Staff + Contacts
IMPORTANT CONTACTS
The Illinois in Vienna Programs (IiVP) are sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and supervised on-site by the IiVP director Dr. Alexandra Pfefferle. In addition to teaching the program's core courses, the director and experienced IiVP staff organize the various program activities, provide liaison to Austrian institutions, and in general assist students during their sojourn abroad.
Contacts in Vienna
You should not leave Vienna without… also having a sense of Austria’s charming smaller cities (Klosterneuburg, Krems, Graz) and beautiful countryside areas with their breath-taking mountains (Rax, Schafberg, Großglockner) and crystal-clear lakes (Wolfgangsee, Wörthersee).
A study abroad memory I would like to share: During my study abroad semester in Moscow, I got the unexpected opportunity to organize a seminar for German teachers in Ulan-Ude, Siberia. When I was standing in -28 degrees Celsius in bright sunshine under the endless blue Siberian sky and looked at the spectacularly frozen Lake Baikal, I felt like I was in a fairytale. It got even better when we found local ice fishers who shared their snacks with us and told us about their life in Siberia. That was one of the most transformative moments for me. It made me realize something about the wideness and vastness of earth and the endless opportunities we all have.
Three things that make me smile: my daughters, bright minds & diving into crystal clear Danube water
Three things that make me frown: nagging, rudeness, bad food
Fun fact: Ich mag es im Wald Heidelbeeren zu pflücken und kann mit einer Hand klatschen.
Dr. Stefanie Populorum, MSc MIM
You should not leave Vienna without… having had a Punschkrapferl. Why this square-shaped pink pastry plays a role in Austrian politics, we will explore in our seminar Austria and Europe.
A study abroad memory I would like to share: What might have impressed me most looking back at my times abroad was how people can stick together when they want to. For example, I will never forget the taxi driver who drove me and a friend around New Jersey for over an hour to find a dental clinic that would accept my insurance when I was in pain. When it was clear I would have to go to the ER after all no matter what the deductibles might be, he asked for 10 Dollars only and he wouldn't accept a cent more. It is a wonderful feeling if you can rely on your health and welfare system but it gives you a feeling like no other when you know people will take care of each other even when they are strangers.
Three things that make me smile: Tea, walking in Vienna by night, The Peanuts (and peanut butter for that matter)
Three things that make me frown: Trusting statements without fact-checking, know-it-all, narrow-mindedness
Fun fact: Ich teile meinen fun fact mit Nina.
You should not leave Vienna without… taking a walk in the Lainzer Tiergarten with a new (Austrian) friend.
A study abroad memory I would like to share: At the end of my study abroad year in the US, my friends and I were invited to an American friend’s house near Boston. In the warm East Coast May, we had food on the back porch and enjoyed each other’s company before we would have to split up and return to all corners of the world very soon. We were dancing and laughing, some of us performed a choreography, others sang, and another friend read a poem they had written. In this moment, I knew these amazing people would be in my life forever. I felt happy and sad at the same time, truly belonging and being seen, having arrived while simultaneously having to say goodbye, but only for now. Because we still meet up regularly after more than 10 years!
Three things that make me smile: dessert, meaningful conversations, and the first warm rays of sunshine in spring
Three things that make me frown: typos, narrow-mindedness, and disregard for the environment & sustainability
Fun fact: Ich trinke nie Kaffee.
You should not leave Vienna without… watching “The Third Man” at the Burg Kino Vienna.
A study abroad memory I would like to share: When I explored the iconic houses of Pablo Neruda in Chile with my dear Mexican friend Carmen in Chile in 2007, I was so impressed by how he translated his life and poetry so beautifully into the architecture of his unique houses.
Three things that make me smile: my daughter's voice, the smell of lilies, and the Marillenknödel made by my mother.
Three things that make me frown: loud places, know-it-all attitude, catching another cold this winter
Fun fact: Ich kann gleichzeitig Einrad fahren und jonglieren.
You should not leave Vienna without… having tried a "Käsekrainer" (or how the Viennese say, "Eitrige") at one of the numerous sausage stands in the city!
A study abroad memory I would like to share: When I was studying abroad in Luxembourg, my roommates and I wanted to do a little Halloween party at our apartment. There came about 3x more people than we expected and what they didn‘t know was that the water stopped working at our apartment that day. But nobody even seemed to notice! Cleaning up the sticky floor the next morning without running water was fun though…
Three things that make me smile: horses, Christmas time & pickup trucks
Three things that make me frown: dishonesty, disloyalty & when people make other people feel bad
Fun fact: Ich esse und trinke sehr langsam, deswegen wird mein Essen oft schon kalt, bevor ich damit fertig bin!
Contacts in Illinois:
General Questions
LAS International Programs2002 Lincoln Hall Advising Hours: M-F 1-5pmEmail: las-studyabroad@illinois.edu
German Language Program
Robert Jenkinsjenkinrj@illinois.eduDePaul Students:
Emma Devens: EDEVENS@depaul.eduDiplomatic Program (VDP)
Professor Bob Pahre: pahre@illinois.eduEcon in Vienna
Chelsea Swick: csswick@illinois.eduMCB in Vienna
Melissa Michael: mmichae@illinois.eduACES in Vienna
Ali Freter: freter1@illinois.eduBusiness in Vienna
Nicole Lamers: lamers@illinois.eduEngineering in Vienna
Meredith Blumthal: mblumtha@illinois.eduEmergency Contacts
Emergency Contact Number (217-333-1216) is a 24/7 response line for student, faculty, and staff members abroad. The number first directs callers to the University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD), who then forwards the call to the Office of International Safety and Security.
In Europe the emergency number (911 equivalent) is 112
