Dr. Joann Halpern is the director of the German Center for Research and Innovation in New York City. Her primary responsibilities include program development, strategic planning, and strategic outreach. Prior to joining GCRI, Joann was the director of academic affairs and senior studies and professor of international education at Global College of Long Island University, where she spearheaded the campus internationalization process, taught undergraduates, and revised the Global College curriculum.
From 1996-2001 Joann was the director of international programs at Harz University of Applied Sciences in Wernigerode, Germany where she taught undergraduates, created university exchange programs for students and professors, and developed dual degree programs in business administration and tourism management. She also co-founded Knowledge Transfer Beyond Boundaries, an NGO with projects in Cameroon, Nigeria, Yemen, and Antigua.
Joann received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, her M.A. from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from New York University. She has taught courses in global studies, intercultural communication, business English, ESL, German, and English at universities in the United States (Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Long Island University) and in Germany (University of Magdeburg and Harz University). She is a recipient of the Harvard University Award for Distinction in Teaching as well as scholarships and fellowships from the Fulbright Commission, German Academic Exchange Service, Robert Bosch Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Andrea Deierlein is the communications officer at the German Center for Research and Innovation. Her responsibilities include editorial work for E-NNOVATION GERMANY, the GCRI's monthly newsletter, and managing the GCRI's web presence. Andrea brings vast public relations and protocol experience in working with the German community. Prior to joining the GCRI, she was on staff at the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in New York, where she maintained the website www.GermanyinNYC.org, wrote and edited articles for the Consulate’s web presence as well as revised speech drafts for the Consul General. She also helped organize German politicians’ and officials’ visits to New York and events hosted at the Consulate.
Prior to moving to New York in 2003, Andrea lived in Munich, Germany, where she wrote articles, lifestyle ads and brochures, promotions and advertorial company profiles for the Munich daily newspaper “Die Abendzeitung” and Swiss promotion publications, such as “BeautyLife.”
Andrea studied political science, American cultural studies, and intercultural communication at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. In New York, she regularly participates in writing and social media workshops at The New School and Mediabistro.

Jennifer Audet is the program assistant at the German Center for Research and Innovation. Her responsibilities include event logistics, database management and general office administration. Prior to joining the GCRI, she was a project coordinator at TransPerfect, a global translation and business services company headquartered in New York City. At TransPerfect, Jennifer worked in production in the Medical Technology and Finance Department, and was a member of the winning team in the company’s 2012 Innovation Competition. Before her move to New York, she served as a promotions intern in social media publicity for the national public affairs television program, PBS FRONTLINE, produced by WGBH, Boston.
Jennifer graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree in English, and a minor in communications and media studies. Her international experience includes a semester abroad at the Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, and a summer home-stay in Talloires, France. She was also a National Prizewinner of a month-long study-trip to Nuremberg, Germany, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), in cooperation with the German governmental agency, the Pedagogical Exchange Service (Pädagogischer Austauschdienst, or PAD).

Christina Hess is the media and operations intern at the German Center for Research and Innovation. Her duties include maintaining the GCRI’s Twitter and online profiles, providing assistance with GCRI events as well as researching topics for the monthly newsletter E-NNOVATION GERMANY. Before joining the GCRI, Christina worked for the multimedia magazine Fair Observer, where she co-developed a social media marketing strategy and gained expertise in all aspects of event preparation and implementation, press work, as well as office administration. In addition to her responsibilities at GCRI, Christina also works as freelance political researcher for the UK university collaboration Pinpoint Politics, for which she writes political analyses that are meant to fill the gap between newspaper articles and scientific analyses. Christina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication Studies from the University of Vienna, in which she concentrated on print journalism. To further deepen her knowledge and build upon her minors, international politics and human rights, Christina earned a Master’s degree in International Relations at King’s College London, with a science and security studies focus, in November 2012.