstein museum with anyone attending the seminar.