Junior Fellows

Aljoša Škorjanc

Aljoša Škorjanc is a sixth-year medical student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, with a strong interest in neurosurgery. As an ASEF Junior Fellow, he was selected for a research visit with Prof. Richard Aplenc at the University of Pennsylvania. He aims to deepen his understanding of CAR-T therapies, contribute to ongoing research, and learn from the research culture in the United States, with the goal of later applying these insights to immunotherapeutic strategies for primary brain tumors, particularly glioblastoma. His work spans basic and clinical research. He served as the lead developer of GOReverseLookup, a bioinformatics tool for phenotype-to-gene discovery published in Computers in Biology and Medicine, which earned the Dr. Uroš Seljak Commendation and the University of Ljubljana Prešeren Award.

In clinical research at the Department of Neurosurgery at UMC Ljubljana, he leads comparative outcomes research in spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas and is engaged in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage research focused on delayed cerebral infarction, for which he developed a novel points-based risk score to enhance early prediction. His findings were presented at two of the world’s leading neurosurgical congresses, namely the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies Congress 2025 in Vienna and the 19th World Congress of Neurosurgery – World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies 2025 in Dubai.

Outside his studies, he is committed to surgical education through the Surgical Suturing Project at the Faculty of Medicine, where he has held leadership roles and organized hands-on workshops and international congresses for over 900 Slovenian and international medical students. He developed multilayer silicone suture pads that improve suturing fidelity and needle handling realism, which are now integrated into the suturing workshops. A long-standing background in competitive sports continues through recreational gym training, volleyball, and alpine skiing, while programming remains a long-term personal interest.

Eva Ivić

Eva Ivić is a final-year student in the Uniform Master's Programme in Pharmacy at the University of Ljubljana. She enriched her academic journey at the University of Milan, where she deepened her knowledge primarily in the fields of clinical pharmacy and Pharmacogenomics. Science communication holds a central place in her work. For the past two years, as the Project Lead of the Serotonin podcast within the Slovenian Pharmaceutical Students’ Association, she has been creating a space for important health discussions. Through dialogue with scientists and experts, she addresses current topics ranging from the historical development of contraception and reproductive rights to demystifying Ozempic and modern approaches to treating chronic non-communicable diseases.

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, she will join the research group of Prof. Dr. Josip Car at King’s College London. Under the mentorship of a leading expert in digital health, she will explore the intersection of pharmacy, artificial intelligence, and ethics. Her goal is to integrate her background in pharmacy with insights into the digital transformation of healthcare systems and bring this knowledge back to Slovenia to contribute to the development of more efficient and accessible healthcare.

Gal Zmazek

Gal is a Master's student of Computer Science and Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, and a graduate of Mathematics. His research interests include mathematical foundations of machine learning and graph neural networks. He is currently a Data Science Researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute and has gained diverse experience through research visit at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, internships at various tech companies, and collaborative interdisciplinary projects.

As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship, he will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University, where he looks forward to immersing himself in Stanford's unique research environment and tackling new challenges in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Helena Godina

Helena Godina is a fifth-year medical student at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Medicine who has cultivated a diverse international profile by studying medicine in four languages: Slovenian, German, Croatian, and English.

Her academic journey includes Erasmus+ exchanges in Freiburg and Split, alongside clinical observerships at Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid and Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto. Currently an active researcher at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana focusing on breast cancer, she has also completed a research exchange in Torreón, Mexico. As an ASEF Junior Fellow, Helena will further advance her expertise in ophthalmology and research methodology under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. David Križaj at the University of Utah.

Ivana Vukšinić

Ivana Vukšinić is a Master’s student of biochemistry at ETH Zürich, Switzerland. Her research interests span cell biology, immunology, and the molecular mechanisms underlying disease, with a long-term goal of developing novel therapeutic strategies. She completed her undergraduate studies in biochemistry at the University of Ljubljana and conducted her Bachelor’s thesis at the Jožef Stefan Institute, investigating aberrant protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders. Over the course of her Master’s studies, she joined multiple research groups at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zürich, where she explored potential host factors involved in Influenza A virus infection and contributed to the development of enzyme-based, next-generation permeation enhancers designed to improve the oral bioavailability of peptide therapeutics. Alongside her academic work, she gained valuable industry experience in the pharmaceutical sector, working on the development and genetic characterization of cell lines used in biologics production.

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, she will visit Prof. Jernej Ule’s research group at King’s College London to expand her expertise in protein homeostasis and RNA regulatory networks in the context of neurodegeneration. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and engaging in sports, including cycling, swimming, and badminton.

Jakob Bratkovič

Jakob Bratkovič is a Research Associate at the Jožef Stefan Institute, specializing in Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A). His research focuses on the experimental aspects of OCT-A imaging, contributing to interdisciplinary projects within the field of biomedical optics.

He is currently a second-year M.Sc. student of Medical Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics from the same faculty, where he built a solid foundation in theoretical and applied physics. His undergraduate thesis explored the Fokker–Planck equation, reflecting his interest in the intersection of physics, medical imaging, and quantitative analysis.

Beyond his research, Jakob is an accomplished competitive chess player who has represented Slovenia at numerous international youth Olympiads and World Youth Chess Championships, earning several national youth titles and a third-place finish at the European School Chess Championship. Outside of his academic and strategic pursuits, he maintains an active lifestyle by playing football for a local team, enjoying regular beach volleyball sessions, and occasionally heading to the mountains for hiking.

Jakob Fir

Jakob Fir is a first-year Master’s student of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Ljubljana, where he also completed his Bachelor’s degree. His Bachelor’s thesis focused on deep learning based reconstruction of sea-surface height fields for oceanographic prediction. His academic interests lie primarily in deep learning and data-driven modeling.

Alongside his studies, Jakob has gained industry experience working on speech transcription technologies and decentralized systems, focusing on applied machine learning and system-level challenges. He has also participated in international cybersecurity competitions and hackathons across multiple continents, where he won multiple prizes.

In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor sports, including mountain biking, boulder climbing, and skiing. As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship, he will visit Professor Dawn Song at UC Berkeley, where he will conduct research in artificial intelligence security.

Lana Prijon

Lana is a first-year master’s student of mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. She has long enjoyed immersing herself in mathematical problem-solving, and during her high school years she participated in numerous international mathematics competitions. She gained her first research experience at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where she worked on projects in the field of machine learning. She is now continuing her academic path as an ASEF Junior Fellow and will undertake her research visit under the mentorship of Prof. Mateja Šajna at the University of Ottawa, where she will focus on the study of fuzzy cognitive maps.

Lana enjoys spending her free time in nature. You can often find her climbing or taking leisurely walks through the forest, where she is especially drawn to the beauty of mosses and lichens. She also enjoys spending time with friends, reading a good book, or working on creative projects with yarn.

Maja Kalin

Maja Kalin is an undergraduate law student at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, and a recipient of the University of Ljubljana Award for achievements in extracurricular activities. Her experience includes a traineeship at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, an internship at a large law firm, and a study visit in the cabinet of Judge Jan Passer at the Court of Justice of the European Union, alongside her participation in research groups and expert bodies in the fields of law and higher education. In moot court competitions, she has achieved notable success, including third place and the Best Oralist Award at the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition 2024, as well as first place and the Best Oralist Award at the Central and Eastern European Moot Court Competition 2025. She is the author of two articles published in Javna uprava and Pravna praksa, and has long been actively involved in student representation as President of the Student Council of the Faculty of Law, a member of the Faculty Senate, and a delegate to the European Students’ Union.

Her research interests include European human rights law and European Union law, in particular the rule of law, fundamental rights, EU constitutional and procedural law, EU competition law, and state aid law. Her work is characterised by volunteering, mentoring students, and actively connecting law with broader societal issues.

Within the ASEF Junior Fellowship programme, and under the mentorship of Professor Verica Trstenjak, she will conduct research at the Luxembourg Centre for European Law of the University of Luxembourg on current developments in EU law. Her research seeks to combine the identification of practical legal problems with institutional practice and social responsibility.

Maks Koncilja

Maks Koncilja is a Master’s student at the University of Ljubljana, concurrently enrolled in Master’s programmes in Physics and Financial Mathematics. His research interests include condensed matter physics, stochastic processes, and machine learning. During his studies, he gained experience as a teaching assistant in the course Computer Laboratory and through research work at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where he contributed to a European Space Agency–funded project focused on anomaly detection using machine learning. He completed summer research visits at the theoretical physics departments of CY Paris University, where he was introduced to statistical physics and Monte Carlo methods, and at the Technical University of Dresden, where he worked on problems in dynamical systems.

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, he will collaborate with the research group of Prof. Uroš Seljak at the University of California, Berkeley, conducting research on stochastic processes and establishing research collaboration with the cosmology laboratory. In his free time, he enjoys theatre and sports.

Mark David Longar

Mark David Longar is an MSc Machine Learning student at University College London and a machine learning researcher focused on AI reasoning and generalisation through graph-based methods. He completed his BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Ljubljana, where his undergraduate thesis was supervised by Assoc. Prof. dr. Lovro Šubelj and focused on graph-based deep learning and information propagation in relational graphs. He has worked as a Research Engineer at OECD.AI, leading the AI Incidents Monitor and building RAG-based tools for AI policy analysis. At the Jožef Stefan Institute, he has researched multi-hop reasoning with LLMs and consistent text-derived world models.

Matej Jelenc

Matej is a third-year undergraduate student of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana. His interest in computer science began during high school through the International Baccalaureate Programme and early experience in video game development, which later evolved into a focus on artificial intelligence. His academic interests lie at the intersection of multimodal learning, bioinformatics, and explainable artificial intelligence, with a focus on building reliable and interpretable systems for healthcare applications.

He is conducting research at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where he works on integrating diverse biomedical data sources, such as medical images and clinical information, to support disease prognosis and outcome prediction. He has coauthored conference papers in medical machine learning and is a recipient of the Golden Minx Award in the RIS Competition on Developing New Analytical Methods in Medicine. As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship, he will visit Professor Mateja Jamnik at the University of Cambridge, where he aims to deepen his knowledge in multimodal and explainable AI and explore principled approaches to building trustworthy machine learning systems.

Matija Kiker

Matija is a fifth-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. His primary interests lie in vascular and cardiovascular surgery, which is why he will participate in the ASEF Junior Fellowship program as a visiting student under the mentorship of Prof. Luka Počivavšek at the University of Chicago. In addition to his studies, he is actively involved in research and has been involved in several research projects, including the project Functional Characterization of Genetic Variants of Uncertain Clinical Significance (2025). He is also a recipient of the Prešeren Recognition of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana (2024). He acquires practical experience at the Surgical Sanatorium Rožna Dolina, and has also worked at MESI in the field of clinical research (2024–2026). Since 2025, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Medicinski razgledi. In his free time, he is engaged in aviation and running.

Oliver Majer

Oliver Majer is finishing his undergraduate studies in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana and works as junior Artificial Intelligence researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia. His primary research interests lie in computational biology and graph neural networks. He has gained research experience at the Jožef Stefan Institute, National Institute of Chemistry, and as a software engineer in industry roles.

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, he will visit Prof. Julija Zavadlav at the Technical University of Munich, where he is eager to contribute to research on multiscale modeling of fluid materials. In his free time, Oliver enjoys trail running (including ultramarathons), reading classical literature, and engaging in long philosophical discussions about life.

Sebastian Korenič Tratnik

Sebastian Korenič Tratnik (1993, Novo mesto) is a computer scientist with an interdisciplinary background in philosophy, art history, audio-visual media and information technologies. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Art History from the Faculty of Arts and a parallel Master’s degree in Film Directing from the Academy of Theater, Radio, Film and Television and in New Media from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, all at the College of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

He is currently a PhD student at the International Postgraduate School Institute Jožef Stefan in the Information Technologies module, where he works in the field of artificial intelligence and images. He has been awarded professional prizes for his achievements in this field, both for theoretical and practical contributions.

Tom Kitak

Tom Kitak is pursuing a Master’s degree in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and works as a research assistant in the Statistical Bioinformatics Group at the University of Zurich. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, where he completed his bachelor’s thesis in collaboration with Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, focusing on machine learning methods for the analysis of biological data. Prior to focusing on computational biology research, he worked as a cyber risk intelligence developer at a cybersecurity company in The Hague, and later as a member of the portfolio analytics team at a private bank in Zurich.

His primary research interest is the development of artificial intelligence methods to advance the understanding of biological systems. As an ASEF Junior Fellow, he will conduct research in the laboratory of Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University.

Urban Železnik

Urban Železnik is a PhD candidate in Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. He is currently in the third year of his doctoral studies, where his research is situated at the interface of theoretical physics and biology. His work focuses on the mechanics of cell aggregates, with particular emphasis on tumor spheroids as physical models of cancer, within the broader field of theoretical biophysics. He obtained his Master’s degree in Physics from the University of Ljubljana in 2023, specializing in theoretical biophysics, following a Bachelor’s degree in Physics completed at the same institution in 2021. His master’s thesis addressed nonlocal models of epithelial tissue structure, reflecting his long-standing interest in the physical principles governing biological systems.

Since 2023, Železnik has been employed as a young researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where he conducts research on the mechanics and structure of growing cell aggregates. In parallel, he has been working since 2024 as a teaching assistant at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, teaching physics to students in the Food and Nutrition Sciences program. He will conduct a research visit with Prof. Dr. Andrej Košmrlj at Princeton University, where they will develop and implement a hybrid computational framework that couples vertex-based models of tissues with finite-element descriptions of the surrounding substrate.

Urša Zevnik

Urša Zevnik is currently pursuing an MSc in Molecular Life Science at Karolinska Institute, KTH, and Stockholm University. Her current research focuses on improving machine-learning–based models for protein sequence design. Her long-term vision is to leverage machine learning to advance medical research, a direction she will pursue further during her DPhil in Medical Sciences at the University of Oxford. Before that, as part of the ASEF Junior Fellows program, she will visit Prof. Andrej Šali at the University of California, San Francisco, where she will further deepen her understanding of protein structure and interactions.

Žiga Koren

Žiga completed his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, during which he was inspired to learn more about handling complex, high-dimensional data. This led him to pursue a Master’s degree in Applied Statistics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, where he’s working on his master’s thesis. His main research interests include structural biology, protein design, and processing multiomics data. He earned practical experience working under dr. San Hadži, where he researched the effects of protein tagging on liquid-liquid phase separation. He later joined the NMR department at the National Institute of Chemistry, where he continued his work on phase separation, focusing on establishing RNA condensate systems.

As an ASEF Research Abroad Junior Fellow, he will expand on his research with prof. Boštjan Kobe from The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he plans to combine his practical experience in structural biology with his theoretical knowledge of predictive modelling. In his free time, he is a passionate member of the debate society at the University of Ljubljana, attending multiple international competitions per year. Besides debate, he is fond of playing piano, reading, practicing languages, traveling, and most of all, enjoying long walks with his dog.

Duška Stopar

Duška Stopar is currently pursuing her PhD in Slovenia, focusing on advanced concepts in dental medicine. She successfully completed her Master’s degree through the University of Siena in Italy. As an ASEF Junior Fellow, she is dedicated to contributing to a community that values integrity and international research collaboration. During her undergraduate years, she participated in an Erasmus exchange in Munich. This experience, alongside her participation in international conferences, solidified her view of research as a truly global society with immense potential for cross-border collaboration. She firmly believes that a strong research community should leverage the unique strengths of different global settings to foster innovation and growth.

Duška effectively combines clinical practice with pedagogical and volunteer roles: Alongside her doctoral studies, she serves as a teaching assistant, guiding undergraduate students through foundational clinical concepts and essential skills. In her volunteer role within the Department of Dental Diseases and Endodontics, she works closely with students across all three clinical years. This experience has been pivotal in developing her professional identity, teaching her the importance of humility, resilience, and empathy.

As part of her Junior Fellowship, Duška will be conducting her research visit under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Periodontics Janina Golob Deep at the Virginia Commonwealth University. She looks forward to collaborating with fellow researchers and mentors, aiming to bring high-level expertise back to the Slovenian academic space while strengthening the global ASEF network.

Gal Gantar

Gal Gantar is a third-year undergraduate student of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana. His academic interests lie at the intersection of machine learning and cryptography, with a strong focus on graph neural networks, blockchain security, and zero-knowledge proofs. He is conducting research on the security of low-level smart contracts, polynomial commitments, and predicting impactful events using graph-based models. In addition to his academic work, Gal has extensive industry experience, particularly in blockchain development and security. He has also won multiple first-place awards at global hackathons, including ETHGlobal Bangkok, ETHGlobal Istanbul, ETHGlobal London, and LambdaHack Brussels. He will be visiting Professor Dawn Song at UC Berkeley for a research internship, where he aims to deepen his expertise in AI security and decentralized technologies.

Hana Podjed

Hana Podjed holds a BA in Slovene Studies and Interlingual Studies at the University of Maribor and is currently completing her master’s degree at the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Ljubljana. From the beginning of her academic journey, she has been particularly drawn to literature, which inspired her to further study languages and explore broader cultural, social, and linguistic issues. Throughout her studies, she has expanded her knowledge through various exchanges and seminars abroad. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in exchange programs in Vienna and at Charles University in Prague. As a master’s student, she also attended numerous international language seminars, including in Ohrid, North Macedonia, and Belgrade, Serbia. At the beginning of the 2024/25 academic year, she took part in a research visit to Skopje, focusing on historical literary and interlingual connections. She also completed an internship at the Directorate-General for Translation of the European Commission in Luxembourg, which further deepened her interest in intercultural linguistic relations, European integration, and the historical factors shaping current language policies. She will conduct her research visit at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands under the mentorship of Professor Peter Verovšek.

Luka Jože Pušlar

Luka Jože Pušlar is a bachelor’s student of Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. He is currently taking a gap year to pursue multiple research projects at the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), focusing on the application of machine learning models in experimental particle physics and the use of computer vision and data analysis in ecotoxicological experiments.

As a student researcher at JSI, he works on mathematical modeling and interdisciplinary projects, combining his passion for problem-solving in physics with machine learning techniques. 

Beyond academics, Luka enjoys sports, including football, judo, and running, as well as reading. As part of the ASEF exchange program, he will conduct research at the University of Cincinnati under the mentorship of Prof. Jure Zupan, focusing on neural networks and their applications in particle physics.

Mark Žnidar

Mark is finishing his undergraduate studies in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana while concurrently studying Finance at the University of London (lead college: London School of Economics). During high school, he played basketball professionally in the top Slovenian league and international competitions but ultimately chose to pursue an academic path. Alongside his studies and research, he is also active in leadership roles, reflecting his commitment to developing skills that will enable him to translate academic research into impactful real-world solutions. He also enjoys competing in hackathons and has received the Inženirska iskra award, among many others.

He has gained research experience at the Jožef Stefan Institute, National Taiwan University, and as a Data Engineer and Data Scientist in industry roles. His primary research interests include large-scale recommender systems, geometric deep learning, and computational biology.

As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship, he will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. Mark is eager to contribute to research on graph neural networks (GNNs), particularly in drug discovery, while immersing himself in Stanford’s unique environment at the intersection of academia and industry.

Marko Fišer

My name is Marko Fišer and I am currently a second-year master's student in Geography and History at the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor. I completed my undergraduate studies at the same institution. Alongside my studies, I serve as a board member and treasurer of the Maribor Geography Students’ Association (DŠGM), and I occasionally assist younger students with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Throughout my academic journey, I have been passionate about geography and history, actively participating in various cultural events and competitions. At university, I developed a particular interest in GIS. In my free time, I really enjoy playing football, skiing, reading fantasy books, cooking, and spending time with friends.

For my master's thesis, I will focus on the issue of social segregation in the cities of Maribor (Slovenia) and Ames (USA) in relation to the increasing thermal burden on urban structures caused by climate change. By utilizing spatial analytics and climate data, we aim to develop future scenarios of thermal stress and assess the vulnerability of different social groups. In the final stage, the results will be used to create an educational game aimed at promoting sustainable spatial planning and raising awareness of climate change. A research visit abroad will greatly contribute to the development of my master's thesis, and I also look forward to broadening my horizons.

Martin Jazbec

I am a master’s student of Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. Through my academic journey, I have developed a strong passion for exploring versatile fields of science. In my bachelor’s thesis, I compared different types of hydrogels used for the growth and differentiation of stem cells. However, during my masters’ studies I developed a particular interest in material science. Last year, I enriched my academic path by doing Erasmus+ exchange program at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, where I was a part of the international research group conducting a study on photonic crystal materials. During current academic year, I am planning to continue my research activity at IST in order to obtain my master’s degree.

Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated about planes and spacecrafts, therefore, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to delve deeper into this field through the ASEF research visit at professor dr. Kaja Antlej. I look forward to be working on aerospace-related projects, meeting experts and gaining valuable insights into the academia and industry.

In my leisure time, sport has always played a significant role in my life. After finishing my professional ice hockey carrier I enjoy alpine skiing, cycling, running and windsurfing. Additionally, I love travelling, taking awesome pictures of nature, cooking and hanging out with my friends.

I am truly honored to be a part of ASEF junior fellowship program and super excited about the opportunities and experiences that lie ahead in this journey.

Maša Karčovnik

Maša is a first-year Master's student of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. She completed her bachelor's degree as a chemist and developed a passion for biochemistry. She is fascinated that our body is made up of 2 * 10^25 molecules, which must bind properly to function as a whole. She would like to understand the processes within us better. During her studies, she gained practical experience at the Jožef Stefan Institute in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology. She studied the impact of the point mutation Y283C in human cathepsin K. This mutation is one of those that lead to the disease pycnodysostosis. She also spent 10 weeks in Switzerland as a summer intern at NCCR Bio-Inspired Materials Science Foundation. She worked at the Adolphe Merkle Institute in the Biophysics group. She was part of a project that aimed to use transient amyloid binding to distinguish between various protein aggregates responsible for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, etc. This year she will do her research under the supervision of Prof. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland, Australia. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, their history, and culture. She also loves nature, hiking, climbing, and dancing.

Nikiša Plešec

Nikiša Plešec is a PhD student in Theoretical Particle Physics at the University of Ljubljana and a Young Researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute. She is interested in uncovering the fundamental laws of the universe, with a focus on flavor physics.  

During her Master’s studies, she worked on false vacuum decay, investigating scalar field phase transitions. She also worked on data analysis for the Belle II experiment as part of a student job. She is passionate about science outreach, having introduced physics concepts to the public at events such as the 10th-anniversary celebration of the Higgs boson discovery in Ljubljana. 

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, she will visit Prof. Jure Zupan at the University of Cincinnati to deepen her expertise in flavor physics, refine her skills in effective field theory, and connect with the research team there. 

Outside of physics, she enjoys crocheting, sewing, and training her dog, where she applies the same patience and creativity that she values in research.

Polona Zabret

Polona is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen. As part of her master’s thesis and through involvement in the UPCHAIN project, she is focusing on commercial charcoal value chain analysis in Northern Uganda; mapping of its stakeholders; positioning and recognition of notions of power, interest, and agency; while emphasizing the occurrence of social, environmental and economic sustainability in the Region, where she has just finished her fieldwork research.

As part of the ASEF Research Abroad fellowship program, she will be visiting Assoc. Prof. Matevž Rašković at Auckland University of Technology, where she will broaden her understanding of global value chains along with their regional and economic peculiarities. In doing so, she will pay special attention to identifying and studying the so-called “wicked problems” and various forms of labor exploitation, including modern slavery.

Polona enjoys spending her free time outdoors, participating in numerous sports, reading piles of books, and volunteering as an article writer and as a co-chair of the Sustainable Development Community at Društvo VTIS.

Teja Pelko

Teja Pelko is a PhD student in Biology at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, where she works as a young researcher at the Chair of Botany and Plant Physiology. Her research focuses on the impact of biodegradable microplastics on plants, including their physiological and biochemical effects, their distribution in plant tissues, and transport along the food chain. She aims to develop methods for detecting microplastics in plant tissues.

She holds a master’s degree in chemistry from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. Before starting her PhD studies, she gained experience in organic chemistry, process engineering and materials characterisation at various institutions, including Hella Saturnus Slovenija d.o.o., the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology and the Jožef Stefan Institute. Her interdisciplinary background spans chemistry, biology, and materials science.

As an ASEF Young Scholar, Teja will visit prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Australia to gain expertise in structural biology and biochemistry. This experience will help her understand how microplastics interact with plant proteins and influence the immune response of plants.

Outside of academia, Teja enjoys diving and underwater photography, travelling and reading. She has also been an active volunteer, taking part in anti-doping controls at sporting events, as well as teaching and mentoring.

Tina Košuta

Tina Košuta is a doctoral student in Statistics at the University of Ljubljana. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees at the same university. During her studies, she participated in two Erasmus exchanges—spending part of her bachelor's studies in Lisbon and later visiting the University of Vic in Catalonia during her master's. There, she conducted research for her master's thesis on the Nested Sampling algorithm under the supervision of Prof. Carlo Manzo. Currently, her PhD research focuses on the use of penalization in likelihood estimation for generalized linear mixed-effects models. As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Tina will visit prof. Dr. Gregor Gorjanc at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In her free time, she enjoys sports such as hiking, climbing, and fencing, as well as reading and traveling.

Tomaž Jurkovič

Tomaž Jurkovič is a first-year master's student in the Research and Development Programme - Mechanics at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He completed his bachelor's degree under the mentorship of Prof. Miha Brojan, focusing on nonlinear deformations of elastic beams in nonhomogeneous magnetic fields. As part of the research visit, he will work with Prof. Andrej Košmrlj at Princeton University in the USA, where he aims to gain new research experience and expand his knowledge in the field of mechanics. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and beach volleyball as well as the piano and guitar.

Valter Hudovernik

Valter Hudovernik is an M.Sc. student in Data Science at the University of Ljubljana. His thesis, Deep Learning Methods for Synthetic Relational Data Generation, explores the use of diffusion models to generate private, high-fidelity synthetic databases. He presented preliminary results at the NeurIPS 2024 Tabular Representation Learning Workshop and is finalizing a publication on benchmarking synthetic relational data.

Alongside his studies, Valter has gained hands-on experience as a student researcher at the Jožef Štefan Institute and a data science intern at Endava. He also collaborated on an interdisciplinary project at the Geological Survey of Slovenia, developing explainable models for predicting attributes of karst water sources.

Beyond data science, he holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and received the University Award for Special Achievements for his competition success. His passion for sports and machine learning converged in his bachelor’s thesis, which earned him the Faculty Prešeren Award.

Zara Bunc

Zara Bunc is a biochemistry student at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. Her research interests lie primarily in molecular biology, genetics and bioinformatics. She gained practical experience at the Institute of Pathophysiology and the National Institute of Chemistry, where she trained in electrophysiological measurements, molecular cloning and optophysiological analyses. In her undergraduate thesis, under the mentorship of Academician Prof. Dr. Robert Zorec, she investigated the role of amisyn in astrocyte exocytosis, thereby contributing to a better understanding of fusion pore mechanisms in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.

As part of the ASEF Junior Fellows programme, she will conduct research at King's College London under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jernej Ule. She is particularly drawn to his work on RNA regulation, alternative splicing and the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. A deeper understanding of RNA processing and its role in central nervous system disorders represents a crucial step towards the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Her background in cellular mechanisms, glial cell biology and molecular signalling will enable her to make a valuable contribution to the research group while continuing to develop professionally.

She is also actively involved in research and science associations, including event organisation. As Head of Corporate Relations and Finance, she contributed to BioFair, the largest career fair for natural science students in Slovenia. She also founded and led BEST Science Days, a three-day interdisciplinary educational event designed to connect students across scientific disciplines. In her free time, she enjoys tennis, skiing, travelling and meeting new people.

Anžur Lana Nastja

Lana Nastja Anžur is a second-year PhD student in Environmental Protection and a researcher in the Laboratory of Cultural Heritage Science, both at the University of Ljubljana. Previously, she studied both archaeology and law and completed the specialization program Economics, Management and Digital Technologies applied to Cultural Heritage at Venice International University. As part of her doctoral thesis, she is investigating the sustainable management of cultural heritage, focusing on methods for the interdisciplinary  valorization of heritage assets. Part of her doctoral research will be carried out in Mauritius as part of the activities of the Mauritian Archaeology and Cultural Heritage project (Stanford University), where she has been a member of the research team since 2021. Previously, she gained experience as a researcher in the Sustainable Management of Cultural Heritage in the Balkans project (Venice International University), where she investigated the impact of climate change on the cultural heritage of the Balkan countries. She is currently also involved in researching the mediaeval socio-cultural landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of the archaeological research team of the Land of Stećci project. At the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences and the Stanford Archaeology Center, she will expand the research on the socio-cultural value of the Stećci tombstones, under the supervision of Dr. Saša Čaval. In the future, she would like to transfer the knowledge gained through research into the non-profit sector by establishing initiatives for economic development in the countries of the Global South. Her favorite free time activity is scuba diving or walking her dog.  

Birk Jernej

Jernej is a third year chemistry student at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Ljubljana. During primary and secondary school, he actively participated in cultural events, athletic competitions and various knowledge competitions. He will undertake a research visit in the field of organic synthesis under the supervision of Professor David Šarlah in Illinois. During his studies he developed a passion for organic chemistry. Therefore, the opportunities, connections and knowledge he will gain as a member of the ASEF community mean a great deal to him. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, reading comics and web novels, and hanging out with friends.

Bračič Veronika

Veronika completed her undergraduate studies in chemistry at the University of Ljubljana, and eager to learn more, she enrolled in a summer school course at Aarhus University, where she was charmed by both Denmark and research on the human brain. Therefore, she continued her education in biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen, where she is currently completing her master's thesis on selective autophagy at the Danish Cancer Institute. Due to her immense interest in brain function, she would like to focus her future research on neurodegenerative diseases. As an ASEF Junior Fellow, she will join Dr Jernej Ule's research group at King's College London, where she will utilise stem cell differentiation to delve into the role of RNA-protein complexes in neurodegeneration. In her spare time, she tangles her thoughts in the threads of various yarn-related projects, captures moments in the lens of her analogue camera, and drinks unimaginable amounts of tea while reading books.

Godejša Jaka

Jaka Godejša is studying for a Master's degree in Tourism at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Tourism Studies - Turistica in Portorož. He graduated under the mentorship of Dr. Dejan Križaj with the title: Use of non-fungible tokens in the event industry. As part of his thesis, he organised the first dinner in Slovenia for which guests made reservations by purchasing NFTs via a blockchain network. During his studies, he actively participates in the organisation of events and community building activities of the UP FTŠ sTOUdio Turistica research and development programme. Before continuing his studies at postgraduate level, he worked at Fairbnb.coop, an international startup, with which he was accepted into the renowned MIT Design X incubator in Venice. During the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Jaka will visit prof. dr. Kaja Antlej at the Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.

Igličar Matej

Matej Igličar completed his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana. He was a tutor of Roman Law and Criminal Procedural Law, founded a tutoring programme for first-year law students and served as President of the Faculties’ Student Organisation. In addition, he represented the Faculty of Law as a member of the winning team that championed 1st place at the PAX Moot Court competition in Antwerp, while also winning the Best Individual Oralist award.

His research interests focus on criminal law, EU law, and private international law. He is honoured to have the opportunity to research the history and development of European private international law under the supervision of Prof. Dr Verica Trstenjak at the Luxembourg Centre for European Law. The aim of his research visit is to find parallels between the integration process in the field of judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters.

Jurjevič Vesna

Vesna Jurjevič is an MSc student of Molecular and functional biology at the Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana. Currently she is working on her master thesis under the guidance of Dr. Barbara Breznik from the National Institute of Biology in Ljubljana, studying the role of melanoma antigen MAGEC2 protein in glioblastoma and antitumor immune response. As part of the ASEF Research Abroad fellowship her research will continue at the laboratory of prof. Klementina Fon Tacer from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Texas Tech University. Her aim is to enhance the information database on MAGE proteins by exploring glioblastomas and identifying innovative ways of applying this knowledge to create new therapies.

In her spare time, Vesna enjoys spending time outdoors with her friends or working in the educational department of the Ljubljana ZOO, where she gives guided tours and educates visitors about various animal species and conservation.

Jurkovič Martin

Martin is a second-year master's program student in Data Science at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana. He enrolled in this program after completing his undergraduate studies in Mathematics and Computer Science. In addition to his studies, he gained experience as a researcher at the Jožef Štefan Institute and as an artificial intelligence engineer in the industry. In the past year, he won first place for the best student project with the MindMessAI application at the Slovenian Computer Science Days 2023 conference.

Currently, he is interested in researching methods for generating synthetic data, specifically focusing on the generation of relational databases. With the project "A Survey and Empirical Comparison of Synthetic Data Generation Methods," his team achieved first place in the Data Science Competition. He is currently finalizing a scientific article and a benchmark on this topic to evaluate the quality of relational synthetic data.

Kogoj Lena

Lena Kogoj is currently finishing her undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of the University of Ljubljana. In the following months, she will be collaborating with the National Institute of Chemistry, where she will research the role of RNA in membrane-less organelles as part of her bachelor thesis. The area of ​​her study that excites her the most is molecular biology. She developed the joy for this area especially after a two-month internship in the research group of prof. Anne Spang at the University of Basel, where she studied the effect of transthyretin-related proteins on proteostasis in C. elegans. Since she wants to further improve her knowledge of molecular biology, she will be doing her research visit with prof. Jernej Murn at the University of California, Riverside, where she will delve deeper into RNA biology and gain research experience in a non-European research group. Since 2018, she has been participating as a volunteer in the scout association, where she leads a group of children (now teenagers) and helps organize many trips and camps. She also spends the rest of her free time in nature, as she likes to go jogging.

Koren Jerneja

Jerneja Koren is an MSci student of Immunology and Pharmacology at the University of Aberdeen in the North-East of Scotland. She is currently undertaking her final year research project in the Cardiovascular and Diabetes Centre at the Institute of Medical Sciences, where she is investigating the role of a phosphatase called PTP1B in chronic inflammation associated with obesity. This builds on the practical experience Jerneja gained during her year-long MSci research placement in the Biozentrum, the centre of molecular medical sciences in Basel, Switzerland. There, her research was focused on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, which she utilised to investigate two proteins called coronin 2 and 3. Besides that, Jerneja has gained practical experience as an intern student in a Slovenian biotech company called COBIK, the spinal cord injury research group at the Institute of Medical Sciences in Aberdeen, and through her work on digital pathology-based research projects. Besides laboratory work, Jerneja also enjoys contributing to campus life and functions as a committee member of the Aberdeen University Women in Science and Engineering Society. In her free time, Jerneja enjoys running and baking sourdough bread. As an ASEF fellow, Jerneja looks forward to her visit to Professor Klementina Fon Tacer in Amarillo, Texas.

Mladenić Grobelnik Adrian

Adrian Mladenić Grobelnik is a junior Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher and engineer at the Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia, and a third-year undergraduate student in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana. Specializing in Natural Language Processing and commonsense AI, Adrian has published six papers and completed an internship at Carnegie Mellon University focused on healthcare AI. Eager to expand his research into Machine Learning with Graphs, Adrian will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. He is dedicated to applying AI to solve societal challenges, aiming to blend theoretical research with practical solutions to advance the field.

Odra Raščan Ema

Ema Odra Raščan is a PhD candidate of American Studies at the University of Ljubljana. Prior to this, she completed her Master at the Diplomatische Akademie Wien, where she delved into security studies with a thesis on comparative maritime security strategies of the EU and the US. Her research aptitude is evident in her publications, where she has tackled topics ranging from geopolitics to European affairs. Beyond academia, Ema Odra has gained extensive work experience in diplomacy, from her role as an Assistant at the Consular Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Austria to internships at the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU and the European Parliament.  Ema Odra's dedication to academia and diplomacy is matched by her diverse interests outside of work, including improvisation theatre, traveling, and contributing to her community. As part of the ASEF Research Abroad fellowship program, she will be joining Professor Alenka Poplin at Iowa State University, where she will deepen her understanding of rational ignorance in spatial participatory planning and the role of public participatory geographic information systems in this process.

Perko Zala

Zala Perko is a master’s student of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. Before completing her studies at this faculty, she gained practical experience during her gap year at Lek d. d. in the Microbiology and Analytics departments. She later joined a research group at the Department of Biochemistry, where she worked on the development of enzyme oligomers and collaborated with the company LabCore to study the interactions of proteins with small molecules. Her main research interests include structural biology, enzymology and protein engineering. She will continue to work on this topic as part of her master’s thesis. She is very excited and grateful for the opportunity to visit Prof. Dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Australia as an ASEF junior fellow. There she will expand her knowledge in the field of structural biology and bring valuable research experience to her future work. 

Beyond her academic pursuits, she enjoys spending time in nature, mountaineering, alpine skiing, running and practicing pilates. As a volunteer, she actively participates as a member of an anti-doping team at sporting events. She is passionate about art, from music and ballet to modern architecture.

Puhar Gregor

Gregor is a chemistry master's student at the University of Ljubljana, where he also completed his postgraduate studies. He conducted the practical part of his master's thesis, researching reactions between mercury and various organic ligands, at Umeå University. During a year-long Erasmus+ exchange program at Umeå, he obtained a Master of Science degree. In addition to his academic pursuits, Gregor gained practical research experience at the O2 department of the Jožef Stefan Institute and through two international IAESTE internships, at UCT in Prague, Czech Republic, and at Łódź University in Poland. Beyond his studies, he is actively engaged in the IAESTE association, contributing to the organization of international student internships. During his free time, Gregor enjoys sports and traveling, and he eagerly anticipates his upcoming research visit with Prof. David Šarlah at the University of Illinois.

Rožič Miha

Miha Rožič is a fifth-year master's student of Pharmacy at the University of Ljubljana. He wants to dedicate his research career to drug discovery for incurable diseases. For several years he has been working in the research group of Assoc. Prof. Izidor Sosič, where he developed new potential chimeric molecules (PROTAC) for the treatment of cancer and Alzheimer's disease. He is  also gaining knowledge in the Biologics Development Department at Novartis. His academic path has been enriched by an Erasmus+ exchange in Tübingen and volunteer work in The Gambia. ASEF will give me the opportunity to do a research visit in Prof. Andrej Šali's group at the University of California, San Francisco. He is really looking forward to the research visit while getting involved in many of ASEF's activities in the upcoming years. He spends most of his free time hiking, camping, cycling, running and playing beach volleyball. He also loves to photograph, especially the adventures from his many travels.

Rozman Črt

Črt Rozman is a third-year bachelor's student of the university physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana, thereafter, he intends to enroll in a master's program in Medical Physics. Concurrently, he is involved in research projects at the Jožef Stefan Institute. As part of the ASEF exchange program, he will be visiting Dr. Robert Jeraj at the University of Madison – Wisconsin, where he will be engaged in the field of Medical Physics. 

In his leisure time, he is most fond of engaging in sports, particularly volleyball, which he has been training for 15 years. Additionally, he enjoys hiking, listening to quality music, and playing computer games. He also adores traveling, especially to warmer destinations.

Škerlep Domen

Domen is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology. He has just completed an exchange semester in Astrophysics at the University of Queensland, Australia. Throughout his education, Domen has authored a scientific article that has been published in the mathematical journal Matrika. He is currently researching the aerodynamics and acoustics of distributed propeller propulsion systems as part of his Honours programme and the EU project ENODISE. During the summer he will research at the CERN Institute in Geneva. In the past, he has participated in debating tournaments in Bangkok, Hanoi and at Harvard University and Yale University, where he placed 3rd amongst all the European teams. Domen is part of the Elite Sports program in the Hague and has been playing competitive volleyball in the Slovenian, Dutch and Australian national leagues for over 11 years. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing and playing tennis. As a part of the ASEF Junior Fellows programme, he will conduct research with Prof. Dr. Andrej Košmrlj at Princeton University in the USA.

Žavbi Juš

Juš Žavbi finished an MSci in Neuroscience at the University of Nottingham. As a part of studies he conducted a placement at the National Institute of Biology in Slovenia working on the glioblastoma microenvironment. For his masters dissertation he was a part of a research effort looking into protein expression in the schizophrenic brain based on a rat model. After his studies he was employed at the Physiology Institute in Prague conducting research looking into the role of microtubules in epilepsy. Neuroscience has always been the focus of his academic career and he will be further expanding his scientific repertoire in Dr. David Križaj's lab at the University of Utah working in the field of neuronal signaling and mechanotransduction in the eye.

Alif Živa

Živa Alif is a PhD student of Economics of Natural Resources at the University of Ljubljana, focusing her research on the social aspects of nature conservation in farmland – in other words, trying to convince farmers to protect biodiversity on their farms. She completed a research masters in ecology, evolution and conservation at Imperial College London and holds a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford. Having moved from biology to social sciences, Živa is keen to get an insight into experimental and behavioural research in the environmental field, therefore she is excited to visit prof. dr. Sara Dolničar at the University of Queensland. In her free time, she enjoys singing and participating in all kinds of outdoors activities, from birding to cycling.

Brilej Žana

Žana Brilej is completing her undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Ljubljana. During her studies, she developed an interest in biochemistry and began research at the Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology at the Institute of Chemistry, where she researched potential prototypes of agents for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. She later joined other projects at the institute, including the study of degradation mechanisms in mammalian cells and the regulation of immunologically active coiled-coil compounds. She is currently working on a gene therapy project to treat CTNNB1 syndrome. In addition to research, she likes to pass on her knowledge to younger generations, which she does in the context of individual instruction and tutoring at the Faculty of Pharmacy. She likes sports, especially dancing, hiking, climbing and surfing. Together with her friend, she leads two dance groups for preschool and school children. In her free time, she likes to hang out with friends and travel. As part of the ASEF Research Abroad fellowship program, she will be researching at the laboratory of prof. Jernej Murn in California, where she will deepen her knowledge of RNA biology and acquire research competencies that will help her continue her academic career in biomedicine.

Dragar Frenk

Frenk Dragar is currently pursuing his Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he worked on a thesis project for automating the evaluation of language models, creating SloBench: the Slovenian Natural Language Processing Benchmark. His interests and experience in the field of artificial intelligence and computer science include deep learning, natural language processing, evolutionary computing and data engineering. In his spare time, he enjoys organizing student association activities, boulder climbing, running, playing guitar, cooking and traveling. He will visit Dr. Gašper Beguš at the University of California, Berkeley and have the opportunity to conduct research on deep learning for language models.

Gričar Simona

Simona Gričar is a doctoral student of Chemical Sciences and a junior researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. She works in the field of bioinorganic chemistry and is dealing with the synthesis and evaluation of inhibitors of metalloenzymes that are causing antimicrobial resistance. During her student years, she was a student researcher at the faculty, synthesizing ruthenium coordination compounds with potential anticancer activity. She gained more research experience at the Institute ˝Jožef Stefan˝ and as an Erasmus+ intern at the Inserm institute in France. After finishing her Master's degree, she was employed as a researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, studying the role of immunoproteasome in the immune response. She wants to expand her doctoral research project on metalloenzymes to the field of structural biology. During her research visit, sshe will visit Prof. Boštjan Kobe’s research group at The University of Queensland in Australia, which she is very excited about. In her free time, Simona likes to travel, play board games and dance, especially Cuban salsa.

Horvat Katja

Katja Horvat is a Master student of Biotechnology at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. In collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Medicine she has performed gene expression analysis of patients with coronary artery disease, the results of which were published in the scientific article in Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease. She is currently part of the research group investigating osteoporosis during her traineeship at University of Turku. She has also gained experience in an industrial environment at the company Lek d.d., Novartis first in the Regulatory department and later in the production of Biopharmaceuticals. In her free time she enjoys spending time in nature and doing different sports. Sometimes she also likes to volunteer at bigger sports events.

Ignacio Scasserra José

José Ignacio Scasserra is an Argentinian philosophy teacher. He did his master's degree in Interdisciplinary studies of subjectivity at the Buenos Aires University. He worked in different pedagogical programs with children and teenagers from vulnerable neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Currently he is doing his PhD in Philosophy. His research is on the topis of ethics, education, gender studies, and the construction of subjectivity in current times. He publishes in both academic and non academic media. In 2022 a story he wrote about Slovenia got a mention on an Argentinian literature award. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. In 2020, José was an ASEF Junior Fellow in the program “Visit Slovenia”, where he developed part of his research work with his mentor Prof. Vojko Strahovnik, studied Slovenian language, and got to deliver two classes at the University of Ljubljana. Now, he has been selected for the “Research Abroad” program, during which he will continue working with Prof. Peter Verovšek at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. In his free time, José loves writing and reading literature, studying languages, and working out at the swimming pool or running in the park.

Logonder Tina

Tina Logonder is a master's student in biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of the University of Ljubljana. She is currently doing laboratory work in the biotechnology company Acies Bio as part of her master's thesis. The work focuses on the preparation and characterization of Yarrowia lipolytica yeast strains with altered lipid metabolism. Besides that, she gained practical experience mainly through laboratory work for her bachelor's thesis, which included the preparation of recombinant constructs for the expression of the EpCAM protein in mammalian cell lines. She has been interested in natural sciences since primary school and has regularly successfully participated in various competitions. She won a bronze medal at the International Biology Olympiad. Because she finds competitions to be an excellent opportunity to deepen knowledge, she now helps assess competition sheets of national knowledge competitions (biology, logic, natural science). She enjoys spending time in nature, drawing, playing chess, and snowboarding in the winter. She is excited about visiting prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Australia, where she will work in the field of structural biology. 

Petravić Luka

Luka is a 6th year medical student at the University of Maribor. He is the co-founder of the SiOHCA project, which is successfully laying the foundations for tracking out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Slovenia. In his free time he runs the Doctors project at the Sledilnik scientific society. He enjoys working in a wide range of fields, researching bacteriophages, nutrition and health technology. His awards include the Dr Uroš Seljak commendation in 2022 and the Perlach commendation in 2023. He also reviews articles submitted to the BMJ open and Epidemiology and Infection.

Samotorčan Leon

Leon is a second year Master’s student of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana. He completed his undergraduate studies defending his diploma thesis in which he worked on efficient computation of subgraph isomorphism. As part of the ASEF fellowship program Research Abroad, Leon will visit prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. He is looking forward to gaining new research experience. Leon also volunteers as a tutor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. He is a recipient of the MOL scholarship for prospective students. In his free time Leon likes to travel and enjoys playing guitar and cooking.

Snoj Lara

Lara Snoj is a MSc student of Laboratory Biomedicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. She is currently part of a research group at the Institute for Special Laboratory Diagnostics at the Pediatric Clinics in Ljubljana, where she is working on her master's thesis. She is studying the genetic background of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, a rather rare disease, caused by a mutation in PKD1 gene which, undetected, leads to an end-stage renal failure. During her undergraduate and graduate studies, Lara gained many practical skills and upgraded her knowledge by attending Erasmus+ traineeship programe in Malta. She also received a recognition for her scholarly achievements from her faculty. Lara is looking forward to joining the laboratory of prof. Klementina Fon Tacer at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas Tech University, where she will acquire new knowledge in the field of cancer genetics and development. She believes this experience is going to enable her personal and professional growth. At her home university, Lara also volunteers as a tutor to younger generations, helping them with her advice and experiences. She likes to spend her free time with her dogs and friends in nature. She is always up for a good hike, run or any other sports activity.

Vidmar Tim

Tim is completing his Master’s degree in Business Informatics at the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Biology at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. During his studies, he took part in an Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Augsburg, Germany. He is currently working at Deloitte as an IT Risk Consultant, where he is helping to mitigate the risks in the IT environment. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, reading books, and running the Speaker team at TedxUniversityofLjubljana. He is also keen on dancing Cuban salsa and competing in hackathons. As an ASEF Junior Fellow Tim will visit Prof. Dr. Sergeja Slapničar at the University of Queensland in Australia, where he will work on the quantification of cyber risk.

Žabkar Ines

Ines Žabkar is a 6th-year medical student at the University of Ljubljana. Her area of interest lies mainly in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. During her studies so far, she researched the influence of estrogen on the expression of genes related to Parkinson's disease, for which she received the faculty’s research (Prešeren) award. She presented her work at the international ICUR conference 2021. During her student exchange at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg in 2021/22, she joined the Diem lab and learned new methods such as Calcium imaging to study NMDA receptor changes in early optic myelitis and multiple sclerosis. Currently, she is conducting a retrospective study at the Clinical Institute for Neurophysiology at the University Clinical Center Ljubljana on patients suffering from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and the effects of commonly used intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. For the past 4 years, she’s been an active member of SiNAPSA, Slovenian Neuroscience Association, and for 2 years the leader of the collaboration with the National Gallery. She helped organize various lectures and round tables in the field of neuroaesthetics for the wider public.  ASEF will enable her to visit Prof. Dimitri Krainc at Northwestern University, where she will be learning new approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of extrapyramidal diseases. In her free time, she enjoys hiking in the mountains, reading, and writing poetry.

Blaž Brina

Brina Blaž (1993) is a painter, film producer and phd student of humanistics and social studies at Acadamy of Fine Arts Ljubljana. She has completed her BA at Acadamy of Fine Arts Ljubljana with student visit at Acadamy of Fine Arts Krakow and MA at Accademia di belle Arti Bologna, with student exhange at Akademie der bildende Kunste Munchen.  Her works are intertwinment beetwen tactility, memory, illusion and presence, nature and space.

Dijak Nuša

Nuša Dijak is a master's student at University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, studying Teaching program on Art Pedagogy field. She completed her bachelor's degree at the mentioned institution. During her studies she had participated in a five month Erasmus exchange at Polytechnic Institute of Porto in Portugal. Her previous research was based on illusion in painting, where she explored establishing the illusion of three-dimensionality in a painting, and delved into the possibility of practically displaying the illusion of two-dimensionality on a three-dimensional object. At the moment she is focusing on her Master’s thesis where she is going to research the use of color in art and its effect on the observer. During the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Nuša will visit prof. dr. Kaja Antlej at the Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.  In her free time, she loves to play her ukulele, create handmade pottery and handcrafted earrings made with seashells. Her biggest passion is traveling and experiencing hidden corners of the world.

Dominko Kobilica Natan

Natan is a physics undergraduate at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. He is currently taking a year off studies to try out research and travel. He will be visiting prof. dr. Uroš Seljak at UC Berkeley in California. The topic of the research will be simulating the Ising model, a common theme in statistical physics. In the past Natan gained experience in research at the Jozef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana and at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Ljubljana. He is excited to undertake a new challenge - theoretical research and is honored to be given the opportunity to visit UC Berkeley.

Donik Žiga

Žiga is a first stage Researcher (R1) and PhD student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor. He works in the design of cellular structures and numerical structural analysis of solids. He uses computer simulations to determine how specific structures respond to external loads. As a part of his doctoral studies, he aims to develop personalized vascular stent structures from biodegradable materials for cardiovascular interventions. That would facilitate better recovery of patients and reduce complications in surgical procedures. As a part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Žiga will have the opportunity to visit Dr Luka Pocivavsek at the University of Chicago, where he will gain additional knowledge from the interdisciplinary field of biomechanics. Žiga plays professional volleyball for his home club on a national and international level, so he spends most of his free time on the volleyball court. He also enjoys music, cooking, traveling and hiking.

Jerončič Tadej

Tadej is currently a final year student at the University of Ljubljana, University of Veterinary Medicine. Over the past couple of years, Tadej developed a strong interest in Cancer Medicine. Last year he embarked on laboratory-based research where he has been attempting to identify the predictive value of several tumor markers in animals treated with metronomic chemotherapy. He is grateful to be given a chance to join Dr Fon Tacer's lab at the Texas Tech University this summer. After a long day of working, Tadej likes to spend his leisure time outdoors. He especially enjoys discovering new places and doing sports, mainly road cycling, hiking and running.

Klemenčič Timotej

Timotej Klemenčič is a Master student of Robotics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Ljubljana. His main interests are robot control, gripper design and human-robot interaction. In the robotics lab, he participates in the organisation of the Days of Industrial Robotics event and helps with lectures as a student demonstrator. His research stay will be with Professor Milos Žefran at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he will conduct research on human-robot interaction as part of his master's thesis. In his free time, Timotej enjoys beekeeping, hiking in the mountains, and volunteering at the Biseri summer camp. He is also an amateur electronics engineer with a keen interest in quadcopters and 3D printing.

Kobal Jakob

In December 2021 Jakob graduated from interdisciplinary Multimedia study programme at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Faculty of Computer and information science at the University of Ljubljana. Title of his graduation thesis was »Fundamental frequency recognition in a chord«. He developed his own algorithm for a chord recognition from a sound recording. He was always very eager to explore the connection between art (music) and science. A little over a year ago he also graduated with honors from Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana. His principal subject was classical accordion, but he is also interested in other theoretical and practical musical aspects. In January Jakob will start his music studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, which is one of the most prestigious contemporary music colleges. He hopes that there he will be able to broaden his musical horizons and to continue exploring connections between science and music. Beside music Jakob likes to spend his free time outside. He enjoys a good book, a concert, or an interesting debate. He is grateful for ASEF's help and he is very excited to gain new knowledge and experience in the USA.

Kobal Jakob

In December 2021 Jakob graduated from interdisciplinary Multimedia study programme at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Faculty of Computer and information science at the University of Ljubljana. Title of his graduation thesis was »Fundamental frequency recognition in a chord«. He developed his own algorithm for a chord recognition from a sound recording. He was always very eager to explore the connection between art (music) and science. A little over a year ago he also graduated with honors from Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana. His principal subject was classical accordion, but he is also interested in other theoretical and practical musical aspects.  In January Jakob will start his music studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, which is one of the most prestigious contemporary music colleges. He hopes that there he will be able to broaden his musical horizons and to continue exploring connections between science and music. Beside music Jakob likes to spend his free time outside. He enjoys a good book, a concert, or an interesting debate. He is grateful for ASEF's help and he is very excited to gain new knowledge and experience in the USA.

Kodrič Meta

Meta Kodrič is a master's student of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Ljubljana, where she also obtained her bachelor’s degree. During her undergraduate studies she conducted an Erasmus+ traineeship at the University of Helsinki, where she worked with oncolytic adenoviruses for cancer immunotherapy and participated in the development of improved adenoviral vaccines against COVID-19. Besides that, Meta has gained plenty of practical experience as a student intern at the Institute of Pathophysiology in Ljubljana and while working in Novartis company Lek, d.d. in the department for Analytical science and technology. In her free time Meta likes to explore the outdoors and enjoys doing sports such as climbing, hiking, skiing and windsurfing. As an ASEF Junior Fellow Meta will join prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe’s research group at the University of Queensland in Australia, where she will be working on the structural characterization of proteins involved in innate immunity.

Kržmanc Gregor

Gregor is an undergraduate student of physics at the University of Ljubljana. He also works in the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where he is currently working on machine learning on graphs. He has also been involved in a research project with the Slovenian NMR centre at the National Institute of Chemistry. In his free time, he enjoys reading books, spending time in nature, and traveling. Gregor will be joining Prof. Jure Leskovec’s research group at Stanford University and is looking forward to the opportunity to gain deeper insights into machine learning and the workings of such research institutions.

Lekše Maruša

Maruša Lekše is a final year Master’s student of Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, where she also completed her undergraduate degree. During her studies, she worked as a tutor for Computer Science classes. She also participated in a summer workshop focusing on 2-crossing-critical graphs, after which she continued to work on the topic with one of the supervisors and some classmates from the workshop. As a part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship, Maruša will have the opportunity to visit prof. dr. Mateja Šajna at the University of Ottawa, where she will work on projects related to Graph Theory. She is excited to participate in ASEF and gain new experience and knowledge. In her free time, she enjoys reading, diving, taking long walks in nature and playing board games with friends.

Mohorčič Domen

Domen is currently a first year Data Science masters student at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, where he also completed his bachelors with research in automatic music transcription using convolutional neural networks. During his studies he was a two-time recipient of the Dean's award for top 5% students. At the faculty, Domen was part of the Laboratory of Algorithms and Data Structures, where he developed an assembly line optimization algorithm and created an automatic reporting system for an outside company. He also designed an exploration based robot rescue algorithm at another private company. Domen is a part of the wind orchestra Ave, where he is currently a board member and a curator of their website. He is also a volunteer at Super Glavce, where he is a robot game judge for the FLL competition. In the past he has held a few programming summer schools, targeted at primary school students. As part of his ASEF Junior Fellowship, Domen will visit prof. Marinka Žitnik at the Harvard University in USA, where he will be acquiring new knowledge about machine learning in bioinformatics.

Nabergoj David

David Nabergoj graduated from the Faculty of Computer and Information Science at the University of Ljubljana as a Master of computer and data science. Throughout his studies, he worked on various interdisciplinary projects that connected computer science with medicine, sports, industrial applications and other areas. He is currently applying for a PhD position at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science in Ljubljana. His primary research interests are artificial intelligence and machine learning, both their theory and application. Most recently, he has been working with the Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics, developing machine learning algorithms and applying them to problems in Bayesian statistics and physics. He is grateful to be joining Prof. Uroš Seljak at the University of California, Berkeley and to have the opportunity to conduct research there.

Neumann Matej

I am a second-year mathematics master student at the Faculty for Mathematics and Physics at Ljubljana, where I finished my undergrad as well. In the next academic year, I will start my PhD studies in the US. At FMF I have been volunteering as a tutor for younger mathematics students at the University of Ljubljana since my second year. This means that each week I am available to undergraduate students and help them with the problems they are having in their coursework and solving homework. During my masters studies, I worked as a student researcher at Jozef Stefan Institute, in the department of artificial intelligence, where I analysed causal relationships between indicators. In my free time, I often volunteer at ZPM. During my ASEF visit, I will work with Prof. dr. Bojan Mohar on a project from Spectral graph theory.

Novljan Jona

Jona is currently a 1st year master's degree student of biotechnology at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. During his education he worked in the field of neurodegenerative diseases with doc. dr. Helena Motaln at the Jožef Štefan Institute, where he participated in research on RNA-binding proteins, their interactions, and localization within neurons. He later extended his studies to the biology of plant-microbial interactions at AciesBio, where he earned his degree and where he still works as a research assistant. Over the summer, he will join the laboratory of prof. dr. Jernej Murn in California, where he wants to further broaden his knowledge of RNA-binding proteins and methods of bioinformatical data analysis. In addition to research work, Jona also works in the association BEST (Board of European Students of Technology), where he is the co-founder and main organizer of the event Biofair. He is also involved in humanitarian projects such as Summerjob and Pearls.

Oblak Sara

Sara is a first year Master’s student of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana. In 2021 she completed her undergraduate studies by defending her diploma thesis in which she used machine learning to develop an algorithm for detecting telecommunication fraud in a network with several million subscribers. She previously worked in a team that developed a legal disclosure solution for mobile IP traffic. Her interests include machine learning, cryptography and the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and biology. In the following year she is visiting prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. She is excited to gain new research experience.. Sara volunteers as a tutor at the Faculty for Mathematics and Physics. She is a recipient of the MOL scholarship for prospective students. In her spare time she enjoys climbing and scuba diving.

Pregeljc Domen

Domen is a student of Chemistry with Molecular Physics at Imperial College London. He is currently working on his master’s thesis in the field of machine learning on graphs. His research interests are mainly centered around the use of mathematics, physics, and computer science to study relevant biological or medicinal problems. During the past 6 years at the National Institute of Chemistry with Prof. Janez Mavri he was focusing on the central nervous system, describing it at different length and time scales. He was also gathering research experience at the University of Oxford and at BIA Separations. He wants to deepen his knowledge in building models to describe phenomena at different scales. Domen is looking forward to working with Prof. Andrej Šali during his research visit as well as participating in numerous other ASEF activities in the coming years.

Rebselj Jure

Jure is finishing his bachelor’s studies at the Biotechnical faculty of the University of Ljubljana. He got his first research experience with his bachelor’s thesis, about new enzymes from marine microorganisms. In addition, he finished an individual research project in the department for microbiology and microbial biotechnology of the Biotechnical faculty. He likes to spend his free time outdoors or by reading an interesting book. He sees great importance in constant learning and sharing knowledge with others. He was a member of a student organization called Project LOKUS, where he was giving lectures to high school students and writing articles for a broader audience about genetically modified organisms and their applications. He is also a member of the European student organization BEST (Board of European Students of Technology), where he participated in the organization of summer school, the biggest European student engineering competition and other events with the primary goal of sharing knowledge. He is excited to become a part of ASEF and continue organizing educational events and projects. As an ASEF junior fellow, Jure will visit dr. Jernej Ule in London, where he will join the research on RNA networks in nerve cells. For him this will be a great opportunity to strengthen his knowledge about bioinformatic tools and analysis.

Rihtaršič Martin

Martin is a Master's student of Chemistry at the University of Ljubljana. During his studies he has build a big interest in Organic Chemistry and he wishes to become a researcher. He has gained valuable research experience in professor Jernej Iskra’s group at the University of Ljubljana. He participated in a Students’ Innovative Project for the Benefit of Society (ŠIPK), where they developed a 3D printed molecular kit. Furthermore, he is the mentor of International Chemistry Olympiad preparation at Škofja Loka and Kranj Grammar Schools. ASEF enabled him a research visit to professor David Šarlah’s group in Illinois, where he will work on the field of total organic synthesis. He is super excited about the research visit and membership in ASEF. He is sure that ASEF will provide him with important experience and a great opportunity to build knowledge. In his free time, Martin likes to ski, climb, and play beach volleyball. He also loves traveling and tasting funny-looking food.

Savarin Arjana

Arjana graduated from a double-major study program of Sociology and Pedagogy at the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor. She is currently finishing her Ph.D. at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities and Social Sciences in the field of Ethnology, Cultural, and Social Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Her current research focuses on North American Indigenous and gender studies. In the academic year 2018-19 she was a Fulbright Visiting Researcher at the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Idaho, where she was conducting ethnographic fieldwork among the North American Indigenous Communities. The core of her ethnographic research is based on studying the roles and mission of the North American indigenous cultural tradition of multiple genders identifications or the Two-Spirit Movement today. She is excited and honored to collaborate with prof. Peter J. Verovšek at the University of Sheffield, UK, on his project on Jürgen Habermas - »The Philosopher as a Public intellectual« and to supplement her knowledge in political science. She worked in various social, educational, and prevention programs. She adores traveling, learning about new cultures and wildlife, and going to various music and cultural events. She is a real »philmophile«, she loves to watch movies and analyze the cultural representations portrayed in them. Besides spending free time with family and friends, she is following several social initiatives and movements (as Progressive International, DiEM25). Her life philosophy is self-identified in Mahatma Gandhi's statement: »Be the change you wish to see in the world«.

Škerlep Matej

Matej is currently pursuing a Master’s in Finance at the London School of Economics (LSE). Before that, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Financial Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. Alongside the formal education curriculum, Matej has already authored three scientific articles; published in The Journal for Money and Banking and mathematical journal Matrika. In 2020 he won 1^st place at the Innovative All-Nighter competition with his team. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree, he worked as a quantitative research analyst at Generali Investments Slovenia.  In his spare time, Matej enjoys playing tennis, beach volleyball, skiing, dancing, and sailing. As a part of the ASEF Junior Fellows programme, Matej will research with Prof. Dawn Song at the University of California, Berkeley.

Štepihar Denis

Denis is currently enrolled in the Molecular and Functional Biology program of the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. After completing his Bachelor of Science degree in the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematic in Maribor, he took a keen interest in the more medical side of biology and thus decided to pursue a career mainly focused on neuroscience and genetics. In his research, which currently focuses on the physiological role of MAGE proteins in the Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang syndromes, he is trying to combine classic genetic and neuroscientific methods with his love of neural network modeling and phylogenetic analyses. In his free time, he is a volunteer firefighter and a Red Cross certified paramedic. He is very excited to have been given this opportunity and cannot wait to meet his mentor, dr. Fon Tacer in Amarillo, Texas.

Stojanov Konda Jakob Timotej

I am a fifth-year medical student at the University of Ljubljana and I will be visiting prof. dr. Dimitri Krainc at Northwestern University in the USA during my ASEF Research Visit. With prof. Krainc, I will be conducting research concerning extrapyramidal disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. During my studies thus far, I was actively involved in two research projects, among which one studied the occurrence of adverse effects of breast cancer radiotherapy, while the other studied the effect of adrenalin and insulin on the AMPK molecule in skeletal muscle cells. Both projects received the faculty research (Prešeren) award, whereas for the first I also received the Krka award and many publications in scientific journals and conferences. Besides my studies, I am active in our faculty’s Erasmus+ exchange program, helping foreign students who come to Slovenia, while also currently taking part in a year-long study exchange at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Additionally, I am active in two student-led projects, one of which is focusing on conferring knowledge of risk factors and methods of prevention of cardiovascular diseases to the general population, whereas within the other I supervise the creation of podcasts including conversations with experts about various medical or health-related topics. In my free time, I like to do sports, especially cycling and fitness, as well as socialize with friends. Besides medicine I am also very interested in history, therefore I often like to read about topics from this field as well.

Strgar Beti

Beti Strgar is an actress, singer, pianist and future producer and composer who has just started her studies at the prestigious music school Berklee College of Music in January. She is interested in mixing different art forms and genres. As a child she first discovered music; later on she studied film directing and after that she was exploring acting. In 2019 she graduated from acting at Academy of Theater, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana. In 2020, she studied theater singing and had her masters show called Pišem pismo, tebi. Between 2019 and 2021, she was a part of SLG Celje theater ensemble and she performed in many TV series and films but now with the opportunity to study at Berklee College of Music, she is heading back to school and back to music. In the future she wants to combine all of her areas of interest. She wants to help gifted individuals with pursuing their dreams. She wants to travel the whole world and live fully every day. She wants to have endless walks in nature and take dips in the winter sea. She also wants to pass on her knowledge to younger generations one day. But most of all, she wants people to build a better world and for them to be nice to each other in which, as a true utopist, she truly believes. She is honored to receive an ASEF scholarship which will help her with her studies in the USA and she is excited about new experiences and knowledge that are waiting for her.

Šurina Anja

Anja is a Master's student of Machine Learning and Neuroscience at ETH Zurich and UZH. During her studies, she worked on various research projects, including implementing a bioinspired neural network learning algorithm on a neuromorphic chip at IBM Research in Zurich. She completed her undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana. As part of ASEF, Anja will visit prof. Jure Leskovec at the Stanford University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and doing sports such as jazz ballet, running and skiing.

Tacer Lucija

Lucija Tacer is a 4th year law student at the Law Faculty at the University of Ljubljana. She is also active as the president of the European Law Students ’Association (ELSA) Slovenia and the coordinator of tutors at the Faculty of Law. Prior to studying law, she completed her studies in economics and political science at Vanderbilt University. She is interested in research in the field of human rights and comparative law, especially on the topic of gender equality. In the coming year Lucija will join Dr. Fikfak’s research group and contribute to the Human Rights Nudge project.

Turkanović Nastja

Nastja is a undergraduate student of Biology at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. Currently she is enrolled in her third year of studies. In her final year she is going to be helping at the department of Biochemistry. The work of the research group for biochemistry is focused on the structure and function of proteins or other substances that bind to biological and artificial lipid membranes or certain receptors in membranes, transforming them and forming transmembrane pores in the lipid layer. In connection with these processes, they study the potential use of these proteins (or other substances) in biomedicine, pharmacy, and elsewhere. She is also a member of the Biology Students Association. She is also a humanitarian as she has volunteered at a fundraiser “To be a woman” in her hometown Celje, where they raised money for a family in need. Nastja is looking forward to expanding her knowledge and experience with the help of her mentor prof. dr. Dimitri Krainc at the Northwestern University in Chicago. Aside from her research she enjoys dancing, spending time in nature, reading and the company of animals.

Zdovc Anja

Anja is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student of Mathematics and Computer Science at University of Oxford in the UK. Alongside her degree she has always been fascinated by linguistics. During her studies she discovered she can combine her interests by focusing on the areas of Natural Language Processing and Computational Linguistics. She is currently working on an undergraduate project in Machine translation. Anja wants to further study the field and gain more research skills, which is why she is excited to work with prof. Gašper Beguš at at the University of California, Berkeley. In spare time, she likes to dance, play table tennis and travel.

Barbič Špela

Špela is currently a final-year student of Laboratory biomedicine at the University of Ljubljana. Before she continues studying Biomedicine at the graduate level, she wishes to obtain more research experiences. She had her first taste of research in the summer of 2019, when she worked at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy. She then joined a project aiming to determine the role of secondary DNA structures (G4 quadruplex) in the promotor region of a specific gene. In the coming year, Špela is going to join the laboratory of prof. Jernej Murn in California, gaining research experience in the field of RNA biology. She is excited about the research visit and appreciative for the opportunity provided by the ASEF organisation.

Špela has volunteered at Slovene Philanthropy and helped with rapid antigen testing of healthcare workers during the epidemic. She is also a recipient of the MOL (City of Ljubljana) scholarship for prospective students. She enjoys running and hiking in the mountains.

Barbič Špela

Špela trenutno zaključuje zadnji letnik dodiplomskega študija Laboratorijske biomedicine na Fakulteti za farmacijo. Preden nadaljuje z magistrskim študijem iz biomedicine, želi pridobiti več raziskovalnih izkušenj. Z raziskovalnim delom se je prvič spoznala na Katedri za klinično biokemijo v poletnih mesecih 2019, kjer je kmalu zatem začela raziskovati vpliv sekundarnih DNA struktur (G4 kvadrupleksov) v promotorski regiji določenega gena. V naslednjem letu se bo pridružila laboratoriju prof. Jerneja Murna v Kaliforniji, kjer bo dobila raziskovalne izkušnje iz področja biologije RNA. Raziskovalnega obiska se zelo veseli in ceni priložnost, ki jo je dobila preko ASEF-a.

Špela svoj čas izven študija namenja tudi prostovoljnemu delu; prostovoljka je bila pri Slovenski filantropiji, v času epidemije pa je sodelovala pri hitrem testiranju zdravstvenih delavcev. Je tudi prejemnica MOL-ove štipendije za nadarjene študente. V prostem času najraje teče in hodi v gore.

Cundrič Larsen

Larsen is an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science (FRI), University of Ljubljana and is currently working on his bachelor thesis in the field of Machine Learning. Before his research visit, he is finishing his last bachelor’s semester at the Faculty of Engineering, South Denmark University, as an Erasmus exchange student. During his studies, Larsen has been working in the Laboratory of Algorithms and Data Structures. He is designing different optimization algorithms and machine learning models for the industry. Because of his passion for entrepreneurship, he also founded a natural honey cosmetics company, called Beesmetic, and wants to found a tech company in the near future. During his free time, he likes to work out and play board games with his friends and family. He also loves to learn and teach others about computer science and mathematics. That is why he also went to The Gambia, Africa, as a volunteer and helped organize summer camp workshops for kids, where he taught them Mathematics and English through different games and exercises.

Larsen is truly excited to be this year’s ASEF Junior Fellow. He can’t wait to gain new knowledge related to Artificial Intelligence under the mentorship of prof. Mateja Jamnik at Cambridge University.

Cundrič Larsen

Larsen je dodiplomski študent na Fakulteti za Računalništvo in Informatiko (FRI), Univerza v Ljubljani, in trenutno piše diplomsko nalogo iz področja strojnega učenja. Preden se bo udeležil raziskovalnega obiska, bo zaključil svoj dodiplomski študij na Facutly of Engineering, South Denmark University, kot erasmus študent. Tekom svojega študija dela v laboratoriju za algoritme in podatkovne strukture. Ustvarja razne optimizacijske algoritme in modele strojnega učenja za proizvodnjo. Zaradi svoje strasti do podjetništva, je ustanovil svoje podjetje z naravno medeno kozmetiko Beesmetic in želi v bližnji prihodnosti ustanoviti tudi tehnološko podjetje. V svojem prostem času rad telovadi in igra družabne igre s prijatelji in družino. Prav tako se rad uči in poučuje druge o računalništvu in matematiki. Zato je tudi kot prostovoljec obiskal Gambijo, kjer je pomagal organizirati poletne delavnice za otroke in jih preko različnih vaj in iger učil matematiko in angleščino.

Larsen je navdušen, da je letošnji ASEF štipendist in komaj čaka, da bo pridobil novo znanje iz področja umetne inteligence pod mentorstvom prof. Mateje Jamnik na Univerzi Cambridge.

Gorišek Maruša

Maruša Gorišek is a MA of Political Science and a PhD student of Sociology at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica. She is working as a young researcher at the Institute for developmental and strategic analyses in Ljubljana, where she is a member of a research program titled Socio-cultural and organizational aspects of knowledge and technology transfer. Her research currently focuses on the concept of meritocracy and the role of experts, knowledge and science in societies. She gained practical experiences working at the field of public relations and as a Schumann trainee at the European parliament liaison office. Already during her undergraduate studies, she participated in two international exchanges at the Masaryk University in Brno and the University of Helsinki. As a part of ASEF Junior Fellowship, she is going on a study visit to prof. Peter J. Verovšek to the University of Sheffield.

In her free time, she is mainly involved in curling, where she is also a multiple-time national champion and a member of the Slovenian national team.

SLOVENIAN
Maruša Gorišek je magistrica politologije in doktorska študentka sociologije na Fakulteti za uporabne družbene študije v Novi Gorici. Kot mlada raziskovalka je zaposlena na Inštitutu za razvojne in strateške analize, kjer je članica programske skupine Sociokulturni in organizacijski vidiki prenosa znanja in tehnologije. Trenutno se raziskovalno ukvarja predvsem s konceptom meritokracije ter vprašanjem vloge ekspertov, znanja in znanosti v družbi. Praktične izkušnje si je med drugim nabirala tudi z delom na področju odnosov z javnostmi ter v pisarni Evropskega parlamenta v okviru programa Schumannove prakse. Že tekom dodiplomskega in magistrskega študija se je udeležila dveh izmenjav na Masarykovi univerzi v Brnu ter na Univerzi v Helsinkih, v okviru ASEF Junior Fellowship pa se podaja na študijski obisk k prof. Petru J. Verovšku na Univerzo v Sheffieldu.

V prostem času se ukvarja predvsem s curlingom, kjer je tudi večkratna državna prvakinja in slovenska reprezentantka.

Gorišek Maruša

Maruša Gorišek is a MA of Political Science and a PhD student of Sociology at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica. She is working as a young researcher at the Institute for developmental and strategic analyses in Ljubljana, where she is a member of a research program titled Socio-cultural and organizational aspects of knowledge and technology transfer. Her research currently focuses on the concept of meritocracy and the role of experts, knowledge and science in societies. She gained practical experiences working at the field of public relations and as a Schumann trainee at the European parliament liaison office. Already during her undergraduate studies, she participated in two international exchanges at the Masaryk University in Brno and the University of Helsinki. As a part of ASEF Junior Fellowship, she is going on a study visit to prof. Peter J. Verovšek to the University of Sheffield.

In her free time, she is mainly involved in curling, where she is also a multiple-time national champion and a member of the Slovenian national team.

SLOVENIAN
Maruša Gorišek je magistrica politologije in doktorska študentka sociologije na Fakulteti za uporabne družbene študije v Novi Gorici. Kot mlada raziskovalka je zaposlena na Inštitutu za razvojne in strateške analize, kjer je članica programske skupine Sociokulturni in organizacijski vidiki prenosa znanja in tehnologije. Trenutno se raziskovalno ukvarja predvsem s konceptom meritokracije ter vprašanjem vloge ekspertov, znanja in znanosti v družbi. Praktične izkušnje si je med drugim nabirala tudi z delom na področju odnosov z javnostmi ter v pisarni Evropskega parlamenta v okviru programa Schumannove prakse. Že tekom dodiplomskega in magistrskega študija se je udeležila dveh izmenjav na Masarykovi univerzi v Brnu ter na Univerzi v Helsinkih, v okviru ASEF Junior Fellowship pa se podaja na študijski obisk k prof. Petru J. Verovšku na Univerzo v Sheffieldu.

V prostem času se ukvarja predvsem s curlingom, kjer je tudi večkratna državna prvakinja in slovenska reprezentantka.

Grad Gašper

Gašper Grad is a Master’s student at University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business where he also obtained his bachelor’s degree. During his studies he has participated in study exchanges at Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Spain) and Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mexico). At his home university, he carries out seminars of human resources management for undergraduate students. Furthemore, he is an active member of student’s society TopEF and a co-founder of the business hackathon Innovative all-nighter. His main field of research interest is organisational psychology. Thanks to ASEF he will join forces with prof. Tina Saksida on his research visit in Canada. His favorite spare time activities are sports, dancing and socializing.

SLOVENIAN
Gašper Grad je magistrski študent na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Tekom študija se je udeležil izmenjav na Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Španija) in na Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mehika). Na domači fakulteti vodi seminarje za dodiplomske študente pri predmetu Ravnanje z ljudmi pri delu. Poleg tega je aktiven član študentskega društva TopEF in soustanovitelj poslovnega hekatona Innovative all-nighter. Področje, ki ga z raziskovalnega vidika najbolj privlači, je organizacijska psihologija. S pomočjo ASEF bo na svojem raziskovalnem obisku v Kanadi združil moči s prof. Tino Saksida. Njegove najljubše prostočasne aktivnosti so šport, ples in druženje.

Grad Gašper

Gašper Grad is a Master’s student at University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business where he also obtained his bachelor’s degree. During his studies he has participated in study exchanges at Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Spain) and Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mexico). At his home university, he carries out seminars of human resources management for undergraduate students. Furthemore, he is an active member of student’s society TopEF and a co-founder of the business hackathon Innovative all-nighter. His main field of research interest is organisational psychology. Thanks to ASEF he will join forces with prof. Tina Saksida on his research visit in Canada. His favorite spare time activities are sports, dancing and socializing.

SLOVENIAN
Gašper Grad je magistrski študent na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Tekom študija se je udeležil izmenjav na Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Španija) in na Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mehika). Na domači fakulteti vodi seminarje za dodiplomske študente pri predmetu Ravnanje z ljudmi pri delu. Poleg tega je aktiven član študentskega društva TopEF in soustanovitelj poslovnega hekatona Innovative all-nighter. Področje, ki ga z raziskovalnega vidika najbolj privlači, je organizacijska psihologija. S pomočjo ASEF bo na svojem raziskovalnem obisku v Kanadi združil moči s prof. Tino Saksida. Njegove najljubše prostočasne aktivnosti so šport, ples in druženje.

Jazbec Metod

Metod recently graduated from the Masters in Data Science program at ETH Zurich. Before that, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Financial Mathematics at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. Throughout his Masters, he worked on various research projects, ranging from developing privacy-preserving Machine Learning algorithms to analyzing the dynamics of financial markets based on the news sentiment. In his thesis work, Metod focused on the area of deep probabilistic modelling, namely on improving the scaling properties of such models. Outside of studies and work, Metod enjoys travelling and all kinds of sports (basketball, skiing, tennis). He is excited to join the ASEF Junior Fellows program and ASEF’s mission to strengthen academic ties between Slovenian researchers back home and abroad. As part of the program, he will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University.

SLOVENIAN
Metod je pred kratkim zaključil magistrski študij na področju Data Science na univerzi ETH v Zürichu. Pred tem je diplomiral iz finančne matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani. Tekom magisterija je delal na različnih Machine Learning raziskovalnih projektih: od razvoja algoritmov, ki slonijo na ohranitvi zasebnosti podatkov do analize dinamike finančnih trgov na podlagi sentimenta iz novic. V svoji magistrski nalogi se je osredotočil na področje globokih probabilističnih modelov. V prostem času Metod uživa v potovanjih in je športni navdušenec (košarka, smučanje, tenis). V okviru programa ASEF bo obiskal profesorja Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford in se veseli, da bo lahko prispeval k krepitvi akademskih vezi med slovenskimi raziskovalci doma in v tujini.

Jazbec Metod

Metod recently graduated from the Masters in Data Science program at ETH Zurich. Before that, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Financial Mathematics at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. Throughout his Masters, he worked on various research projects, ranging from developing privacy-preserving Machine Learning algorithms to analyzing the dynamics of financial markets based on the news sentiment. In his thesis work, Metod focused on the area of deep probabilistic modelling, namely on improving the scaling properties of such models. Outside of studies and work, Metod enjoys travelling and all kinds of sports (basketball, skiing, tennis). He is excited to join the ASEF Junior Fellows program and ASEF’s mission to strengthen academic ties between Slovenian researchers back home and abroad. As part of the program, he will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University.

SLOVENIAN
Metod je pred kratkim zaključil magistrski študij na področju Data Science na univerzi ETH v Zürichu. Pred tem je diplomiral iz finančne matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani. Tekom magisterija je delal na različnih Machine Learning raziskovalnih projektih: od razvoja algoritmov, ki slonijo na ohranitvi zasebnosti podatkov do analize dinamike finančnih trgov na podlagi sentimenta iz novic. V svoji magistrski nalogi se je osredotočil na področje globokih probabilističnih modelov. V prostem času Metod uživa v potovanjih in je športni navdušenec (košarka, smučanje, tenis). V okviru programa ASEF bo obiskal profesorja Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford in se veseli, da bo lahko prispeval k krepitvi akademskih vezi med slovenskimi raziskovalci doma in v tujini.

Keršič Vid

Vid Keršič is a Computer Science Master's student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, where he also obtained his bachelor's degree in Computer Science. In the year 2020, he was selected as the 2nd best student at the University of Maribor. During his bachelor's degree studies, he started working at the Blockchain Lab:UM at the faculty, researching blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, data privacy, and self-sovereign identity. He is also researching and developing machine learning models for learning representation of entities in graph-structured data (e.g., Wikipedia graph). As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Vid will visit prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University, to work on artificial intelligence-related projects. He is very excited about the research visit, which will surely help him learn many new skills for his future projects.

During his spare time, Vid likes to travel, play tennis, read science fiction books, and watch movies and documentaries.

SLOVENIAN
Vid Keršič je študent magistrskega študija Računalništva in informacijskih tehnologij na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Mariboru, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Leta 2020 je bil izbran za drugega najboljšega študenta Univerze v Mariboru. Tekom diplomskega študija je na fakulteti začel sodelovati v skupini Blockchain Lab:UM, v sklopu katere raziskuje tehnologijo veriženja blokov, zasebnost podatkov in upravljanje digitalnih identitet. Aktiven je tudi pri razvoju in raziskovanju modelov strojnega učenja za učenje predstavitve entitet v podatkih v obliki grafa (na primer graf Wikipedije). V sklopu programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo Vid obiskal prof. dr. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford, kjer bo delal na projektih s področja umetne inteligence. Raziskovalnega obiska se zelo veseli, saj mu bo gotovo pomagal pridobiti nove veščine, ki mu bodo pomagale pri bodočih projektih.

V prostem času rad potuje, igra tenis, bere znanstveno-fantastične knjige in gleda filme ter dokumentarce.

Keršič Vid

Vid Keršič is a Computer Science Master's student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, where he also obtained his bachelor's degree in Computer Science. In the year 2020, he was selected as the 2nd best student at the University of Maribor. During his bachelor's degree studies, he started working at the Blockchain Lab:UM at the faculty, researching blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, data privacy, and self-sovereign identity. He is also researching and developing machine learning models for learning representation of entities in graph-structured data (e.g., Wikipedia graph). As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Vid will visit prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University, to work on artificial intelligence-related projects. He is very excited about the research visit, which will surely help him learn many new skills for his future projects.

During his spare time, Vid likes to travel, play tennis, read science fiction books, and watch movies and documentaries.

SLOVENIAN
Vid Keršič je študent magistrskega študija Računalništva in informacijskih tehnologij na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Mariboru, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Leta 2020 je bil izbran za drugega najboljšega študenta Univerze v Mariboru. Tekom diplomskega študija je na fakulteti začel sodelovati v skupini Blockchain Lab:UM, v sklopu katere raziskuje tehnologijo veriženja blokov, zasebnost podatkov in upravljanje digitalnih identitet. Aktiven je tudi pri razvoju in raziskovanju modelov strojnega učenja za učenje predstavitve entitet v podatkih v obliki grafa (na primer graf Wikipedije). V sklopu programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo Vid obiskal prof. dr. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford, kjer bo delal na projektih s področja umetne inteligence. Raziskovalnega obiska se zelo veseli, saj mu bo gotovo pomagal pridobiti nove veščine, ki mu bodo pomagale pri bodočih projektih.

V prostem času rad potuje, igra tenis, bere znanstveno-fantastične knjige in gleda filme ter dokumentarce.

Klanšek Rhea

A Slovenian raised in the US, Rhea is pursuing a Masters of Business Informatics at the School of Economics and Business (SEB) University of Ljubljana. As the Project Manager at BLCKB Applied Neuroscience, she primarily focuses on the product development of Whitebox, a cloud platform for processing EEG as well as BRNoutID, a system for fatigue detection. Her research on neuromarketing data made her a finalist for the science breakthrough of 2020 at the Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week Conference. She joined BLCKB after COVID19 interrupted her work developing AI movie trailers performance predictions in Dublin’s startup Picasso Analytics founded in collaboration with her colleagues from Prague Film School. Her interest in neuroscience started with her volunteer work in Epilep.si where she was part of the team that achieved the top 5 NASA Space Challenge in 2015 and IEEE Brain hackathon award for the most humanitarian startup in 2016. As an ASEF fellow, Rhea will research at the University of Wyoming, on projects pertaining to biomedical signal processing, sensor fusion and virtual reality, under the mentorship of prof. Domen Novak.

In her spare time, Rhea is an avid fan of comic books and has successfully self-published a History of American comics on Kickstarter. She also edits films and loves going to film festivals.

SLOVENIAN
Rhea – Slovenka, ki je odraščala v ZDA – opravlja magisterij iz poslovne informatike na Ekonomski Fakulteti (SEB) Univerze v Ljubljani. Kot vodja projekta pri aplikativnem nevroznanstvenem startupu BLCKB, se Rhea osredotoča na razvoj projektov Whitebox, oblačne platforme za obdelavo EEG-jev, ter BRNoutID, sistema za odkrivanje utrujenosti. Njene raziskave na nevromarketinških meritvah so jo pripeljale med finaliste znanstvenega preboja leta 2020 na konferenci Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week. Startupu BLCKB se je pridružila potem, ko je COVID-19 prekinil njeno delo v dublinskem startupu Picasso Analytics, ustanovljenem v sodelovanju z njenimi kolegi iz praške filmske šole. V Dublinu se je osredotočala na razvoj napovedovanja uspešnosti filmskih trailerjev z AI. Njeno zanimanje za nevroznanost se je začelo s prostovoljnim delom v Epilep.si, kjer je bila del ekipe, ki je leta 2015 dosegla top 5 NASA Space Challenge in IEEE Brain hackathon Award za najbolj humanitarni startup v letu 2016. Kot ASEF fellow bo Rhea pod mentorstvom prof. Domna Novaka raziskovala na Univerzi v Wyomingu biomedicinsko obdelavo signalov, fuzijo senzorjev in navidezno resničnost.

V prostem času je Rhea ljubiteljica stripov in je na Kickstarterju uspešno izdala Zgodovino ameriških animacij. Ureja tudi filme in rada hodi na filmske festivale.

Klanšek Rhea

A Slovenian raised in the US, Rhea is pursuing a Masters of Business Informatics at the School of Economics and Business (SEB) University of Ljubljana. As the Project Manager at BLCKB Applied Neuroscience, she primarily focuses on the product development of Whitebox, a cloud platform for processing EEG as well as BRNoutID, a system for fatigue detection. Her research on neuromarketing data made her a finalist for the science breakthrough of 2020 at the Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week Conference. She joined BLCKB after COVID19 interrupted her work developing AI movie trailers performance predictions in Dublin’s startup Picasso Analytics founded in collaboration with her colleagues from Prague Film School. Her interest in neuroscience started with her volunteer work in Epilep.si where she was part of the team that achieved the top 5 NASA Space Challenge in 2015 and IEEE Brain hackathon award for the most humanitarian startup in 2016. As an ASEF fellow, Rhea will research at the University of Wyoming, on projects pertaining to biomedical signal processing, sensor fusion and virtual reality, under the mentorship of prof. Domen Novak.

In her spare time, Rhea is an avid fan of comic books and has successfully self-published a History of American comics on Kickstarter. She also edits films and loves going to film festivals.

SLOVENIAN
Rhea – Slovenka, ki je odraščala v ZDA – opravlja magisterij iz poslovne informatike na Ekonomski Fakulteti (SEB) Univerze v Ljubljani. Kot vodja projekta pri aplikativnem nevroznanstvenem startupu BLCKB, se Rhea osredotoča na razvoj projektov Whitebox, oblačne platforme za obdelavo EEG-jev, ter BRNoutID, sistema za odkrivanje utrujenosti. Njene raziskave na nevromarketinških meritvah so jo pripeljale med finaliste znanstvenega preboja leta 2020 na konferenci Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week. Startupu BLCKB se je pridružila potem, ko je COVID-19 prekinil njeno delo v dublinskem startupu Picasso Analytics, ustanovljenem v sodelovanju z njenimi kolegi iz praške filmske šole. V Dublinu se je osredotočala na razvoj napovedovanja uspešnosti filmskih trailerjev z AI. Njeno zanimanje za nevroznanost se je začelo s prostovoljnim delom v Epilep.si, kjer je bila del ekipe, ki je leta 2015 dosegla top 5 NASA Space Challenge in IEEE Brain hackathon Award za najbolj humanitarni startup v letu 2016. Kot ASEF fellow bo Rhea pod mentorstvom prof. Domna Novaka raziskovala na Univerzi v Wyomingu biomedicinsko obdelavo signalov, fuzijo senzorjev in navidezno resničnost.

V prostem času je Rhea ljubiteljica stripov in je na Kickstarterju uspešno izdala Zgodovino ameriških animacij. Ureja tudi filme in rada hodi na filmske festivale.

Knez Lea

Lea Knez is a Biochemistry Master’s student at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. During her Bachelor’s studies, she worked at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where her research was focused on uncovering the molecular mechanism of a rare genetic disease – the Prader-Willi syndrome. In the last year of her studies in Ljubljana, she was selected to participate in the TRANS-GLIOMA project at the Faculty of Medicine to develop nanobodies that target novel glioblastoma stem cell markers. This summer Lea will have the amazing opportunity to join the research group of Prof. Jernej Ule at The Francis Crick Institute in London, where she will explore the dynamic world of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins and their involvement in neurodegenerative diseases. She is a strong believer that real growth begins at the end of one's comfort zone. That is why she welcomes the set of challenges that come with this opportunity, as she sees them as key components to her personal and scientific growth.

When Lea is not pipetting in the lab, she transfers her experiments into the kitchen, where she likes to try out new dishes and combinations of flavours. She also enjoys reading good books, travelling, discovering new cultures and exploring art.

SLOVENIAN
Lea Knez je magistrska študentka biokemije na Univerzi Ludwiga Maximiliana v Münchnu. Tekom dodiplomskega študija biokemije je na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan raziskovala molekularno ozadje redke genetske bolezni – Prader-Willijevega sindroma. V zadnjem letu študija v Ljubljani je bila izbrana za sodelovanje v projektu TRANS-GLIOMA na Medicinski Fakulteti, v sklopu katerega je razvijala nanotelesa, ki specifično prepoznajo markerje glioblastomskih matičnih celic. Letošnje leto pa se je Lei ponudila izjemna priložnost, saj bo v okviru ASEFA obiskala prof. Jerneja Uleta na Inštitutu Francis Crick v Londonu, kjer bo raziskovala dinamični svet RNA in RNA-vezavnih proteinov ter njihovo vpletenost v nevrodegenerativne bolezni. Ker verjame, da se resnična rast začne, ko izstopiš iz cone udobja, je ni strah izzvov, ki prihajajo skupaj s ponujeno priložnostjo, saj jih vidi kot ključne komponente svoje osebne in znanstvene rasti.

Ko Lea ne pipetira v laboratoriju, svoje eksperimentiranje preseli v kuhinjo, kjer rada odkriva nove jedi in kombinacije okusov. Poleg tega rada bere dobre knjige, potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter odkriva umetnost.

Knez Lea

Lea Knez is a Biochemistry Master’s student at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. During her Bachelor’s studies, she worked at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where her research was focused on uncovering the molecular mechanism of a rare genetic disease – the Prader-Willi syndrome. In the last year of her studies in Ljubljana, she was selected to participate in the TRANS-GLIOMA project at the Faculty of Medicine to develop nanobodies that target novel glioblastoma stem cell markers. This summer Lea will have the amazing opportunity to join the research group of Prof. Jernej Ule at The Francis Crick Institute in London, where she will explore the dynamic world of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins and their involvement in neurodegenerative diseases. She is a strong believer that real growth begins at the end of one's comfort zone. That is why she welcomes the set of challenges that come with this opportunity, as she sees them as key components to her personal and scientific growth.

When Lea is not pipetting in the lab, she transfers her experiments into the kitchen, where she likes to try out new dishes and combinations of flavours. She also enjoys reading good books, travelling, discovering new cultures and exploring art.

SLOVENIAN
Lea Knez je magistrska študentka biokemije na Univerzi Ludwiga Maximiliana v Münchnu. Tekom dodiplomskega študija biokemije je na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan raziskovala molekularno ozadje redke genetske bolezni – Prader-Willijevega sindroma. V zadnjem letu študija v Ljubljani je bila izbrana za sodelovanje v projektu TRANS-GLIOMA na Medicinski Fakulteti, v sklopu katerega je razvijala nanotelesa, ki specifično prepoznajo markerje glioblastomskih matičnih celic. Letošnje leto pa se je Lei ponudila izjemna priložnost, saj bo v okviru ASEFA obiskala prof. Jerneja Uleta na Inštitutu Francis Crick v Londonu, kjer bo raziskovala dinamični svet RNA in RNA-vezavnih proteinov ter njihovo vpletenost v nevrodegenerativne bolezni. Ker verjame, da se resnična rast začne, ko izstopiš iz cone udobja, je ni strah izzvov, ki prihajajo skupaj s ponujeno priložnostjo, saj jih vidi kot ključne komponente svoje osebne in znanstvene rasti.

Ko Lea ne pipetira v laboratoriju, svoje eksperimentiranje preseli v kuhinjo, kjer rada odkriva nove jedi in kombinacije okusov. Poleg tega rada bere dobre knjige, potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter odkriva umetnost.

Knez Špela

Špela is a second-year PhD student of Biosciences, University of Ljubljana. During her master's study of Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana, she worked as a student intern in Novartis company- Lek, d.d., in a Bioprocess laboratory, developing high yielding bioprocesses. She finished her master's degree as a part of Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Natural resources and Life sciences, Vienna, working on a metabolic model of CHO cells. After that, she spent a semester in Max-Delbrück centre for molecular medicine, Berlin, where she enthusiastically joined a project that aims to develop an autonomous cell-engineering approach for B cells.

Now, Špela focuses on innate immunity, especially on Toll-like receptor 10. She feels honoured to be accepted to prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where she will be working on crystal domains of TLR10. She's a big enthusiast of nature and outdoor sport, and spends her spare time alpine climbing, hiking the mountains or backcountry skiing.

SLOVENIAN
Špela je študentka drugega letnika doktorskega študija Bioznanosti, Univerza v Ljubljani. Med magistrskim študijem Biotehnologije, Univerza v Ljubljani je kot študentka delala v podjetju Novartis -Lek, d.d., v bioprocesnem laboratoriju in razvijala visoko donosne procese. Magistrirala je v okviru izmenjave Erasmus+ na Univerzi za naravne vire in znanosti o življenju na Dunaju, kjer razvijala metabolični model celic CHO. Po tem je preživela semester v centru za molekularno medicino Max-Delbrück v Berlinu, kjer se je navdušeno pridružila projektu, katerega cilj je razviti avtonomni celični inženiring za celice B.

Zdaj se Špela osredotoča na prirojeno imunost, zlasti na cestninsko podoben receptor 10. Počaščena je, da je bila sprejeta v laboratorij prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe na Univerzi Queensland v Brisbane, kjer bo delala na kristalnih domenah TLR10. Je velika navdušenka nad naravo in športom na prostem, v prostem času se ukvarja z alpinizmom, pohodništvom in turnim smučanjem.

Knez Špela

Špela is a second-year PhD student of Biosciences, University of Ljubljana. During her master's study of Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana, she worked as a student intern in Novartis company- Lek, d.d., in a Bioprocess laboratory, developing high yielding bioprocesses. She finished her master's degree as a part of Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Natural resources and Life sciences, Vienna, working on a metabolic model of CHO cells. After that, she spent a semester in Max-Delbrück centre for molecular medicine, Berlin, where she enthusiastically joined a project that aims to develop an autonomous cell-engineering approach for B cells.

Now, Špela focuses on innate immunity, especially on Toll-like receptor 10. She feels honoured to be accepted to prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where she will be working on crystal domains of TLR10. She's a big enthusiast of nature and outdoor sport, and spends her spare time alpine climbing, hiking the mountains or backcountry skiing.

SLOVENIAN
Špela je študentka drugega letnika doktorskega študija Bioznanosti, Univerza v Ljubljani. Med magistrskim študijem Biotehnologije, Univerza v Ljubljani je kot študentka delala v podjetju Novartis -Lek, d.d., v bioprocesnem laboratoriju in razvijala visoko donosne procese. Magistrirala je v okviru izmenjave Erasmus+ na Univerzi za naravne vire in znanosti o življenju na Dunaju, kjer razvijala metabolični model celic CHO. Po tem je preživela semester v centru za molekularno medicino Max-Delbrück v Berlinu, kjer se je navdušeno pridružila projektu, katerega cilj je razviti avtonomni celični inženiring za celice B.

Zdaj se Špela osredotoča na prirojeno imunost, zlasti na cestninsko podoben receptor 10. Počaščena je, da je bila sprejeta v laboratorij prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe na Univerzi Queensland v Brisbane, kjer bo delala na kristalnih domenah TLR10. Je velika navdušenka nad naravo in športom na prostem, v prostem času se ukvarja z alpinizmom, pohodništvom in turnim smučanjem.

Krišelj Ajda

Ajda Krišelj recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a 1st class honours MA degree in Cognitive Science (Humanities). For her honours dissertation, she explored the differences in mental representations between Slovenian and English native speakers, specifically how the dual grammatical number affects them. She spent the third year of her undergraduate degree in New Zealand studying at the University of Auckland, where she actively engaged with the Slovenian community. Currently, she is working as an Academic Mentor in a primary school in London, where she is doing interventions in primary numeracy and trying to tackle the gaps in pupil’s knowledge caused by the school closures. She is hoping to pursue a master's degree in Speech and Language Science at UCL later.

She is very honoured for the opportunity to explore linguistic intricacies further by visiting prof. Gašper Beguš at UC Berkeley as an ASEF Junior Fellow. She is excited to contribute to research about how language works in the brain and applying that to clinical practice. In her free time, she enjoys playing the harp, singing in a choir, climbing, and mountaineering. She likes to travel and meet new people as well.

SLOVENIAN
Ajda Krišelj je pred kratkim z odliko diplomirala iz kognitivne znanosti na Univerzi v Edinburghu. Za diplomsko nalogo je raziskovala, kako se mentalne reprezentacije razlikujejo med maternimi govorci slovenščine in angleščine, bolj natančno, kako na njih vpliva dvojina. Tretji letnik je preživela na Novi Zelandiji, kjer je študirala na Univerzi v Aucklandu. Aktivno se je vključila v tamkajšnjo slovensko skupnost. Trenutno dela kot akademska mentorica na osnovni šoli v Londonu, kjer pomaga učencem, ki so zaradi zaprtja šol ostali za svojimi vrstniki. Upa, da bo naslednje leto nadaljevala študij jezikoslovja in logopedije na magistrski stopnji v Londonu.

Zelo je počaščena, da bo lahko nadaljevala svoje lingvistično raziskovanje med obiskom pri prof. Gašperju Begušu na univerzi Berkeley v Kaliforniji. V prostem času rada igra harfo, poje v zboru, pleza in hodi v gore. Rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove ljudi.

Krišelj Ajda

Ajda Krišelj recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a 1st class honours MA degree in Cognitive Science (Humanities). For her honours dissertation, she explored the differences in mental representations between Slovenian and English native speakers, specifically how the dual grammatical number affects them. She spent the third year of her undergraduate degree in New Zealand studying at the University of Auckland, where she actively engaged with the Slovenian community. Currently, she is working as an Academic Mentor in a primary school in London, where she is doing interventions in primary numeracy and trying to tackle the gaps in pupil’s knowledge caused by the school closures. She is hoping to pursue a master's degree in Speech and Language Science at UCL later.

She is very honoured for the opportunity to explore linguistic intricacies further by visiting prof. Gašper Beguš at UC Berkeley as an ASEF Junior Fellow. She is excited to contribute to research about how language works in the brain and applying that to clinical practice. In her free time, she enjoys playing the harp, singing in a choir, climbing, and mountaineering. She likes to travel and meet new people as well.

SLOVENIAN
Ajda Krišelj je pred kratkim z odliko diplomirala iz kognitivne znanosti na Univerzi v Edinburghu. Za diplomsko nalogo je raziskovala, kako se mentalne reprezentacije razlikujejo med maternimi govorci slovenščine in angleščine, bolj natančno, kako na njih vpliva dvojina. Tretji letnik je preživela na Novi Zelandiji, kjer je študirala na Univerzi v Aucklandu. Aktivno se je vključila v tamkajšnjo slovensko skupnost. Trenutno dela kot akademska mentorica na osnovni šoli v Londonu, kjer pomaga učencem, ki so zaradi zaprtja šol ostali za svojimi vrstniki. Upa, da bo naslednje leto nadaljevala študij jezikoslovja in logopedije na magistrski stopnji v Londonu.

Zelo je počaščena, da bo lahko nadaljevala svoje lingvistično raziskovanje med obiskom pri prof. Gašperju Begušu na univerzi Berkeley v Kaliforniji. V prostem času rada igra harfo, poje v zboru, pleza in hodi v gore. Rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove ljudi.

Krivec Tadej

Tadej Krivec is pursuing a Ph.D. at Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Systems and Control. He graduated from college with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He aims to bridge the gap between engineering and recent developments in probabilistic machine learning, mostly using Gaussian Processes for learning dynamical systems. Frustrated by the uncertainty in the world, he prefers a probabilistic approach to model from data. He will be visiting professor Gregor Verbič at the Centre for Future Energy Networks, University of Sydney, where he will try to contribute to solving the sustainable energy supply puzzle which holds the key to the prosperity of humankind.

Tadej’s free time is consumed with sports, from his favorite cycling to running, swimming, hiking, skiing, and lately also free climbing. Only the list of his injuries is longer than the list of sports he participates in.

SLOVENIAN
Tadej Krivec je mladi raziskovalec na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, Oddelek za sisteme in vodenje. Diplomiral in magistriral je na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani. Njegov cilj je premostiti vrzel med inženiringom in aktualnim razvojem verjetnostnega strojnega učenja, večinoma z uporabo gaussovskih procesov za modeliranje dinamičnih sistemov. Zaradi pristotnosti negotovosti v svetu preferira verjetnostni pristop za modeliranje iz podatkov. Obiskal bo profesorja Gregorja Verbiča v Centru za prihodnost energetskih omrežij na Univerzi v Sydneyju, kjer bo poskušal prispevati k reševanju uganke o trajnostni oskrbi z energijo, ki bo ključna za blaginjo človeštva v prihodnosti.

Tadejev prosti čas je zapolnjen s športom, od njemu najljubšega kolesarjenja do teka, plavanja, pohodništva, smučanja, v zadnjem času pa tudi plezanja. Le seznam njegovih poškodb je daljši od seznama športov s katerimi se ukvarja.

Krivec Tadej

Tadej Krivec is pursuing a Ph.D. at Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Systems and Control. He graduated from college with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He aims to bridge the gap between engineering and recent developments in probabilistic machine learning, mostly using Gaussian Processes for learning dynamical systems. Frustrated by the uncertainty in the world, he prefers a probabilistic approach to model from data. He will be visiting professor Gregor Verbič at the Centre for Future Energy Networks, University of Sydney, where he will try to contribute to solving the sustainable energy supply puzzle which holds the key to the prosperity of humankind.

Tadej’s free time is consumed with sports, from his favorite cycling to running, swimming, hiking, skiing, and lately also free climbing. Only the list of his injuries is longer than the list of sports he participates in.

SLOVENIAN
Tadej Krivec je mladi raziskovalec na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, Oddelek za sisteme in vodenje. Diplomiral in magistriral je na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani. Njegov cilj je premostiti vrzel med inženiringom in aktualnim razvojem verjetnostnega strojnega učenja, večinoma z uporabo gaussovskih procesov za modeliranje dinamičnih sistemov. Zaradi pristotnosti negotovosti v svetu preferira verjetnostni pristop za modeliranje iz podatkov. Obiskal bo profesorja Gregorja Verbiča v Centru za prihodnost energetskih omrežij na Univerzi v Sydneyju, kjer bo poskušal prispevati k reševanju uganke o trajnostni oskrbi z energijo, ki bo ključna za blaginjo človeštva v prihodnosti.

Tadejev prosti čas je zapolnjen s športom, od njemu najljubšega kolesarjenja do teka, plavanja, pohodništva, smučanja, v zadnjem času pa tudi plezanja. Le seznam njegovih poškodb je daljši od seznama športov s katerimi se ukvarja.

Kropivnik Luka

Luka Kropivnik has a degree in Russian Studies and Slovene Studies. He completed his studies at the first level with a diploma thesis Mayakovsky in Contemporary Slovene Poetry, where he dealt with the influences of the Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky on contemporary Slovene poets. Between 2017 and 2019, he held the position of student vice-dean at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Luka Kropivnik is currently completing the study program Slovene Studies and History, and at the same time he is studying ethnology and cultural anthropology and comparative literature and literary theory at the master's level. He mostly focuses on issues of contemporary Slovene literature, contemporary Slovene history and didactics of literature.

As part of ASEF, Luka Kropivnik will visit dr. Kaja Antlej at the Deakin University in Australia, where he will deal with contemporary museum presentations and the Slovenian community in Australia.

SLOVENIAN
Luka Kropivnik je diplomirani rusist in slovenist. Študij na prvi stopnji je zaključil z diplomsko nalogo Majakovski v sodobni slovenski poeziji, kjer se je ukvarjal z vplivi ruskega pesnika Vladimirja Majakovskega na sodobne slovenske pesnike. Med leti 2017 in 2019 je opravljal funkcijo prodekana študenta na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Luka Kropivnik trenutno zaključuje študijski program slovenistika in zgodovina, vzporedno pa na magistrski stopnji študira še etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo in primerjalno književnost in literarno teorijo. Večinoma se posveča vprašanjem sodobne slovenske književnosti, sodobne slovenske zgodovine in didaktike književnosti.

V okviru ASEF bo Luka Kropivnik gostoval na Univerzi Deakin v Avstraliji pri dr. Kaji Antlej, kjer se bo ukvarjal s sodobnimi muzejskimi prezenatcijami in slovensko skupnostjo v Avstraliji.

Kropivnik Luka

Luka Kropivnik has a degree in Russian Studies and Slovene Studies. He completed his studies at the first level with a diploma thesis Mayakovsky in Contemporary Slovene Poetry, where he dealt with the influences of the Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky on contemporary Slovene poets. Between 2017 and 2019, he held the position of student vice-dean at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Luka Kropivnik is currently completing the study program Slovene Studies and History, and at the same time he is studying ethnology and cultural anthropology and comparative literature and literary theory at the master's level. He mostly focuses on issues of contemporary Slovene literature, contemporary Slovene history and didactics of literature.

As part of ASEF, Luka Kropivnik will visit dr. Kaja Antlej at the Deakin University in Australia, where he will deal with contemporary museum presentations and the Slovenian community in Australia.

SLOVENIAN
Luka Kropivnik je diplomirani rusist in slovenist. Študij na prvi stopnji je zaključil z diplomsko nalogo Majakovski v sodobni slovenski poeziji, kjer se je ukvarjal z vplivi ruskega pesnika Vladimirja Majakovskega na sodobne slovenske pesnike. Med leti 2017 in 2019 je opravljal funkcijo prodekana študenta na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Luka Kropivnik trenutno zaključuje študijski program slovenistika in zgodovina, vzporedno pa na magistrski stopnji študira še etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo in primerjalno književnost in literarno teorijo. Večinoma se posveča vprašanjem sodobne slovenske književnosti, sodobne slovenske zgodovine in didaktike književnosti.

V okviru ASEF bo Luka Kropivnik gostoval na Univerzi Deakin v Avstraliji pri dr. Kaji Antlej, kjer se bo ukvarjal s sodobnimi muzejskimi prezenatcijami in slovensko skupnostjo v Avstraliji.

Mlakar Tjaša

Tjaša Mlakar graduated from Laboratory biomedicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. After graduation, she went to Ireland, where she completed a four-month Erasmus+ trainee program working with flow cytometry at Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Due to her great experience, she decided to stay in Ireland and pursue an MSc in Molecular medicine at Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin. She graduated with awarded distinction and continued her studies in Ljubljana where she is currently a first-year student of the master's program in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical technology. In her free time, she loves to go horse riding as she has been an equestrian for many years. She also loves to travel and experience new cultures and meet new people.

ASEF fellowship enabled her to collaborate with professor Jernej Murn at the University of California, Riverside, whose research group focuses on researching biology of RNA molecules. She is really excited about the collaboration as it is a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and practical experiences.

SLOVENIAN
Tjaša Mlakar je diplomirala iz laboratorijske biomedicine na Fakulteti za farmacijo v Ljubljani. Po končanem študiju je na Irskem opravila štirimesečno Erasmus+ praktično usposabljanje iz pretočne citometrije na Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Zaradi dobre izkušnje na Irskem je ostala v Dublinu in opravila magisterij iz molekularne medicine na Trinity College Dublin, Univerza v Dublinu. Po zaključenem magisteriju nadaljuje študij še v Ljubljani, kjer je trenutno prvi letnik magistrskega študija biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo. V prostem času se že vrsto let ukvarja s konjeništvom, rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter ljudi.

V okviru ASEF-a bo sodelovala s profesorjem Jernejem Murnom iz Univerze v Kaliforniji, Riverside, ki se ukvarja predvsem z raziskovanjem biologije RNA. Sodelovanja se že zelo veseli, saj je to odlična priložnost, ki ji bo omogočila nadgraditi znanje in pridobiti dragocene praktične izkušnje.

Mlakar Tjaša

Tjaša Mlakar graduated from Laboratory biomedicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. After graduation, she went to Ireland, where she completed a four-month Erasmus+ trainee program working with flow cytometry at Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Due to her great experience, she decided to stay in Ireland and pursue an MSc in Molecular medicine at Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin. She graduated with awarded distinction and continued her studies in Ljubljana where she is currently a first-year student of the master's program in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical technology. In her free time, she loves to go horse riding as she has been an equestrian for many years. She also loves to travel and experience new cultures and meet new people.

ASEF fellowship enabled her to collaborate with professor Jernej Murn at the University of California, Riverside, whose research group focuses on researching biology of RNA molecules. She is really excited about the collaboration as it is a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and practical experiences.

SLOVENIAN
Tjaša Mlakar je diplomirala iz laboratorijske biomedicine na Fakulteti za farmacijo v Ljubljani. Po končanem študiju je na Irskem opravila štirimesečno Erasmus+ praktično usposabljanje iz pretočne citometrije na Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Zaradi dobre izkušnje na Irskem je ostala v Dublinu in opravila magisterij iz molekularne medicine na Trinity College Dublin, Univerza v Dublinu. Po zaključenem magisteriju nadaljuje študij še v Ljubljani, kjer je trenutno prvi letnik magistrskega študija biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo. V prostem času se že vrsto let ukvarja s konjeništvom, rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter ljudi.

V okviru ASEF-a bo sodelovala s profesorjem Jernejem Murnom iz Univerze v Kaliforniji, Riverside, ki se ukvarja predvsem z raziskovanjem biologije RNA. Sodelovanja se že zelo veseli, saj je to odlična priložnost, ki ji bo omogočila nadgraditi znanje in pridobiti dragocene praktične izkušnje.

Nared Dagmar

Dagmar Nared is currently a master’s student of sociology at the University of Oxford. She has an avid interest for social networks and connectedness, with an emphasis on public health and pro-environmental behaviour and attitudes. This interest grew from her high school years onwards, when she was a health and environmental activist at No Excuse Slovenia. After that, she participated in research projects regarding health and environment at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, and the Institute of Health and Environment. Dagmar is incredibly excited to work with dr. Teja Pristavec at the University of Virginia and to find out more on how to gather data and use it for public good.

Besides research, Dagmar believes there is nothing better than an early morning workout and an evening TV-show while crocheting. Or laughing at ridiculous jokes with friends and family.

SLOVENIAN
Dagmar Nared je trenutno magistrska študentka sociologije na univerzi na Oxfordu. Zainteresirana je v socialne mreže in povezanost, s poudarkom na javno zdravje ter okoljsko vedenje ter prepričanja. Tovrstno zanimanje se je razvilo že v srednješolskih letih, ko je bila aktivistka na področju zdravja in okolja pri organizaciji Brez izgovora. Pozneje je sodelovala pri raziskovalnih projektih, ki se tičejo javnega zdravja in okolja, na Fakulteti za družbene vede v univerzi v Ljubljani in Inštitutu za okolje in zdravje. Dagmar se veseli sodelovanja z dr. Tejo Pristavec iz univerze v Virginiji in učenja novih kvantitativnih metod za javno dobro.

Poleg raziskovanja, Dagmar veseli še šport, kvačkanje, narava in serije, predvsem pa druženje s svojo družino in prijatelji.

Nared Dagmar

Dagmar Nared is currently a master’s student of sociology at the University of Oxford. She has an avid interest for social networks and connectedness, with an emphasis on public health and pro-environmental behaviour and attitudes. This interest grew from her high school years onwards, when she was a health and environmental activist at No Excuse Slovenia. After that, she participated in research projects regarding health and environment at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, and the Institute of Health and Environment. Dagmar is incredibly excited to work with dr. Teja Pristavec at the University of Virginia and to find out more on how to gather data and use it for public good.

Besides research, Dagmar believes there is nothing better than an early morning workout and an evening TV-show while crocheting. Or laughing at ridiculous jokes with friends and family.

SLOVENIAN
Dagmar Nared je trenutno magistrska študentka sociologije na univerzi na Oxfordu. Zainteresirana je v socialne mreže in povezanost, s poudarkom na javno zdravje ter okoljsko vedenje ter prepričanja. Tovrstno zanimanje se je razvilo že v srednješolskih letih, ko je bila aktivistka na področju zdravja in okolja pri organizaciji Brez izgovora. Pozneje je sodelovala pri raziskovalnih projektih, ki se tičejo javnega zdravja in okolja, na Fakulteti za družbene vede v univerzi v Ljubljani in Inštitutu za okolje in zdravje. Dagmar se veseli sodelovanja z dr. Tejo Pristavec iz univerze v Virginiji in učenja novih kvantitativnih metod za javno dobro.

Poleg raziskovanja, Dagmar veseli še šport, kvačkanje, narava in serije, predvsem pa druženje s svojo družino in prijatelji.

Prijon Tijan

Tijan Prijon is an undergraduate student of physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. The ASEF Scholarship Program is a tremendous opportunity for him, allowing him to spend the summer at Princeton University, where he will gain new knowledge and important research experience. Tijan will participate in the research of phase separation in multicomponent systems with Professor Andrej Košmrlj and his research group. Last year he also worked at the Jozef Stefan Institute, in the department of artificial intelligence, where he focused on data analysis with the Python programming language.

Tijan likes to spend his free time outside, in the company of friends, preferably playing basketball. He also enjoys reading books.

Prijon Tijan

Tijan Prijon je dodiplomski študent fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko, Univerza v Ljubljani. ASEF štipendijski program je zanj izjemna priložnost, ki mu omogoča, da bo poletje preživel na Univerzi Princeton, kjer bo pridobival nova znanja ter pomembne raziskovalne izkušnje. Pri profesorju Andreju Košmrlju ter njegovi raziskovalni skupini bo sodeloval pri raziskovanja fazne separacije večkomponentnih raztopin. Zadnje leto sicer tudi dela na Inštitutu Jozef Stefan, na odseku za umetno inteligenco, kjer se posveča analizi podatkov v programskem jeziku Python.

Prosti čas najraje preživlja zunaj, v družbi prijateljev, po možnosti ob igranju košarke. Uživa tudi ob branju knjig.

Šavorič Tjaša

Tjaša Šavorič is a PhD student for art history at the University of Leipzig in Germany. She lives in London and as an enthusiastic art history lover attends art history workshops and international conferences, visits numerous exhibitions and participates as a junior curator at art exhibitions in Slovenia. Tjaša dedicates time to work on her thesis and to do individual research on Slovenian artist and art historian Marijan Tršar (1922-2010). Tršar captivated her with his creativity so much that in 2017 she wrote a Master's thesis about his early art and diary entries, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Barbara Murovec at the Faculty of Arts, the University of Maribor. Tjaša enhanced her thesis by curating the exhibition I paint, therefore, I write, which celebrated Tršar’s 95th anniversary of birth. It was curated in collaboration with the France Stele Institute of Art History, Ljubljana.

Tjaša wishes to strengthen the classical art-historical methodology used in her PhD thesis, by adopting the benefits of digital art history. She sees the ASEF study exchange under the supervision of Dr. Kaja Antlej from Deakin University in Australia, as an exceptional opportunity to deepen her understanding in the field of virtual museums and immersive VR experiences and to learn about new interdisciplinary ways of raising the profile of cultural heritage.
Tjaša enjoys travelling and visiting art exhibitions. In her free time, she loves to read and cycle.

Šavorič Tjaša

Tjaša Šavorič je doktorska študentka umetnostne zgodovine na univerzi v Leipzigu, Nemčija. Živi v Londonu in kot velika ljubiteljica umetnostne zgodovine sodeluje na številnih umetnostnozgodovinskih delavnicah in mednarodnih konferencah. Rada obiskuje galerije in kot mlada kuratorica pripravlja umetniške razstave v Sloveniji. Večino svojega časa posveča pisanju doktorske naloge in raziskovanju slovenskega umetnika in umetnostnega zgodovinarja Marijana Tršarja (1922-2010). Tršar jo je s svojo ustvarjalnostjo tako navdušil, da je o njegovem zgodnjem likovnem delu in dnevniškemu pisanju, leta 2017 zagovarjala magistrsko nalogo, pod mentorstvom Prof. Dr. Barbare Murovec na Filozofski fakulteti, Maribor. Nalogo je nadgradila z umetniško razstavo Slikam, torej pišem, ob umetnikovi 95. obletnici rojstva, ki je nastala v sodelovanju z umetnostnozgodovinskim inštitutom ZRC SAZU Franceta Steleta, Ljubljana.

Tjaša želi nadgraditi svoj klasični umetnostnozgodovinski pristop z metodami digitalne humanistike. V ASEF študijski izmenjavi, pod mentorstvom Dr. Kaje Antlej iz Deakin univerze v Avstraliji, vidi izjemno priložnost za poglobitev razumevanja virtualnih muzejev in možnosti, ki jih ponujajo VR tehnologije. Zanimajo jo novi interdisciplinarni načini komuniciranja kulturne dediščine.
Tjaša uživa v potovanjih in obiskih umetniških razstav. V svojem prostem času rada bere in kolesari.

Šteger Tine

Tine Šteger is a Master's student at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business. He completed his Bachelor's degree in the field of political science at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. He is particularly interested in the field of community based local and regional development, which takes into account ethical, environmental, and other relevant dilemmas. In the past few years, he has deepened his understanding of the functioning of the modern world through different internships and study visits. He completed his internship at the Institute for Political Management (IPM) in Ljubljana as well as at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Additionally, he participated in various international educational and humanitarian activities abroad, such as Youth Leadership Program with Central Europe in the United States or project named Never Lose Your Sould in Uganda.

This summer Tine will visit prof. Sara Dolničar at the University of Queensland, Australia, and work in her research group in the field of sustainable tourism.

Šteger Tine

Tine Šteger je magistrski študent ekonomskih in poslovnih ved na Ekonomsko-poslovni fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru. Dodiplomski študij je dokončal na področju politologije na Fakulteti za družbene vede Univerze v Ljubljani. Zanimajo ga različna področja, najbolj pa se osredotoča na področje lokalnega in regionalnega razvoja, ki sloni na vključevanju ljudi in upošteva okoljske, etične in druge dileme. Izkušnje in znanja je v preteklosti pridobival skozi prakso na Inštitutu za politični management v Ljubljani in Stalnem predstavništvu Republike Slovenije pri Svetu Evrope v Strasbourgu. Udeležil se je različnih programov v tujini, kot je Program za mlade voditelje iz srednje Evrope v ZDA, kakor različnih humanitarnih projektov, kot je bil projekt Never Lose Your Soul v Ugandi.

Letos bo Tine obiskal profesorico Saro Dolničar na Univerzi v Queenslandu v Avstraliji, kjer bo sodeloval v njeni raziskovalni skupini na področju trajnostnega turizma.

Stojanovič Blaž

Blaž Stojanovič is a graduate student at the University of Cambridge, reading for an MPhil in Scientific Computing. He completed his undergraduate degree in Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. While studying, he worked part-time in the Parallel and Distributed systems Laboratory, Jozef Stefan Institute, under the supervision of dr. Gregor Kosec, where he helped develop an open-source library for solving partial differential equations. His interests lie at the intersection of Machine Learning and the natural sciences, hoping to better understand deep learning using methods from statistical physics. He is grateful for the opportunity to work with prof. Jure Leskovec, at Stanford University.

His free time is spent windsurfing, hiking, and backcountry skiing, as well as reading and adding books onto his already too long reading list.

Stojanovič Blaž

Blaž Stojanovič je magistrski študent na Univerzi v Cambridgeu, kjer študira uporabo numeričnih metod v naravoslovju. Pred tem je končal dodiplomski študij fizike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Kot dodiplomski študent je pod mentorstvom dr. Gregorja Kosca delal v laboratoriju za vzporedno in porazdeljeno računanje na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, kjer je pomagal pri razvoju odprtokodne knjižnice za reševanje parcialnih differencialnih enačb. Zanima ga področje, kjer se srečajo naravoslovne znanosti in metode strojnega učenja, trenutno se ukvarja z razumevanjem globokega učenja s pomočjo metod iz statistične fizike. Hvaležen je za priložnost, da se na raziskovalnem obisku pridruži skupini prof. Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford.

Poleg branja in dodajanja knjig na njegov že predolg seznam branja, se v prostem času ukvarja z jadranjem na deski, hojo v hribe in turnim smučanjem.

Uhan Sara

Sara completed her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana. After her undergraduate internship at the Umeå University in Sweden (Nordic EMBL), she continued with a master’s program in Biochemistry as a DAAD scholar at the University of Bonn, Germany. At present she is working on her master’s thesis in the field of mucosal immunology at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden. She is passionate about cancer biology and aspires to continue with her research work in a translational setting. Sara will join Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer’s research group at the Texas Tech University, where she will work towards uncovering novel mechanisms that evolved to protect mammalian germ cells against stress and further defining their role in cancer.

Sara likes to battle the frustration caused by occasional failed experiments known to every molecular biologist with evening runs by the Elbe and large amounts of tea. She strives to challenge her “status quo” by learning foreign languages, choosing travel destinations, reading non-fiction and discovering hidden street art.

Uhan Sara

Sara je svojo dodiplomsko izobrazbo iz biotehnologije zaključila na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Po dokončanem pripravništvu na Umeå Univerzi na Švedskem (Nordski EMBL) je kot DAAD štipendistka nadaljevala z magistrskim programom iz biokemije na Univerzi v Bonnu v Nemčiji. Trenutno dokončuje svojo magistrsko nalogo na področju mukozne imunosti na Centru za Regenerativne Terapije v Dresdnu. Svoje delo usmerja predvsem v raziskovanje biologije raka ter si želi nadaljevati z delom na področju translacijskih raziskav. Sara se bo pridružila raziskovalni skupini Dr. Klementine Fon Tacer na Texas Tech Univerzi, kjer bo sodelovala pri projektu odkrivanja celičnih mehanizmov za zaščito sesalskih zarodnih celic pred stresom ter njihove vloge pri raku.

Sara se z razočaranjem zaradi občasnih neuspelih eksperimentov, ki je znano slehernemu molekularnemu biologu, spopada z večernimi teki ob reki ter velikimi količinami čaja. Svoj “status quo” pogosto rada izzove z učenjem tujih jezikov, izbiranjem destinacij za potovanja, branjem ter odkrivanjem skrite ulične umetnosti.

Urbančič Jana Maria

Jana Maria Urbancic je trenutno vpisana kot študentka zadnjega letnika mednarodne trgovine na Univerzi La Matanza v Buenos Airesu. Že kot majhna punčka sta jo vedno zanimala ekonomija in posel, zato se je odločila za študij mednarodne trgovine.
Rojena v Buenos Airesu v družini z globoko zakoreninjeno slovensko dediščino je bila vedno zelo strastna in predana svoji kulturi, svojim idealom, interesom in hobijem. V otroštvu in mladosti je skoraj vsako popoldne preživela v slovenskem klubu San Justo. Tam se je učila in izpopolnjevala slovenskega jezika, trenirala in tekmovala s svojo odbojkarsko reprezentanco, plesala slovensko folkloro in se vsako nedeljo zjutraj udeležila svete maše v slovenskem jeziku.
Jana se ima za mlado žensko, polno energije, ki išče nove izkušnje in dogodivščine, ki prispevajo k njenemu razvoju. Nenehno daje prednost svoji osebni in poklicni rasti, vedno si želi gojiti nove veščine in se vsakodnevno učiti iz situacij, ki se pojavljajo. Zato se je odločila, da se prijavi za štipendijo ASEF, saj meni, da je to čudovita priložnost, da izkusi domovino svojih starih staršev. Imela bo tudi priložnost spoznati, kako deluje mednarodna trgovina v kontekstu slovenskega gospodarstva. Jana je Slovenijo obiskala že dvakrat, verjame pa, da bo tokrat edinstven, saj bo domovino doživela s povsem druge perspektive.
Letos bo obiskala Slovenijo kot del skupnosti ASEF. Njen mentor in mentor bo dr. Denis Mancevič, direktor podjetja Herman & partners. Tam bo razvijala svoje strokovne in medosebne veščine, usmerjene v mednarodno trgovino, in vsak dan spoznavala več o slovenskih trgovskih praksah.

Vezonik Uroš

Uroš Vezonik is a Master's student at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. The first research project he was involved in was a PKP project Development of Water-based Dispersion Coatings with Improved Rheological Properties in his second year. He is the most interested in the field of organic chemistry, which is why he was working on the synthesis of new ligands for the transition metals under the supervision of prof. dr. Janez Košmrlj for his Bachelor's degree. As an ASEF fellow, he got the opportunity to join prof. Šalah's research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this summer, where he will work on the synthesis of complex and biologically active natural products. Uroš is a big sports fan. His favorite is basketball, which he used to play. Besides following sports, he enjoys walking his dog and watching suspenseful movies.

Vezonik Uroš

Uroš Vezonik is a Master's student at the Faculty of CheUroš Vezonik je študent magistrskega študija kemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo (FKKT) Univerze v Ljubljani. Z raziskovalnim delom se je prvič srečal v 2. letniku študija, ko je sodeloval na PKP projektu Razvoj vodnih disperzijskih premazov z izboljšanimi reološkimi lastnostmi. Njegova zanimanja segajo predvsem na področje organske kemije, diplomsko delo pa je opravil pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Janeza Košmrlja, kjer se je ukvarjal s sintezo novih ligandov za kovine prehoda. Poleti se odpravlja na University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, kjer bo kot ASEF fellow imel priložnost raziskovati v skupini prof. Davida Šarlaha in pridobiti izkušnje na področju totalne sinteze kompleksnih in biološko aktivnih naravnih produktov. Uroš je velik športni navdušenec in še posebej zavzeto spremlja košarko, s katero se je v preteklosti aktivno ukvarjal. Poleg športa mu prosti čas krajšajo tudi sprehodi s psom in gledanje napetih filmov.

Zeman Marko

Marko Zeman is a PhD student of Computer and Information Science at the University of Ljubljana, where he researches the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. For the last four years, he has focused his study of computer science mainly on the challenges of machine learning, both engineering and research. In the second stage of his studies, he began his international career. First, he was on a study exchange in Denmark, where, in addition to full-time study, he also worked on the European research project Plan4Act, where he was developing deep learning models. A year later, on an exchange of research type with a mentor in Sweden, he developed new approaches to learning neural networks, which also motivated him to continue his research path. In addition to his studies, he also gained experience in industry, where he worked as a developer in the team for artificial intelligence. Marko became a member of ASEF Junior Fellows in 2021 and will visit prof. Marinka Žitnik at Harvard University in the USA, where he will be developing new methods in machine learning under her mentorship. In his free time, Marko likes to play football, enjoy nature and laugh in the company of his friends.

Zeman Marko

Marko Zeman je doktorski študent računalništva in informatike na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer raziskuje področje umetne inteligence in algoritme strojnega učenja. Zadnja štiri leta je svoj študij računalništva usmeril predvsem v izzive strojnega učenja, tako inženirske kot tudi raziskovalne. Na drugi stopnji študija je začel z mednarodnim udejstvovanjem. Najprej je bil na študijski izmenjavi na Danskem, kjer je poleg rednega študija delal tudi na evropskem raziskovalnem projektu Plan4Act, kjer je razvijal modele globokega učenja. Leto pozneje je na izmenjavi raziskovalnega tipa z mentorjem na Švedskem razvijal nove pristope učenja nevronskih mrež, kar ga je tudi motiviralo za nadaljevanje raziskovalne poti. Poleg študija si je nabiral izkušnje tudi v industriji, kjer je delal kot razvijalec v ekipi za umetno inteligenco. Marko je postal član ASEF Junior Fellows v letu 2021 in bo raziskovalno obiskal prof. Marinko Žitnik na Univerzi Harvard v ZDA, kjer bo pod njenim mentorstvom razvijal nove metode v strojnem učenju. V prostem času Marko najraje igra nogomet, uživa v naravi in se smeji v družbi prijateljev.

Žunič Gregor

Gregor is a 2nd-year undergraduate Physics student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. During his studies, he worked at Jožef Stefan Institute at the Department for Artificial Intelligence. He has been focusing on areas related to natural language processing. He is also working on mobile applications and web platforms. This summer, Gregor will work with professor Dawn Song at the University of California, Berkeley on projects related to Artificial Intelligence. Gregor is excited to expand his knowledge in Machine Learning at one of the top universities in the world.

During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball and all kind of sports. He also likes to travel.

Žunič Gregor

Gregor je študent 2. letnika dodiplomskega študija fizike na Fakulteti za Matematiko in Fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Med študijem raziskuje na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, na oddelku za umetno inteligenco. Osredotočil se je na področja, povezana z obdelavo naravnega jezika. Ustvarja tudi mobilne aplikacije in spletne platforme. Letos poleti bo Gregor sodeloval s profesorico Dawn Song na University California, Berkeley, pri projektih, povezanih z umetno inteligenco. Gregor je navdušen nad razširitvijo svojih znanj iz strojnega učenja na eni najboljših univerz na svetu.

V prostem času igra košarko, uživa pa tudi v večino ostalih športih. Zelo rad potuje v oddaljene države.

Corn Matej

Matej Corn is an undergraduate student of chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology (FCCT) University of Ljubljana and is currently enjoying his extra year after finishing all the exams. During his studies he participated in Student Inovative Project for Social Benefit named The importance of environmental factors in the conservation of written cultural heritage. For a year and a half he worked as a student and intern in company Lek d.d., Novartis divison on a department of assuring Quality Control of aseptic products. For his bachelor degree he has been working under mentorship of izr. prof. dr. Jernej Iskra, from FKKT. His thesis was development of a method for selective oxidation of sulfides under green conditions. Matej has as an ASEF fellow received an opurtunity to work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he will participate in a project of total synthesis of complex and biologically active products under mentorship of prof. David Šarlah. After a day of working in a laboratory he relaxes in a game of volleyball, tarok or playing guitar but sometimes only by watching a good TV serie or a movie.

Dobravc Škof Karin

Karin was born in Maribor, where she graduated from physics on the Faculty of natural sciences and mathematics. Now she is the 1st year of MSc in physics at the Faculty of mathematics and physics. Her interests lie in subjects related to biophysics and astrophysics, that is why she's visiting prof. Gregor Gorjanc at the University of Edinburgh, where she will work in the area of genomics. In the course of the fellowship, Karin is hoping to explore multidisciplinary work on the project, where she can use knowledge of physics and gain information from other fields. In the past she has worked on a PKP project, participated in Physics days in Bistra and offered voluntary tutorship in scientific subjects.

In her free time, Karin is a member of SiNAPSA (Slovenian society for neuroscience), she enjoys skiing in the winter and reading books in the summer. She also plays the clarinet in several wind orchestras. Currently she represents Bizeljsko as its wine queen, where she is promoting local wines and viticulture amongst young people.

Ermenc Sara

Sara Ermenc is a Master’s student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law. Her legal research interests encompass commercial law, including all its branches. During her studies she was enthusiastic about gathering international experience – she studied at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, apart from the latter she took part in numerous legal competitions and workshops, attended conferences, pursued internships, etc.. As she is eager to transform the theory into solving conundrums in practice, she has done legal research for various moot-courts, academic collaborations with the University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business and last but not least for the work at the international law firm, where she is currently acquiring expertise.

She is honoured to be granted the opportunity to visit prof. Urška Velikonja at the Georgetown University in Washington D.C., where she will research corporate governance in the banking sector, focusing mainly on the comparative analysis of the Slovenian (continental) and American (common-law) systems.

Fijavž Tina

Tina is a sixth-year medical student at the University of Ljubljana. During her studies she has developed a great interest in eye disorders. She improved clinical skills at the Eye Clinic in Freiburg and is going to spend her summer in Utah in a laboratory of a renowned researcher in the field of Ophthalmology, professor David Križaj. Grateful for this opportunity she is convinced the research visit is going to add valuable experience to her future career.

Apart from interest in eye diseases, Tina enjoys spending her free time in the nature doing hiking, climbing as well as alpine and cross country skiing.

Klobučar Tajda

I am currently finishing my master program in Biotechnology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana. Although I’ve undertook both BSc and MSc in Slovenia, I have done multiple traineeships in Germany, Sweden and Portugal. I am a two-time recipient of The Milan Lenarčič University Foundation scholarship and received a Charter for the outstanding academic achievement by University of Ljubljana (2018). My practical research experience has led me into the intriguing world of stem cells. Whether they are the answer to all modern medical problems – I am yet to decide. However, it will be my outmost pleasure to spend the summer in the group of prof. dr. Jernej Ule in London, where I’ll have a chance to explore stem cells from another extremely interesting perspective of RNA molecule and RNA-binding proteins.

Most of my free time is filled up with music since I play the violin in many different groups. While abroad, I love to explore small, local places with live music and to learn about the locals’ habits and their pace of life.

Košenina Sara

Sara Košenina is a second-year PhD student at Stockholm University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. She is studying the botulinum neurotoxins using a wide variety of methods, including X-ray crystallography and cryo EM, to understand toxins basic mechanism and to improve their therapeutic properties. Before starting her PhD she obtained her master’s degree in biochemistry at Stockholm University. As a passionate structural biologist, she´s looking forward to expanding her knowledge by doing a research project with prof. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland this summer, where she’ll be working on structural studies of proteins important in infection in immunity. In her free time, Sara enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, skiing and discovering nature.

Marko Dafne

Dafne Marko is a MA student of Cognitive Science at the University of Ljubljana. In 2015, she finished her BA studies in translation (Slovene-English-German) at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. During her undergraduate education, she developed a strong interests in corpus linguistics, natural language processing and language technologies. She joined several national research projects related to corpus linguistics and language resources, mainly helping with manual annotations, building datasets and evaluating tools for automatic annotation. In 2015 she joined the bilateral project “Semantic Role Labelling in Slovene and Croatian” with the main goal of developing a corpus with semantic role annotations to be used as training data for supervised machine learning systems. Dafne co-authored several scientific articles and attended different summer schools, seminars and conferences with the aim to gain experience and knowledge in her topics of interest. This year she will collaborate with prof. Gašper Beguš at the University of Washington, where she will work on projects related to computational linguistics, phonology and computational modeling. Apart from her interests in natural language processing, Dafne is a sport enthusiast who loves to ski, ride her road bike and train martial arts.

Pintar Ana

In 2018 she graduated with honors at the Faculty of Administration and received the Prešeren Award for her bachelor thesis. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Business Informatics (EF UL), where she also completed a study exchange in Sweden. Throughout her student journey she was committed to involving herself in many extracurricular activities and gaining hands-on experiences as a student employee. By leading Student Organization and being member of Student Council, Faculty bodies and Student Parliament, she made a big step in her personal and business development. Student job that shaped her career the most was a 2,5-year journey she had in multinational company Bisnode, where she worked as a digital marketing assistant. Curiosity, grit and positive attitude most reflect her as an individual. Critical thinking, wisdom and the ability to make constructive feedback are qualities she values the most in people. She enjoys reading good books, gaining new knowledge and meeting like-minded people. Hiking and being in nature is also one of her favorite way of spending spare time. Core focuses of interest include corporate entrepreneurship, innovation management, corporate engagement models with start-ups and digitalization of business models. That is why her research visit will take place in Canada at Queen’s University, where she will work with prof. Nuša Fain, who is specialized in entrepreneurship and innovation management.

Podobnik Gašper

Gašper is a 2nd-year Biomedical Engineering Master's student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, where he also obtained his bachelor's degree. During his master's degree studies Gašper is working in the Laboratory of Imaging Technologies as a student researcher. He is developing machine learning models for automatic classification of MR image modalities and is exploring possibilities of predictive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on MR images. To broaden his knowledge in this domain he attended the Summer school of biomedical imaging at ETH Zürich in 2019.

This summer, Gašper will join the research group of Prof Mateja Jamnik at Cambridge University, to work on artificial intelligence-related projects. He is ambitious to use new ideas from the data science domain gained during this visit in his later projects.

Besides actively participating in the Student Council, his favourite free-time activities include playing basketball, cycling, windsurfing and hiking. He also enjoys theatre and likes exploring historical cities, as well as spending time in nature.

Poličar Pavlin

Pavlin Poličar is a first-year PhD student of computer science at the University of Ljubljana, working in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. For the past two years, he has been focusing on developing and applying methods to applied biological sciences. His research for his master's thesis was awarded the Prešeren Award from the University of Ljubljana - the most prestigious award given to students in Slovenia - and his resulting software has garnered thousands of users around the globe. Additionally, he has ongoing collaborations with the University of Florida, University of Padua, and the Baylor College of Medicine.

This fall, Pavlin will be visiting prof. Marinka Žitnik at the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard University in Boston, where he will be working on developing new, robust and interpretable, machine-learning methods for biomedical data.

Despite the technical nature of his research, Pavlin is interested in all facets of life. He likes learning about the humanities and attending cultural events. He is fascinated by different cultures and enjoys traveling. He enjoys playing different sports, reading, and is always up to try something new.

Poštuvan Tim

Tim Poštuvan is an undergraduate student of Computer Science and Mathematics at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science in Ljubljana. Currently, he is conducting research at Bioinformatics Laboratory at the faculty where he is developing an efficient biclustering algorithm for better data representation. He is also collaborating on a Biochemistry project with a research team from the Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana. His responsibility is designing and implementing approaches for curve fitting of Lambert W - function on enzyme absorbance data. The objective of the research is to get a good approximation of the middle part of curves, which are poorly described using existing models. His greatest passion is research so the ASEF fellowship offers him an ideal opportunity to perfect his research skills. This summer, he will be undertaking a project focusing on artificial intelligence with prof. Jure Leskovec at the Stanford University. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball and watching good movies. He also adores travelling.

Prezelj Tim

Tim Prezelj completed his BSc studies in microbiology. Currently, he is completing his master's studies in molecular and functional biology at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia). Parallelly he studied cognitive sciences and spent quite some time improving his knowledge abroad – especially in Germany and Italy. He started his research in the fields of molecular biology, immunology and the evolution of cancer. Past few years his interests are focused more on evolutionary psychology, biology and neurology of sex and gender, religion and language. He is very fond of art history and tries to integrate humanities into natural sciences as much as possible. He finds new interdisciplinary approaches and fields especially challenging. During his spare time Tim likes to read, visit different cultural and fashion events, exhibitions and concerts.

Under the patronage of ASEF he will spend 10 weeks on a research visit in Vienna supervised by prof. Mihaela Pavličev, PhD. He will broaden his skills and knowledge in the field of evolutionary biology. Tim is very grateful for the opportunity he got and will try to seize it best.

Ribnikar Domen

Domen Ribnikar is a medical doctor, a specialist of medical oncology, currently working at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana. He deals with breast cancer patients and is responsible for the systemic treatment of these patients. He is also a PhD student of Biomedicine at the Medical Faculty of Ljubljana. Already as a medical student, he was actively involved into research in the breast cancer field and he continued with research also during his residency.

In 2016 Domen left Slovenia and went to Toronto, Canada, for a 2-year breast cancer clinical-research fellowship under the mentorship of professor doctor Eitan Amir. So far, they have published many good papers in different medical journals and some of them are still in a writing phase.

ASEF will give him an excellent opportunity to be even more actively involved into breast cancer research as he will be conducting a research of tumor heterogeneity in patients with invasive lobular breast carcinoma, which is also a theme for Domen's doctoral thesis. Domen has been constantly actively involved into breast cancer research as he regularly attends national and international meetings, also as an active speaker.

His family (his wife Nina and two daughters Julija and Lana Mae) gives him enthusiasm and strength for further clinical and research work in medical oncology. In his free time Domen likes jogging, hiking and he also practices transcendental meditation.

Rožanec Mariana

Mariana Rožanec was born in Argentina, where she graduated as a National Public Accountant from the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, and afterwards worked as an external auditor.

Mariana has Slovenian roots, and in 2015 she moved to Slovenia, where she continued working in the field of external audit, and later in financial controlling and internal audit. Besides her work, she is doing a masters program in Business Studies at the Faculty of Law and Business Studies at the Catholic Institute in Ljubljana. Currently she is working on her master’s thesis in the field of intercultural management. Related to this research and as part of the ASEF fellowship program Mariana will be visiting Prof. dr. Matevž Raškovič at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

In her free time she enjoys outdoor activities such as running, as well as spending time in nature, particularly hiking and cycling.

Satler Tadej

Tadej Satler has obtained MSc in Biochemistry from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology at the University of Ljubljana. This year he wants to pursue his career in science as a PhD candidate. During his studies, he gained the most of his research experience at the Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology at the National Institute of Chemistry, where he also did his master thesis supervised by prof. dr. Roman Jerala. He was involved in the preparation and characterization of modular protein nanostructures made from coiled coils. Tadej also participated in a research exchange at Stockholm University where he studied the regulation of nitrogen fixation in photosynthetic bacteria. Currently, he is doing an internship at the University of Bristol, where he is developing computational and experimental skills in the field of de novo protein design.

As part of the ASEF fellowship program, Tadej will have an opportunity to visit the Prof. Andrej Šali at the University of California San Francisco, where he wants to deepen his knowledge in computational and structural biology.

Skok Krištof

Krištof Skok is a master's student in physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, where he also graduated. He focuses his studies on astrophysics - a field that he enjoys since childhood. He is currently focusing his interests on cataclysmic variables and stellar pulsations. Already in high school, he participated in the International Olympiads in Astronomy and Astrophysics where he earned a silver medal and two honorable mentions. He is now continuing his mission as a mentor to the new Slovenian Olympic teams which he has already taken to the olympiads three times across the world.

This summer he will research as an ASEF Junior Fellow with prof. dr. Andrej Prša at Villanova University in Philadelphia, USA. There he will improve in numerical modeling of stellar structure, stellar pulsations and the development of binary systems. He will gain a wealth of experience and insight into contemporary research in astrophysics.

In his spare time he is an active member of two astronomical clubs where he and his colleagues promote interest in astronomy through lectures and observations. Otherwise, on beautiful days he goes to the mountains to admire the beauty on Earth and on beautiful nights to the observatory to admire the beauty of the Universe.

Školč Luka

Luka Školč is an undergraduate student of Physics at the Faculty of mathematics and physics, University of Ljubljana. He finished his first year with an average grade of 10,0 (100%). During the summer of 2019, he studied how a nuclear reactor responds to periodic variations of reactivity. The research was done under the mentorship of dr. Luka Snoj at the department of reactor physics at Jožef Stefan Institute. Luka is still at the beginning of his research career and wants to broaden his horizons in physics as much as possible before specialization. As thermodynamics and statistical physics are some of his favorite subjects, he will be joining Andrej Kosmrlj’s group at Princeton University, USA, this summer, where he will explore phase separation in multicomponent systems.

Luka’s favorite ways to rejuvenate are enjoying nature and doing sports, mainly cycling and hiking. He also loves bike touring and his favorite trips up till now were the Netherlands and West coast of Ireland. He concluded ten years of piano classes at music school. He enjoys reading prose, writing short stories, sculpting, and making Halloween masks.

Škrlj Blaž

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in biotechnology and a Master’s degree in information technologies. Currently, I am a 2nd year PhD student in information technologies under the mentorship of Prof. Nada Lavrač. My interests lie at the intersection between complex networks, biology and machine learning – especially learning from large and heterogeneous data sources. I like to build, but also use intelligent systems to solve otherwise intractable problems. In my spare time I enjoy climbing and hiking.

Starič Tine

Tine is a master’s student of accounting and auditing at the School of Economics and Business, Ljubljana University, where he also graduated from the same field. Throughout his studies, he’s trying to intertwine his selected field of accounting with informatics and business process automation. At the moment, he works as a developer of ERP systems and carries out seminars on the topics of statistics and informatics at the faculty. He’s going to spend the summer with prof. Sergeja Slapničar at the University of Queensland where he’s going to research the topic of cybersecurity risk management.

In his spare time, he prefers to invest his time in the development of his beer brewery name StarReach, what’s left, he likes to spend on a volleyball field or with a tennis racquet in hand. During the summer he tries to attend all the festivals, for which he always claims there are too few.

Urankar Nejc

Nejc Urankar is a Researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, where he is also pursuing his PhD in Legal Studies. With his main field of research being the sociology of law, Nejc studies law in its societal context, focusing on the place of law in social, political and cultural life. His previous work has also centered around questions of discrimination, social inclusion and human rights. Along these lines, he is currently exploring the law as an instrument of social change and investigating whether some of the contemporary challenges faced by the global community could and should be tackled through the means of law.

Nejc will spend this fall at the Michigan State University collaborating with Prof. Ana Bračič. He is grateful to ASEF for awarding him with this opportunity and excited to explore some of the unique aspects of the research process in distinct scientific environment that he would be later able to incorporate into his own scientific research. Apart from hoping to lay solid foundations for his academic career, he is also looking forward to an enriching and eye-opening experience discovering the local culture while living in an entirely new environment.

Van Midden Vesna Marija

Vesna is a young doctor and a first-year Ph.D. student of Neuroscience at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. She is currently working as an intern at the University clinical center Ljubljana and after that, she will start working as a young researcher at the Neurology clinic in Ljubljana. She has always treasured science and research and applied for the ASEF Junior Fellowship program at the neurology department of prof. Krainc as part of her doctorate in the hope of learning new approaches toward diagnosing and treating movement disorder patients and also learning how to conduct clinical trials. During her studies she was a very active member of the Slovenian neuroscience association – she helped to organize various lectures and events on the topic of brain health and she is a strong believer in the growing importance of science communication. She was the co-leader of the organizational group for the Brain awareness week in 2019, when the event received honorary patronage from the President of Slovenia. One of her major interests is the role of the gut microbiome in the development of Parkinson’s disease. Her Ph.D. will be devoted to investigating the role of vagal nerve stimulation as a novel treatment approach in Parkinson's disease patients. Additionally, she greatly enjoys traveling and since she has a small dog, she spends a lot of time outdoors. Her passions are also crafting and drawing, but if the sun is shining she will most likely spend her free time hiking in the mountains.

Zupančič Nina

Nina Zupančič is a young doctor close to finishing her internship in General hospital Novo mesto. She graduated at the Medical Faculty in Ljubljana. While studying, she participated in many research and professional exchange programs in Europe and other continents to get an even better insight into a foreign health system. Her fields of interest have been gynaecology, neurology, paediatrics, paediatric and heart surgery. One of the most valuable experiences that she has had was studying at Humboldt university in Berlin for six months and joining the Erasmus exchange. In 4th grade of studying she was awarded with Prešeren recognition for a research work in field of neonatology, titled Hepatic portal venous gas in newborn: etiology and meaning. In a little while a decision about her speciality will have been done. Before that she is keen on becoming acquainted with scientific research work and get fundamental experience, that she will be able to use later in her clinical research. She can not hide excitement about this summer collaboration with dr. Michael Pavličev at Vienna university.

To fulfill her free time she paints and reads about arts. Vivid imagination and Roald Dahl are two things she looks up to. Traveling and meeting new cultures is her constant occupation. She also is a fan of sports and leads trainings of general exercise for healthy spine.

Aljaž Suhadolnik

Aljaž Suhadolnik is a graduate student of Management on School of Economics and Business (Faculty of Economics), at the University of Ljubljana. He received his Bachelor's degree in Business and Economics with specialization in Entrepereneurship. In order to gain additional knowledge, he did course work in Logistics, Finance, Strategy and Business Communication.

Aljaž possesses extensive international experiences from multiple academic systems around the world. During his undergraduate studies he spent three semesters abroad as an exchange student. He was enrolled in Hochschule Worms, Germany as a student of Management. At Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China, he was enrolled in the Faculty of Business, Logistics and Maritime Studies. At Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy, he attended Facoltà di Economia, department of Mangement. Furthermore, as a prominent student he received scholarship from Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) to attend Universität Bremen, Germany, where he improved his knowledge of German language.

He is currently an exchange student on Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea in Graduate School of Business, Global MBA program. Recently he was chosen to represent his University and Faculty for one semester at the University of Wollongong, Sydney Business School, Australia. In case he isn't finished with his studies, he will attend his last confirmed international semester at Tongji University, School of Economics and Management, Shanghai, China.

Aljaž has multiple experiences working in related business operations. He has two years of work experience as CEO of a small family owned company.

As an authentic and proud Slovene, Aljaž loves to mountaineer and ski in the Slovenian Alps whenever he is at home. He adores Slovenian cuisine and truly believes that it is the best in the world. Aljaž is a green energy enthusiast with some practical experiences of the topic related to mechanical engineering. Whenever he finds additional free time, he tries to deepen his knowledge of European, Slovenian and his ancestor’s history, which is his second passion besides business and economics.

Aljaž will spend the ASEF summer, writing his master thesis with Prof. dr. Matevž Raškovič at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Andraž Oštrek

Andraž Oštrek is a second-cycle chemistry student at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology (FCCT), University of Ljubljana. He participated at the International Chemistry Olympiad when he was in high school. During his studies, he did practical training in the field of fluoro-chemistry (dr. Matic Lozinšek, Jožef Stefan Institute), completed a Bachelor's degree in organic chemistry (doc. dr. Krištof Kranjc, FCCT) and participated in research work in the field of potentially bioactive heterocyclic compounds (prof. dr. Jurij Svete, FCCT). Currently, he is spending a semester on a study exchange in Germany at Freie Universität Berlin. After that, he will have an opportunity to visit the University of Illinois and work in Prof. David Šarlah's research group, which is focused on the synthesis of structurally complex and biologically active natural products. When Andraž is not occupied with cheMistery, he enjoys other riddles of any kind, including books and poems, and cannot escape them even with recreational running.

Anja Tušar

Anja Tušar is currently finishing an MSc in Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana after completing a BSc in Microbiology. Her laboratory work for her master's thesis was done under the supervision of prof. dr. Roman Jerala at the National Institute of Chemistry, where she acquired knowledge and experience in the field of recombinant protein production. Anja obtained previous experience in the area of synthetic biology at the Max-Planck Institute in Marburg and at the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen. She is looking forward to spending the summer at the laboratory of prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where she will expand her knowledge about protein structure and work on function studies of proteins involved in Toll-like receptor signaling. Besides doing research Anja is grateful for the opportunity to travel to Australia and explore the culture by meeting the locals.

Anžej Hladnik

Anžej is a fifth-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. He is interested in both pre-clinical sciences and clinical medicine, with aspirations of working in translational research. This is why visiting dr. Matija B. Peterlin at the University of California, San Francisco, will be an invaluable experience for his professional and personal growth.

In the course of the fellowship, Anžej is hoping to continue his work on micro RNAs and microvesicles and their biomarker potential for reservoirs of latent infection with HIV-1 in the human body. For his research work, he was awarded with a Faculty Prešeren award in 2017 and Krka Award in 2018. Anžej spends a fair amount of his spare time as a managing editor of a quarterly medical journal Medicinski razgledi, run entirely by medical students. Apart from his daily obligations, he makes sure to find time for himself, his friends and family, enjoying hiking and exploring the roads less travelled, as well as reading, with a particular interest in history.

Benjamin Fele

Benjamin graduated in Computer Science at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science and is now enrolled in the second year of the master's programme of Cognitive Science. He currently works at Jožef Štefan Institute where he participates in AI development for purposes of an art exhibition at Kapelica Gallery. Professionally, his most current interest is meta-cognitive control of learning and the application of human learning strategies in the field of artificial intelligence. The area is closely connected to automatic machine learning, which is one of the things prof. Dawn Song is working at UC Berkeley, where Benjamin will be staying this year.

Apart from his interests in cognitive science and machine learning, Benjamin is also interested in computer game development. He also likes to play music with his band mates and do sports to clear his head.

Damjan Panić

Damjan Panić received a degree in Control Systems at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He is now a postgraduate student of Robotics at the same faculty. He is particularly interested in the field of Human-Robot interaction. During his studies, he was involved in a few projects in this field of science.

Since June 2016 he has been working as a student at the Slovenian Institute of Quality and Metrology (SIQ). He is a member of EMC laboratory, where he performs measurements and tests according to the EMC directive. He also develops programmes and applications to optimise measurements.

Damjan will work with professor Domen Novak at University of Wyoming, where he will work to improve his knowledge on Human-Robot interaction area.

Domen Kanduti

Domen Kanduti is a young dentist currently working as a dental intern and a first-year Ph.D. student at Medical Faculty at the University of Ljubljana. The possibility to participate in ASEF fellowship program would give him an opportunity for exceptional additional education and research work in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Janina Golob Deeb DMD, Ph.D. and her team at Virginia Commonwealth University. During his undergraduate studies at Medical Faculty in Ljubljana, he dedicated some of his time to research. He was a co-author of a few scientific publications in the field of public health and cooperated in a research project in prosthodontics. He was very active in faculty and European student associations and a leader of student preventive project. He attended different workshops and international congresses. All these experiences opened his mind to different aspects of dentistry, international opportunities and made him even more motivated for the chosen profession.

Despite all the work and thoughts about Dentistry he enjoys being in nature and does outdoor sports like hiking, skiing in winter, running and road cycling. It is probably the reason he developed a passion for landscape photography as well. His biggest passion and hobby is painting. Even though some people think that science and art don’t always go hand by hand, he thinks dentistry is a perfect combination of both and he looks forward to expressing himself.

Jakob Murko

Jakob is a MSc student of Physics at University of Maribor, where he also completed his BSc. He is currently working on his master thesis in collaboration with the Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, where he is researching functional connectivity of pancreatic Beta cells. His research interest are mostly complex networks, machine learning and biophysics. During his studies he worked on various projects dealing with machine learning, semantic analysis, signal processing and socio-physics.

This summer he will be researching at Stanford University with professor Jure Leskovec and his research group, where he will gain valuable experiences while working on ongoing research projects.

In his free time he is avid scout leader, he enjoys hiking and cycling in nature and hanging out with friends.

Jana Obšteter

Jana Obšteter is currently working at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia and doing a PhD at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. She obtained her BSc in Biotechnology from the University of Ljubljana and her MSc in Quantitative Genetics and Genome Analysis from the University of Edinburgh. While her previous work focused on human genetics, her current research interests are in the application of quantitative genetics technologies to animal breeding. In her PhD thesis, she is exploring how to efficiently use genomic information to maximise the genetic gain for minimum investment in cattle breeding. This is of particular importance for small countries, such as Slovenia and many other countries in the developing world, where investment in genomic data is severely limited, but genetic improvement is badly needed to feed the ever-increasing number of people with dwindling resources.

Jana is going to work with prof. Gregor Gorjanc at the University of Edinburgh. She is excited to upgrade her PhD research while working with world-leading researchers for animal research. When not working, Jana enjoys singing and spending time outdoors – either running, hiking or simply discovering nature.

Jaš Benša

I was born in Gorizia, Italy. From 2010-2015 I studied at the science oriented high school “znanstveni licej Simon Gregorčič from which I graduated with 94/100. I began studying physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana in 2015 and received my bachelor's degree in summer of 2018. I also received the Dean’s Award for Academic Achievement in the third study year. Currently, I am a first-year Master’s degree student of Mathematical Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana.

In my spare time I like to learn about dynamical systems and various perturbation methods used to solve non-integrable systems. I studied Russian and Croatian privately for a few years.

Juš Kosmač

Juš is a graduate student of Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. He is currently working on his master’s thesis which is focused on persistent homology and its applications. His favourite areas of study are topology and algebra, but he is not strictly limited to them. The past semester he spent in Bonn as an Erasmus exchange student. During the summer he will have an opportunity to visit prof. Jernej Barbič at the University of Southern California, where he will learn about the topological aspects of computer graphics, namely modelling self-intersecting solids and surfaces.

In his free time Juš mostly enjoys outdoor activities such as running, skiing or hiking, especially if there is a nice view from the top. On the other hand, he occasionally fancies a good movie or binge-watching a TV series. Every once in a while, he also likes to play the piano just so he doesn't completely forget how to.

Klemen Drnovšek

Klemen Drnovšek is a Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Law, University of Maribor. He completed his undergraduate studies with an average grade of 9.77. He was the recipient of the Rector’s award for study achievements and the recipient of the GRAWE Excellence Award, awarded by the Faculty of Law to the best student in the generation. He completed his undergraduate studies with honors on the topic of Exemption from Contractual Liability for Damages. His full-time employment is at the Faculty of Law, University of Maribor, where he works as a research and teaching assistant for the scientific fields of contractual law, labor law and law of obligations. At the Faculty of Law, he participates in various projects, among which are projects related to environmental law and environmental protection issues.

Besides his university and project work Klemen actively participates in different organizations. He is a manager of the wind orchestra and the vice-president of the Law Society Maribor. As part of the ASEF fellowship program, Klemen will be visiting prof. Nives Dolšak at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Lara Dular

Lara Dular is a first-year PhD student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering. She is a young researcher at the Laboratory of Imaging Technologies, where she is developing image processing and image analysis techniques in the field of medical imaging. Before joining the laboratory, she obtained her master’s degree in Financial Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics.

Currently, she is developing machine learning models for the analysis of brain MRI scans in order to study structural brain changes of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. During the summer she will be working with prof. Sanja Fidler at the University of Toronto, where she will expand her knowledge of deep learning and apply the ideas to medical data. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking and exploring nature, as well as discovering the hidden gems of lively cities.​

Lara Jerman

Lara Jerman is a second-year master's student in mathematics and computer science at the University of Ljubljana. She obtained her degree in biochemistry at the same university and is primarily interested in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biology and computation. She previously completed a summer research internship at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), where she worked on timing secondary chromosomal copy gains in tumors based on mutational data. This summer, she will be undertaking a project focusing on artificial intelligence with prof. Mateja Jamnik at the University of Cambridge, UK. Outside of her studies, Lara is involved in creating problems for the national logic competition as well as training students through workshops. A former contestant herself, she takes part in the selection and preparation of the International Linguistics Olympiad team. She also writes experiment questions for Male Sive Celice, a children's TV quiz. She volunteers as a scout, working with youth and taking on various leadership roles. In her spare time, she enjoys books, running, theatre, and traveling.

Lenart Škrjanc

Lenart Škrjanc is a 6th-year student of dental medicine at the Medical Faculty in Ljubljana. For as long as he remembers he has been enthusiastic about the function of the human body, natural sciences as well as handwork, technical work, aesthetics, working with people and everyday challenges brought by the profession of a dentist.

He is currently enrolled in a study project at the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics researching gingival overgrowth in patients with fixed applicances. So far he attended various international congresses, workshops and in 2018 a clinical clerkship at the Haddassah Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel.

As part of the ASEF fellowship program, Lenart will be visiting prof. Janina Golob Deeb and her research team at the Virginia Commonwealth University, focusing on expanding knowledge in the field of Peridontology.

Abroad, he would like to become acquainted with potential different clinical techniques and methods in the dental profession. In addition, he is interested in different types of dental care, organizational structures and the specifics of the individual approach to patients.

Mariša Cvitanič

Mariša is a 3rd-year Natural Sciences student in the Molecular Cell Biology and Synthetic Organic Chemistry stream at University College London. During her undergraduate education, she explored her interests in synthetic and cell biology by taking part in two iGEM projects and undertaking a summer internship focusing on the anticancer effects of the amniotic membrane. Her 3rd-year literature project focused on applications of cellular computation for cancer theranostics in mammalian cells.

This summer, Mariša will join the research group of Prof Jernej Ule at The Francis Crick Institute, where she will be working on the development of new methods for analysis of the network of protein-RNA interactions to elucidate the dynamics of subnuclear structures.

Coming from Kamnik, a small town just under the Alps, her favourite free time activities include spending time in nature, particularly hiking and snowboarding. When away from home, she likes to spend time travelling and exploring art.

Marko Drobnjak

Marko Drobnjak is a junior researcher at the Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law Ljubljana and Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Law Ljubljana. His primary research interests include language and law (legal language, legal discourse) automatic authorship identification (through aspects of forensic linguistics – forensic phonetics and phonology, forensic stylistics, etc.), media and criminology, but he is also focusing on psychological mechanisms in criminal justice and penology. Thankfully to ASEF, this year he will collaborate with prof. Gašper Beguš at the University of Washington, where he will examine how dialectological and phonetical-phonological features affect judicial proceedings and, ultimately, the length of penal sanctions. Marko is a big fan of new methodological approaches, such as natural language processing. Before beginning his Ph.D. studies he was a passionate gamer.

Nejc Kosanič

I am a physics student from Maribor, Slovenia. I finished my Bachelor's degree of Physics at the University of Maribor and am currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Physics programme at the University of Ljubljana. For the past two years I have been at Nuclear Reactor Center of Institut Jožef Stefan, where I was setting up an experiment on hydrodynamics (exploring critical heat flux and two phase flow behaviour of coolant R-134a under various conditions). I have also been working in a different IJS department for two months, where I worked on plasma production (examining synthesis of NH3 from H2 and N2 plasma in a low-pressure chamber on different metal surfaces).

My true interest lies in Astrophysics, which I had the chance to study on an Erasmus exchange at the University of Zagreb. I have always been interested in the nature of stars and galaxies. As such, my main goal in applying to ASEF is to be able to learn numerical programming, data mining, and to participate in astrophysical research, which will be possible under the supervision of prof. Andrej Prša at Villanova.

In my free time I have teamed up with a friend of mine to create a portable beverage cooler, but due to thermodynamics being in a slight disagreement with our project, it didn’t work out. We have also used the technology on two subsequent “successful” projects. Apart from that, I am also a lead (read: only) guitar player in a superb funky pop party band, a chile (plant and sauce!) enthusiast and happy craft beverages endorser.

Pia Marija Oblak

Pia Marija Oblak is a final-year Microbiology student at the Biotechnical Faculty at the University of Ljubljana and plans to continue studying Microbiology at the graduate level. She is passionate about Molecular biology and processes that occur on a microscale in general.

This summer, Pia will be joining Prof. Jernej Murn lab at the University of California, Riverside. She will be expanding her knowledge and working in the field of RNA biology, the main research topic of prof. Murn's lab. Pia is very grateful to ASEF for this wonderful opportunity and excited about new experiences.

In her free time, Pia likes to travel and discover new places around the world. She enjoys playing the organ, a piano and a violin. Besides music, she also likes jogging, dancing and hiking.

Primož Kocbek

Primož Kocbek is a research assistant at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences and a PhD student of biostatistics at the University of Ljubljana. His research interest includes statistical modeling and machine learning techniques with applications in healthcare. Currently his focus is machine learning models with temporal relations in Electronic Health Records and their interpretability, which is also part of his PhD thesis. He also participated in multiple national and international research projects associated with machine learning in healthcare.

This summer he will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University and is honored to be given this opportunity to expand his knowledge. In his free time, he enjoys reading a good book or watching a good movie and likes to travel and learn about foreign cultures.

Sabina Veršič

Sabina Veršič is a PhD student of Economic and Business Sciences at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, working in the field of Strategic Management and Company Policy. Her primary research interest is Strategic Management, in particular the impact of perceived changes in the multidimensional ecosystem of the company's (external) environment on the company's business focus and performance. She received her MSc in Project and Strategic Management and BSc degree in Management from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor.

This summer, Sabina will be visiting Dr. Tina Saksida at the University of Prince Edward Island and Dr. Nuša Fain at the Queen’s University, where she will measuring the impact of digitalization on business strategy, employee perceptions and skills. Aside from research, she likes traveling and exploring new cultures as well as spending time with her dog, friends and family.

Taja Ložar

Taja Ložar is an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana. Her interests include oncology and cancer biology, modelling of biological systems, cancer prevention and epidemiology, paliative care, and gynaecology. For the past two years she has been working as a student team member at the National cervical cancer screening program ZORA. She is involved in several research projects at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, the most recent being circulating tumor cell isolation and its implementation into clinical practice.

Taja will spend her summer working with professor Robert Jeraj at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on cancer research and clinical trial design. She is excited to explore new ways of optimizing cancer therapy to improve patients' quality of life and learn about the mathematical concepts that could aid in achieving this goal.

Tanja Janko

I’m an undergraduate student of Chemical technology at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Ljubljana. Currently, I’m working at Jožef Štefan institute on developing nanoparticles used for targeted drug delivery system.

I also previously worked on a similar project with nanoparticles in a research institute in Milano and in the past year, I worked as a volunteer in a school and hospital laboratory in The Gambia (Africa). One of my biggest passions is to combine working and learning with traveling. So in that aspect, this experience will be perfect for me. The ASEF fellowship offered me an amazing opportunity to work with Dr. Dimitri Krainc at the Northwestern University where I will be able to learn all about neurodegenerative diseases. I’m sure this opportunity will bring me a lot of academic growth and will help me shape my future research career. In my free time I enjoy reading, learning about new things and spending quality time with my friends and family.

Uroš Prešern

Uroš Prešern is a third-year undergraduate Biochemistry student at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. His current research is focused on the structural characterization of the complex between EGFR and EpCAM, which are two transmembrane proteins overexpressed in carcinoma. He is very grateful to ASEF for the opportunity to spend his summer with Professor Andrej Šali at UC San Francisco, where he will learn to generate structural models of proteins and protein complexes using software developed by Prof. Šali’s lab. He believes the experience will help him with his further research and will provide him with new and important knowledge on computational biology. Besides research, he is passionate about photography, cooking and traveling and enjoys spending time outdoors, jogging, hiking or just admiring nature. However, after a long day, some chocolate or chips and a good TV show are his favorite way to relax.

Urša Uršič

Urša Uršič is a physics student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Ljubljana. She obtained her bachelor's degree in 2018/19 and decided to take a year off from her studies to participate in research exchange. She completed a six-month internship in Luxembourg working with liquid crystals. Prof. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland will be hosting her for another ten-week internship in June where she will be working on protein functions. In October Urša Uršič will begin her master's studies in biophysics at the University of Ljubljana.

Urška Matjašec

Urška Matjašec is finishing a master's in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana. She is passionate about big data and all the opportunities that artificial intelligence is offering. She seeks challenges through different interdisciplinary projects and tries to find logic in every little thing. She likes to spend her free time in nature, running or hiking. She also likes traveling and exploring new cultures, but most of all she loves reading.

This summer, Urška will be working with prof. Mateja Jamnik and her research team at the University of Cambridge, UK. She is grateful to ASEF for this opportunity.

Dežan Lucija

Lucija Dežan is currently finishing her second year at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts. She graduated in Sociology and English Language and Literature. During her undergraduate and postgraduate studies, Lucija participated in several research teams dealing with the attitudes of youth, informal practices and tactical maneuvering in Balkan societies, and bicycle culture among local students. As her MSc thesis focuses on informal practices that help youth towards their first employment, she will spend the fall with prof. Ana Bračič, an expert in community engagement, to cooperate with her at the University of Oklahoma. The ASEF Fellowship offered her an opportunity to help with exit poll interviews during an election in the fall in Oklahoma City. Lucija is grateful to be given this opportunity and she believes that the ASEF Fellowship will allow her to broaden her research and will represent an important step on her career path. Lucija is also very passionate about equal opportunities and outside her academic pursuits; she likes to travel, she is a mentor of workshops where children combine robotics and LEGO bricks and loves board games.

Gubeljak Lara

Lara is a second-year medical student at the RWTH Aachen University. She is passionate about molecular medicine and will work with prof. Križaj at the University of Utah on corneal pain and mechanosensing from a molecular and physiological perspective. This is her first major research project, so she is especially grateful for this opportunity. In her spare time, she likes to play the piano, dance and wander around. She has a weak spot for living room concerts and cakes.

Ikica Barbara

Barbara is a PhD student of Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, working in the field of evolutionary game theory applied to evolving graphs. After her research visit to ETH Zürich, where she focused on modelling the propagation of news, she is very excited about the opportunity to visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. Aside from research, she enjoys the challenge of learning foreign languages, exploring new places on her bike, and spending time with friends and family.

Janež Petra

Petra Janež recently finished a PhD in Economics. During her PhD study, she made research visits to the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her MSc and BSc degree in Economics from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In her PhD dissertation, she examined the impact of the real estate tax policy on migration at the local and regional level in Slovenia with empirical modeling. She continues her research on how to attract new companies, capital and people to the country and on the other hand how to keep them. She is currently extending her knowledge at the Slovenian Institute of Auditors. She will visit Prof. Urška Velikonja to cooperate with her at the Georgetown University, Washington DC and she is honored to be given this opportunity. In her free time, she enjoys sports like skiing, playing tennis, biking, hiking and other activities.

Janežič Erik

Erik Janežič graduated in Biochemistry from Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Ljubljana. He has always been fascinated by the human brain and the mechanisms that govern our intelligence. This is reflected in his bachelor thesis, where he explored the subcellular localization of newly discovered organelles, lipid droplets, in rat astrocytes. During his studies, his interests expanded from biology to more abstract theoretical views of intelligence, and for his future career path, he decided to combine his interests in biology with computer science by enrolling in the Computer Science MSc program at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science in Ljubljana. He is now finishing his first year of his master's degree studies, focusing mainly on artificial intelligence and machine learning. He is fascinated by the theory of hierarchical temporal memory and plans to focus his research and master thesis in that direction.

This summer he will have the opportunity to work with prof. Sanja Fidler at the University of Toronto, where he will expand his knowledge in the domains of computer vision and natural language processing.

Coming from a small town under the Alps, he naturally likes mountaineering and skiing. During the summer he seeks an occasional scuba dive somewhere along the Croatian coast. When the time is scarce he relaxes by going out for a run and playing basketball or PC games with friends.

Kmecl Peter

Peter Kmecl is an undergraduate student in Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana. His particular interests are robotics, automation, and embedded systems. After developing simpler device-building and programming tasks as a hobby, he has been working at the Faculty's Laboratory for Metrology and Quality as a student, collaborating in a number of projects, most notably in the construction of optical magnetometers for the Jožef Stefan Institute.

Peter will spend this summer working with professor Domen Novak at The University of Wyoming, learning about working methods in an advanced research environment and getting to know cutting-edge technology in rehabilitation robotics. Peter is an avid sailor and skier. In addition, he likes to cook and – obviously – build and program various electronic devices in his free time.

Kukanja Petra

Petra Kukanja is a first-year postgraduate student at Uppsala University. After completing her BSc degree in Biotechnology from the University of Ljubljana, she was introduced to the fundamental metazoan transcriptional mechanisms under the Barborič Laboratory at the University of Helsinki. There, she was given an opportunity to participate in a project investigating the importance of RNA polymerase II promoter-proximal pause release in transcriptional response to genotoxic stress. She is currently enrolled in the MSc Program in Medical Research with a focus on molecular medicine. Her research interests are open to exploring possible diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment options through comprehending and manipulating various disease-causing mechanisms. Petra will be spending the summer in prof. Matija Peterlin's laboratory at UCSF. She is excited to deepen her knowledge in the field of gene regulation and learn more about HIV gene expression and latency. In her free time, Petra volunteers at the Scout Association of Slovenia. Devoted to the music she also completed her violin studies at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana. Finally, she can not complain about switching cold Nordic winters for endless Californian summers.

Lapajne Luka

Luka Lapajne is a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of Ljubljana, Medical faculty. He is a medical doctor who is currently working as a young researcher at the Eye hospital in Ljubljana. He wants to specialize in ophthalmology and become an eye surgeon. His current research is focused on corneal diseases. In collaboration with Jožef Stefan Institute, he is hoping to discover new functional and morphological aspects of those diseases and contribute to a better understanding of the pathologies and ultimately new treatment options. He is also a part of an interdisciplinary team that is introducing new stem cell-based therapy at the Eye hospital in Ljubljana. During his stay in the USA, he will be working with prof. David Križaj, who is a world-renowned researcher in the field of ophthalmology. Grateful to have been given this opportunity he is eager to make the most of it and is confident that this visit will bring him significant academic growth that could shape his future research career. In his free time, Luka likes different sports. He is passionate about skiing and cannot imagine a winter without a week in a proper alpine ski resort.

Leban Blaž

Blaž Leban is a second-year postgraduate Physics student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of mathematics and physics. This summer, he will be joining prof. Andrej Prša’s research group at the Villanova University in Philadelphia, which is mainly focused on computational astrophysics. He decided to study physics in high school when popular scientific books about the universe and cosmology totally amazed him but was later redirected to particle physics. He is currently working on his master's thesis about neutrino physics and the seesaw mechanism. Since he is not tied to a particular field for the future, he would like to deepen his knowledge of the behavior of star systems and try to build realistic computer models of them. In his free time, he tries to spend as much time as possible close to the space in nature, where he likes to run, hike, play football, volleyball and participate in other sports. He is also a rally fan and is enthusiastic about ultimate frisbee. He is a tidy and well-organized person. He is very grateful to ASEF for this fellowship.

Marinčič Matevž

Matevž Marinčič is a second-cycle physics student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. His main research interest is soft matter physics, particularly active matter, photonic crystals, and metamaterials. He worked on a research project on cholesteric liquid crystal microlasers. He also likes to share his enthusiasm for physics with others by tutoring, collaborating on science competitions and other projects. Currently, he works on active nematics, which is the main topic for his master's thesis.

This summer, Matevž will be visiting prof. Andrej Košmrlj at the Princeton University, where he will work on periodic elastic materials. Based on their geometry, these materials transmit or reflect specific vibrational modes, making them useful as acoustic metamaterials.

Besides being a researcher, Matevž has been an active member of his local scouting society since he was 10. This coincides with his love for nature and the outdoors - he likes hiking, trekking, mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing, or just having a picnic. He also combines these activities with his passion for traveling and exploring new cultures.

Mrzelj Nina

Nina Mrzelj is a MSc student of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana and is currently doing an Erasmus exchange at the University of Technology in Vienna.

What Nina likes most in her field of studies, is its interdisciplinarity and the endless possibilities of application of gained knowledge. She is interested in solving real-life problems, using mathematics and algorithms. Her research interests include machine learning, data science and network analysis. In the past, she worked on different projects: predicting the future trends of advertisement campaigns, classifying bacterial DNA sequences into taxonomic ranks, using data to improve user experience…

This summer, Nina will collaborate with prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. ASEF fellowship will allow her to work with world top scientists, while also experiencing new culture. In her free time, Nina loves to travel and spend time outdoors - hiking, climbing or just trying some new activities. She believes that life begins at the end of one's comfort zone and that is why she is always looking for challenges and adventures, both in her professional and personal life.

Nemac Kristjan

Kristjan Nemac is a young researcher at the Science and Research Centre Koper and a Ph.D. student at the University of Primorska. He graduated and received his master's degree in the Sociology of Culture at the University of Ljubljana. In his Ph.D. thesis, he is studying the effects of globalization on local communities, with the focus on the port’s involvement in global competition and the local environment. He is going to spend this summer working with prof. Nives Dolšak at the University of Washington, Seattle. This visit will give him the opportunity to analyze and compare two different cultural and political realities and the responses of the ports of Koper and Seattle to the globalization processes.

He actively participated in different organizations within which he critically analyzed modern society and sought solutions for social change. Working with the research group in the field of environmental policy will give him a better comprehension of sustainable development strategies that advocate the integrated social development of local communities.

Razpotnik Rok

Rok Razpotnik is a Ph.D. student of Biomedicine at the Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. His research focuses on investigating the role of non-coding RNAs, especially circular RNAs, in hepatocellular carcinoma. He completed his BSc and MSc program in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, where he also received recognition for scholarly achievements and the Prešeren award of the Faculty for his master`s thesis. By attending Erasmus+ program at the University of Ghent, Belgium, and other courses and academic projects, he further improved his knowledge. Rok is looking forward to spending his summer at the laboratory of prof. dr. Jernej Murn at the University of California, Riverside, where he will acquire new knowledge and experience in the field of RNA biology. He believes this experience will elevate his further research work and bring it to a new level. Rok is very passionate about traveling, discovering new cultures and loves to spend his free time outdoors, cycling, hiking, and jogging. However, after a long day, he enjoys nothing more than having drinks and a good laugh with his friends or watching a great alternative movie. He is honored and very grateful to ASEF for this opportunity.

Reberc Ana

Ana Reberc completed her BSc in Psychology at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. At the moment she is doing a double master's degree in Sociology of Culture and Psychology. She is a teaching assistant at the department of social psychology and a student librarian at the psychological library. Her scholarly research focuses on the epistemology of psychology, critical psychology and cognitive sociology. She is also interested in primatology and African studies. Besides her studies, she is an active journalist, author of a psychological radio show Psihoteka and a co-author of a feminist radio show Sector F on Radio Student. In her eclectic library there are many books by her role model Angela Y. Davis and favourite authors Amos Tutuola and Vladimir Bartol. She has a student job at the Slovenian Cinematheque and is a TV series enthusiast. In the summer of 2018, she will be researching transitional justice with professor Peter Verovšek at the University of Sheffield.

Robnik Jakob

Jakob is a second-year undergraduate physics student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. In high school, he received Bronze Medals at the International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics and International Olympiad in Physics. He is especially keen to learn as much as possible about nonlinear dynamics, cosmology and topology. His current research is focused on heat transfer in one dimensional lattices. He will spend his summer with Professor Seljak in UC Berkeley where he will work on numerical simulations in cosmology. When he is not thinking about abstract spaces or reading fantasy, he commits to his other passions, alpinism, rock climbing, skiing, football and any other sport.

Rus Marko

Marko is an undergraduate student of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana. His research interests are algorithms, data structures and deep learning. This summer he will be working with prof. Dawn Song at the University of California, Berkeley.

In his free time, Marko is working in the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Jožef Stefan Institute. In the past, Marko was part of the PKP project Solar Power Forecasting, participated the European Study Group with Industry, won a Deanís Commendation for Academic Excellence and received many awards from programming contests. Besides all this Marko finds enough time for other activities, he plays soccer, reads a lot, likes to go kayaking and loves to play the trumpet.

Smolkovič Aleks

Aleks Smolkovič is originally from Lendava, Slovenia. He has earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Ljubljana. During his studies, he developed an immense interest in the field of High Energy Physics. He complemented the knowledge gained at the faculty by taking summer internships at the Department of Theoretical Physics, Jožef Stefan Institute, and by attending specialized schools and conferences both in Slovenia and abroad.

He recently joined the Department of Theoretical Physics as a PhD student. He is researching various phenomenological consequences of physics beyond the Standard Model, connected to the decays of B mesons and interactions between the top quark and the Higgs boson. With the support of ASEF, for which he is very grateful, he is going to visit professor Jure Zupan at the University of Cincinnati.

Besides doing research Aleks also enjoys being a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. When not at the office he likes to spend his time with friends and family, especially enjoying good movies at the cinema, traveling and exploring new places.

Sotosek Anja

Anja works as a teaching assistant at the Department for Prosthetic Dentistry, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. In the course of her studies, she has participated in a research project in periodontology that earned her the Prešeren award of the Faculty of Medicine for research achievement and attended various international congresses and workshops. After obtaining her dental degree and completing her internship, she gained practical experience working as a general dentist for a year and a half.

As part of the ASEF fellowship program, Anja will be visiting prof. Janina Golob Deeb at the Virginia Commonwealth University, with the intention of expanding her knowledge. She is eager to take up the challenge through this research opportunity and hopes to make a positive contribution to prof. Golob Deeb’s team. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, travelling to sunny destinations and reading spy novels.

Zavodnik Jan

Jan Zavodnik is a graduate student at the Faculty for Mechanical Engineering, at the University of Ljubljana. In the past, he worked on a project of modeling and predicting the response of thermally activated artificial muscles made from metamaterials. He developed a model describing the shrinking response of coiled twisted nylon beam, enabling a thorough understanding of the process. He received a “Prešeren” award for outstanding young researchers for his bachelor’s degree work.

He will spend this summer at Princeton collaborating with Professor Andrej Košmrlj working on a project on lung development from the mechanics standpoint. He will be trying to develop a model, which would help to better understand, how the lungs and other organs develop in a human or animal body. Besides his university and project work, Jan enjoys data science, flying model planes, hiking and swimming. He likes to spend his free time outside in nature and take romantic walks with his girlfriend.

Žust Lojze

Lojze Žust is an undergraduate student of Computer and Information Science at the University of Ljubljana. He is passionate about machine learning and computer vision and is currently finishing his thesis on image analysis using deep learning.

Lojze has worked on multiple AI research projects at the university as well as in the R&D department of the healthcare company Marand. He is excited about expanding his knowledge to other intriguing areas of artificial intelligence. This summer, he is looking forward to visiting prof. Jure Leskovec and joining his research group at Stanford University.

In his free time, Lojze loves climbing, spending time outdoors, playing his favorite songs on the guitar and hanging out with his friends.

Čibej Gorazd

Gorazd is a lawyer working in insurance. After obtaining an LL.M degree in European Law from the University of Lund (Sweden) and the bar exam, he primarily specialized in insurance law. As a strong believer in alternative dispute resolution, he later obtained a certificate that enabled him to work as a mediator and further deepened his knowledge by taking part in courses on mediation at home and abroad (University of New Mexico, Central European University). That all resulted in building up a Free Legal Aid Clinic especially dedicated to offering free legal advice and conducting mediation services to the ones in need. He feels extremely pleased and honored to see that due to the passion and work Free Legal Aid Clinic has grown into one of the most recognizable organizations of its kind in the country.

Gorazd is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Ljubljana and working on his doctoral thesis on the impact of insurance liability on tort law. Next to his legal major he is also enrolled in the last year of Master in Business Studies, where his research focuses on the exploration of ethics in corporate governance both from a business and legal perspectives. He believes that Harvard experience will have a tremendous impact on his research topic and is very delighted to be given this opportunity. In his free time, Gorazd likes traveling and exploring new cultures and is passionate about sports such as skiing, playing tennis and biking.

Golobič Teja

Teja Golobič is a first-year PhD student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law. On the basis of her previous academic achievements, her PhD tuition has been funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia. She graduated in law and obtained her master's degree in law, both cum laude, at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in many international summer schools, law students’ competitions and research projects. During her visit to Utrecht University, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, she upgraded her knowledge of corporate law. Her current scientific article, which discusses the regulation of water supply, was published in the leading administrative law journal in Slovenia, Javna uprava. As her current PhD research focuses on administrative law, European Union law, competition law, public-private partnerships and concession contracts, she will visit Prof. John T Plecnik, an expert in taxation and public policy, to cooperate with him at the CSU. Teja is also very passionate about gender equality, equal opportunities, and, outside her academic pursuits, poetry and dance.

Gosar Žiga

Žiga Gosar is a Second cycle physics student at the Faculty of mathematics and physics, University of Ljubljana. His past work experience includes simulation of hot water heaters, evolutionary algorithms, cold atoms, optical fibers (in particular splicing of optical fibers), tutoring, and popularization of science.

During the summer he will be working with Prof. Andrej Košmrlj at the Princeton University on the topic of soft 2D periodic materials (acoustic metamaterials). These materials are able to reversibly switch between two different configurations with different properties, for example, the different transmission of vibrations and sound. In his free time, he likes to travel (he is especially excited about Southeast Asia), write code, and play with Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and other electronics. He is also training to become an alpinist.

Jež Kaj

Kaj Jež is a first-year postgraduate student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, where he also received his graduate degree in International Business. He will be spending this summer with prof. Nives Dolšak at the University of Washington in Seattle where he will be comparing taxation and concession policies and regulation pertaining to water sources in Slovenia, Washington State and California, focusing primarily on the relative size and structure of taxes on the use of water sources, the duration of concessions and the monitoring process relating to said regulations. His research interests are the effects of taxation and regulation on the economic performance of businesses and long-term country economic growth.

Kaj also serves as the director of Slovenia’s Institute Libertas, a free-market think tank previously engaged in the public discourse relating to water policies and other civil society issues. His particular spare time interests include film, theatre and reading.

Kukavica Jaka

Jaka Kukavica is a final year LL.B. student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law. His research interests are broadly based in constitutional and human rights aspects of various public law issues. In the past, he has researched procedural obligations and (European) consensus as an interpretative method under the European Convention on Human Rights. He is going to work with Prof. Urška Velikonja at Georgetown University, researching the procedural rights of victims in securities compliance enforcement procedures and other similar procedures from a constitutional and comparative perspective. In his spare time, Jaka is an avid (yet average) rock climber, a sad landlocked surfer, and is overcompensating for a lack of waves in his everyday life by training to run the 2018 Pyongyang Marathon.

Lampret Urška

Urška Lampret is a PhD student and a young researcher at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Theology. Her PhD thesis is focused on ideatic diverge and conflict between Christianity and Communism in the period of revolution in Slovenia. In her research, she is focusing on the actions, activities, and policies the Church implemented and followed in order to defend human rights during the time of WWII and the Communist revolution in Slovenia, including the question about the legitimacy of same. She is a member of Societas Ethica and a research group at the Faculty of Theology. ASEF Fellowship offered her an opportunity to work with prof. Peter Verovšek at the University of Sheffield (UK), whose extensive knowledge of the topic of politics and collective memory would have a substantial relevance and impact for her research. Urška is very grateful to be given this opportunity and she believes that the ASEF Fellowship will allow her to broaden and deepen her research and will represent an important step on her career path.

But first of all, Urška is a mother of three (Nika – 5 years old, Jakob – 3 years old and Filip – 2 years old). Her free time is full of laughing, crying, playing, singing, dancing, screaming, tickling, … Among academic and family activities Urška is passionate about ski jumping (she was among the first female ski jumpers in Slovenia), dancing, climbing, country music and football (Liverpool FC's fan), thanks to her husband. To coordinate all those aspects of her life she needs to be very well organized and motivated, which also results in her scientific work, which usually ends very late at night.

Lukič Marija

Marija is a final, sixth-year student of Dentistry at the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana. As she gained deeper knowledge about different fields in dentistry, she became especially interested in periodontology and prosthodontics. Currently, she's involved in research on public knowledge about Endodontics, but she is looking forward to taking a chance to work in periodontics with Dr. Janina Golob Deeb at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Throughout her studies, she volunteered in a student project, focused on preventive dentistry. She was also active in medical and dental students magazines. She attended different workshops and international congresses, which broaden her view on dentistry and improved her clinical work.

Her profession is the exact opposite of one of her favorite hobbies - baking. She jokes that she is doing it because somebody has to provide customers for dentists. She also loves to dance, enjoys different kinds of art and loves creative handwork, which is one of the reasons she chose dentistry in the first place. She is honored and grateful to ASEF for this opportunity.

Marc Tilen

Tilen Marc is a PhD student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. He works in the area of graph theory and is also interested in topics such as machine learning and network analysis. I will have the opportunity to visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. In his free time, Tilen loves to climb and do other sports and spends as much time outdoors.

Omerzel Aleš

Aleš Omerzel is a second-year MSc student in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana. At the University of California, Berkeley, Aleš will cooperate with prof. Dawn Song on cutting edge technologies in artificial intelligence and particularly in deep learning.

As a high school student, Aleš won four golden awards at the National Math Olympiads and a bronze medal at the Benelux Mathematical Olympiad. In 2011, he enrolled in the BSc interdisciplinary program Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana, where he won Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence each year. In 2014, he continued to MSc in Computer Science and Mathematics and during the master's degree, he gained many international experiences. He completed R&D Internship focused on corporate software systems at Bloomberg L.P. in London. He spent two semesters at ETH Zürich as an exchange student and student assistant. His research in Switzerland covered privacy, data sharing and performance optimization in Internet of Things which contributed to the publication Engineering Democratization in Internet of Things Data Analytics.

Besides activities related to studying and scientific research, Aleš enjoys in various recreative sports in the evenings which helps him staying positive, empowered and fit. He also likes playing guitar, traveling and exploring new things.

Rojc Ajda

Ajda Rojc is a student at the Faculty of Chemistry and chemical technology at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She finished her BSc program in Biochemistry and continued with a MSc program at the same department. In the last year of study, Ajda moved to Sweden where she attended a semester at Uppsala University. This year, Ajda will spend the summer in San Francisco where she will work in prof. Matija Peterlin's laboratory at UCSF. Ajda’s favorite topic in biochemistry is immunology which is also the main research topic of her Master’s thesis. She is excited about working at UCSF as this experience will expand her knowledge and expose her to new opportunities in biochemistry. She is grateful to ASEF for enabling her to pursue this opportunity.

Ajda has been an avid climber for 16 years and after school she works at a local climbing gym where she teaches and coaches children of all ages. She is also a snowboarding instructor, she loves to cook, bake, hike, cycle and travel around, so California is a perfect place for Ajda to be!

Starčevič Luka

Luka Starčevič is a mechanical engineering student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maribor. For the past 2 years, he has been working on the numerical calculations of cellular and auxetic materials under the supervision of prof. Zoran Ren, the Head of Laboratory for Advanced Computational Engineering and Experimenting. In these 2 years, Luka has gathered a lot of experience and knowledge in the field of numerical simulations of cellular and auxetic materials, which are materials with special mechanical features. In the past few months, Luka has been collaborating with Nejc Novak, a junior scientist currently in Kumamoto, Japan, working on experiments to validate Luka’s research work in the field of numerical simulations. Due to Luka’s impactful research his mentor, prof. Ren, recommended him to visit prof. Košmrlj at the Princeton University, where Luka could gather great experience in the field of auxetic materials and so further work with Mr. Novak on this research-related topics. Luka is very excited to learn from Prof. Košmrlj and deepen his theoretical knowledge of auxetic materials. Luka believes that with solid theoretical knowledge he will be able to deliver even more impactful research results in his field. Gathered experiences and knowledge that Luka is hoping to gain as an ASEF Fellow will be a great benefit for Luka’s future research, especially when he starts with his PhD program next year.

Vidmar Robert

Robert recently finished a PhD in Biochemistry at Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He decided to continue with his research on proteolytic enzymes and their function in health and disease at Jožef Štefan Institute. Robert is highly involved in several aspects of biochemistry like molecular and cellular biology combined with mass spectrometry-based proteomics. In his work, he covers different aspects of protease research ranging from the production of recombinant proteases, their characterization, and determination of their cleavage specificity to uncovering their physiological and pathological roles.

This summer Robert will be visiting prof. Andrej Šali at the University of California, San Francisco where he would like to deepen his knowledge, expand his research network and of course get new and exciting data about molecular mechanisms of autophagy. More precisely, Robert would like to obtain experimental data on structural features of autophagy signaling complexes and combine them with bioinformatic modelling approaches available at prof. Šali’s lab.

Besides being a dedicated and highly motivated researcher Robert tries to spend every free minute with his family, goes for a bike ride, to the mountains or simply spends calm moments gardening.

Vižintin Angelika

Angelika Vižintin completed her BSc in Biotechnology at Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, and received the recognition of Biotechnical Faculty for undergraduate students with the best scholarly achievements. At the moment she is a MSc student of Biochemistry at the Faculty for Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. Her research interests are broad and she has joined several academic projects during her studies.

Currently, she is focusing on toxin-antitoxin systems in cyanobacteria, microorganisms that obtain their energy through photosynthesis. Angelika is looking forward to join Dr. Mihaela Pavličev at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center through the ASEF Fellowship program. She will be involved in a research project with the aim to better understand the regulation of gene expression in human placental cells. In her free time, she is communicating scientific topics with the audience of Radio Študent (one of Europe's oldest and strongest independent and non-commercial radio stations), attending cultural events, tasting craft beers or simply relaxing in nature with friends.

Zajec Patrik

Patrik is an undergraduate student of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Patrik also works at the AILAB (Artificial Intelligence laboratory at Jožef Stefan Institute) in the field of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.

He is interested in research projects which also bring practical results. In primary and secondary school Patrik was an active competitor in various computer programming competitions and won first places in all national programming competitions, so he can confidently say that he has a broad knowledge of algorithms and data structures. Patrik also has experience with traditional natural language processing and machine learning techniques. Currently, he is interested in deep learning advances and techniques applicable to this field. Patrik will be visiting prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University this summer.

Patrik is a pretty passionate skiing teacher in winter but in the summer time, windsurfing and swimming are his favorite.

Gaber Aljaž

Aljaž Gaber is a PhD student of biochemistry at the University of Ljubljana where he also works as an assistant, supervising young to-be biochemists during their lab courses. During his undergraduate study at the same university, Aljaž was also an active student representative. He spent his summer of 2015 with prof. Andrej Sali at UCSF, applying their state of the art computational structural biology algorithms to tackle the self-assembly of a tumor marker Aljaž is researching as a part of his PhD. The idea behind this is to better understand how our organisms work on a molecular scale, which would enable us to better understand diseases and develop novel treatment strategies.

As a graduate student, Aljaž's life at this point mostly revolves around becoming a perspective young scientist, which means there is not too much time for pursuing other interests. Still, he will never say no to an invitation for a drink to catch up or to have an interesting discussion.

Hribernik Andraž

Andraž graduated from Computer Science and then joined London based start up Cytora as one of the first 5 engineering hires. He spent the summer of 2015 visiting prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. The summer research project was about finding duplicates and anomalies in a huge collection of news articles. In his free time he likes to do various different sports (skiing, climbing, kite surfing, etc), explore street food markets and visit different countries.

Kozarski Filip

Filip Kozarski finished his BSc in maths and physics in Ljubljana and is currently pursuing a MSc degree in Theoretical and mathematical physics in Munich. He visited Prof Uros Seljak at the department of Cosmology, Berkeley, in the late summer of 2015. Filip's hobbies and things not being paid for include playing soccer in the team of Slovenians in Munich, and thinking or joking about life, physics and all other everyday stuff in between. All with the help of Kindle and YouTube. Filips is a human of habits. In the picture (right) together with Volt (left), the best dog ever.

Us Peter

Peter Us finished his BSc of Computer and Information Science at the University of Ljubljana and is currently pursuing a MSc degree in Computer and Information Science at the same university. In the summer of 2015, Peter visited the laboratory of prof. Dawn Song, at the University of Berkeley. There, Peter was working on projects from the field of cutting-edge web technologies. In the summer of 2016, Peter started working as a data science intern at Evolven - an IT Operations analytics company.

In his free time, Peter likes to learn more about various fields of computer science such as machine learning, functional programming and new web development technologies. When he is not preoccupied with the things already mentioned, he could be playing basketball, watching series or exploring the world around him.

Cencen Veronika

Veronika Cencen is a 22-year-old graduate student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ottawa, set to work with prof. Kosmrlj of Princeton University through the ASEF Fellowship program. She completed her BSc in Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana in 2014. Her research interests are interdisciplinary; her current projects are focused on the development and use of microfluidics in nanotechnology and biophysics, in the hope of developing novel methods for diagnostics and treatment of diseases for which current approaches are inadequate and poorly accessible.

As a member of a diplomatic family, she has lived in several countries and speaks six languages (English, Slovene, French, Chinese, Russian and Lithuanian). When she is not teaching or researching in the lab (or attending a conference or society meeting), she enjoys training and competing in rhythmic gymnastics as an international athlete recognized Olympic Committee of Slovenia, volunteering for the science outreach group Let's Talk Science and Aboriginal Mentorship Program (where her high level of commitment, enthusiasm, and innovative approach helped raise $22,500 to help the spread of the program to remote indigenous communities), writing for local and University magazines and newspapers, dancing, running, playing piano, and raising her pet poodle and hamster.

Dimitriev Aleksandar

Aleksandar Dimitriev is a MSc student in Computer Science at the University of Ljubljana, where he also obtained his BSc. He has always had a passion for math, and his research interests cover the broad area of applied machine learning, focusing on the application of Bayesian methods to real-world data, such as computer vision, bioinformatics, and social network analysis. He is very excited about the opportunity to work with Professor Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. In his free time, he likes to compose and play the violin.

Kocijan Vid

Vid Kocijan is currently finishing 2nd year of undergraduate study of computer science and mathematics at the University of Ljubljana. This summer, he will work with prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University. Vid's research interests are algorithms, data structures and discrete mathematics. He's trying to keep his list of interests wide, and will probably choose a more specific field of interest in few years. In his free time Vid likes climbing and mountain hiking. He also spends time voluntary teaching and has been preparing few members of the Slovenia IOI team this year.

Polajnar Neven

Neven Polajnar is a second-year PhD student in Political Science at the University of Ljubljana. He received his first BSc degree in Economics at the Faculty of Economics and his second BSc degree in Defense Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana, where he also accomplished his master studies in Political Theories. At the University of Harvard, Neven will cooperate with prof. dr Peter J. Verovsek and is strongly convinced that this experience will bring important aspects and elements to the final findings and conclusions of his PhD thesis, which is focused on the recognition of authoritarian elements in modern representative democracies and their different dimensions. Neven is also researching issues of different antagonisms inside political and social models, social and political structures, issues of politicization and depoliticization, political culture and collective identities, democratization issues and their limits, etc. Except for political theories, his research is focused on geostrategic issues, political economy, defense and security issues, diplomacy and international relations, state and political institutions, etc.

In geo-strategical sense, Neven's special focus is on the region of the Balkans, South-Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation, by analyzing and researching social and political transition, as well as the issue of democratic transformation of above mentioned ex-socialist regions.

Besides activities related to scientific researches, Neven is a martial arts instructor and competitor, which demands a lot of focus, hard work, discipline and devotion, skills that are very helpful in all spheres of life, including the academic ones.

Rožanec Jože

Jože Rožanec is a software engineer pursuing his MSc degree in Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This summer, he will visit prof. Dawn Song at UC Berkeley. Jože received his BSc degree in software engineering at Universidad Austral in 2011. He worked for several companies, starting as a pre-sales intern at Microstrategy and then switching to software engineering roles. His last jobs were as a member of the R&D team at Navent, a leading South American company for real estate and job portals, where he developed recommender systems. Nowadays, he is a part of the core data team at Mercadolibre, the leading Latin American e-commerce company. His research interests are in time series analysis, deep learning and recommender systems. In his spare time, Jože enjoys reading, going to concerts as well as contributing to open source projects.

Rozman Jan

Jan Rozman is presently a third-year undergraduate physics student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the University of Ljubljana. This summer, he will be working with Professor Andrej Kosmrlj at Princeton University. Jan's studies have been focused mostly on theoretical and mathematical physics. His primary research interest is biophysics, in particular, the mechanics of cellular movement during embryonic development. His previous research work was on the mechanics of buckled epithelium and was conducted at the Jozef Stefan Institute at the Department of Theoretical Physics. In his free time, Jan likes hiking and reading.

Srebre Matej

Matej comes from Sostanj, northern Slovenia. At first, he was planning to become a programmer and went to Computer Engineering high school in Velenje, then continued as a Computer Science student at the University of Ljubljana; after one year of Computer Science, he switched to Physics and finished his bachelor's degree last June. Now, Matej is a master's student in theoretical physics at the University of Munich, Germany.

Matej's research interests revolve around particle physics and exploring the fundamental properties of nature, mainly by combining theoretical calculations with experimental data. He was an intern at CMS, one of the two leading experiments at CERN (Switzerland) last summer, and researched W bosons. This year, he is looking forward to a new challenge with Professor Uros Seljak at UC Berkeley and experience a top US university. In his free time, Matej plays the accordion - "frajtonarca".

Travnik Kaja

Kaja Travnik is going to work with professor Peter Verovsek at Harvard University. She studied Law as an undergraduate at the European Faculty of Law. She continued her studies and became a Master of Law at the European Faculty of Law. Kaja was always interested in European Law, the function of the European Union and Human Rights. She upgraded her studies with Jean Monnet Certificate, which gave her deeper understanding of how the European Union functions, its history and knowledge about the most important cases from the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. Kaja was a part of many summer schools and conferences abroad. She worked for European Commission in Brussels and for International Law Firm in Italy, where she strengthened her theoretical knowledge in practice. With her visit, she would like to intensify her current knowledge and bring a contribution to the academic sphere. Kaja is very excited to work with professor Verovsek, who has so much knowledge and experience in political theory and European Union.

One of Kaja's biggest life wishes was to be a part of Harvard University and she is so grateful to the ASEF fellowship committee, which gave her this opportunity. For Kaja, that means to be a part of the historic institution, which has an important contribution to the whole world.

Vizovisek Matej

Matej studied chemistry at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty for Chemistry and Chemical Technology and finished his studies in 2009. Afterwards he did his PhD in prof. Boris Turk's lab at Jozef Stefan Institute and defended his PhD in 2014. Currently, Matej is working as a research assistant, his main research field is proteomics which he often combines with classical biochemistry. During his PhD he has gained advanced technical knowledge in the field of high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomics and was leading the development of new proteomic approaches for chemical labeling of protease generated N-termini, that enabled the identification of protease substrates and corresponding cleavage sites. Matej was also working on the development and validation of SMART fluorescent probes for cysteine proteases that they were developing in the LIVIMODE (FP7) project. This summer Matej will have the great opportunity to expand his knowledge and work with prof. Sali at UCSF, where he will concentrate especially on bioinformatic approaches to explore and process large proteomic datasets to provide more integrative insights into different molecular players in health and disease.

Cepin Matej

Matej Cepin (the Santa Clara awardee) has already completed his project in May 2014. This is what he wrote. "The aim of my study visit was to deepen my knowledge about Social Entrepreneurship and Business Incubators and to be able to transfer some of successful practices back to Slovenia in the future. The core activity was the Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI) Conference. (Matej was later offered a mentorship at the Center for Science, Technology and Society at Santa Clara and become a research fellow there.) Other events included 1-to-1 meetings, participation in smaller events and visiting institutions, including a fundraising dinner at SCU, presentation of innovations in Frugal Lab (SCU) and meeting the Slovenian Bay Area Community. The journey was a meaningful learning experience in the fields of social entrepreneurship, social impact measurement, fundraising nonprofits and social enterprises, marketing in social entrepreneurship, social media, managing coworking spaces and incubators of social enterprises. I saw several business models in action, expanded my social network and got an empowering experience of mentorship from Fr. Peter Rožič SJ."

Get to know more about Matej's impressions from Silicon Valley in this YouTube video.

Colnerič Niko

Niko Colnerič is coming from Mestinje, in the East of Slovenia. From an early age, he liked mathematics and physics and after finishing high school in Celje, he obtained his BSc in Computer Science in Ljubljana. Currently, Niko is a first-year PhD student at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science where his main focus is on data mining challenges and high-dimensional data analysis. In his free time, he loves cycling and paragliding.

Žitnik Marinka

Marinka Žitnik is a PhD student in computer science at the University of Ljubljana. She received her BSc in computer science and mathematics from the University of Ljubljana in 2012. Her research interests are at the intersection of artificial intelligence and computational biology. She focuses on ways of fusing many heterogeneous data sources. Her research is driven by current challenges in bioinformatics, systems and molecular biology. Through integrative computational analysis, she aims to identify the most promising candidate genes that biologists can investigate further experimentally. In her free time, Marinka also edits XRDS Crossroads, the ACM magazine for students, and is active in the Google Anita Borg community.

Cecilija Rowane

Cecilija Rowane je študentka drugega letnika dodiplomskega študija zdravstvene nege na The Ohio State University. Prihaja iz Clevelanda v Ohiu, kjer je odraščala v tesno povezani slovenski skupnosti, ki je pomembno oblikovala njeno identiteto in vrednote.

Že od malih nog je močno povezana s svojo dediščino preko slovenske šole v župniji Marije Pomagaj (Saint Mary’s), folklorne skupine Kres in poletij v taboru Slovenska Pristava, kjer je pozneje delovala kot vzgojiteljica. Posebej hvaležna je družini po materini strani, ki jo je naučila pomena slovenske kulture in ohranjanja dediščine.

S svojim raziskovanjem v Sloveniji Cecilija upa, da bo poglobila svoje razumevanje javnega zdravja v državi, hkrati pa se povezala z drugimi štipendisti, ki si delijo njeno kulturno ozadje. Poleg študija rada teče, potuje ter preživlja čas z družino in prijatelji.

Geronimo Comba Trpin

Geronimo Comba Trpin se je rodil v Miramaru v Argentini in odraščal v tesnem stiku s slovenskimi koreninami – njegovi stari starši so bili namreč Slovenci. Je pravnik, specializiran za mednarodno pravo, in strokovnjak za digitalni marketing z izkušnjami pri sodelovanju s številnimi podjetji, ki jim pri rasti pomaga s krepitvijo komuniciranja in oblikovanjem učinkovitejših marketinških strategij.

Aktivno sodeluje v slovenskem društvu v svojem rodnem kraju, kjer sodeluje pri kulturnih in skupnostnih pobudah, ki ohranjajo slovensko dediščino v Argentini. Močno si želi vrnitve v Slovenijo – povezan z družinskimi koreninami in vrednotami, s katerimi je odraščal – ter si želi iz prve roke spoznati, kako Slovenija kot država in prek svojih podjetij komunicira ter gradi odnose s svetom.

Ignacio Farah Bečaj

Ignacio Farah Bečaj je diplomant ekonomije na Univerzi v Bologni. Kot študent se je izkazal ne le kot ambasador univerze iz Argentine, temveč tudi z izjemno učinkovitostjo – zahteven mednarodni študij z izmenjavami v Argentini, Franciji in na Nizozemskem je zaključil v polovičnem času. Danes svojo pot nadaljuje na presečišču napredne umetne inteligence in podjetništva. Njegovo delo se osredotoča predvsem na vpeljavo lokalnih sistemov UI, ki zagotavljajo visoko stopnjo zasebnosti podatkov, kar je ključnega pomena za manjše ekipe in zagonska podjetja.

Svoje praktično znanje je utrdil pri Amazonu v Amsterdamu, kjer je kot mlajši produktni vodja vodil razvoj rešitev na podlagi umetne inteligence. Uspešno je transformiral zamudne ročne procese v avtomatizirane delovne tokove, ki temeljijo na inteligentnih agentih. Ti projekti so podjetju prinesli izjemno rast prodaje, obenem pa so služili kot zgled dobre prakse, ki je bil predstavljen celo vodilnim predstavnikom EU.

Že v času študija je kot soustanovitelj zagonskega podjetja GeoBu razvil inovativno nosljivo napravo za večjo varnost ranljivih skupin, za kar je prejel prvo nagrado na tekmovanju Rotary kluba v inovativnosti. Njegovo tehnično podkovanost potrjujejo številne zmage na tekmovanjih iz robotike in programiranja (Amazon CoderZ, Lego League), poslovno žilico pa uspehi na prestižnih izzivih, kot sta SABG-Bain in Matherika Trading Cup.

V okviru štipendije ASEF Ignacio prihaja na raziskovalni obisk v Slovenijo. Tukaj se bo posvetil razvoju naprednih, lokalno vodenih jezikovnih modelov (LLM), ki bi omogočali vrhunsko zmogljivost brez odvisnosti od zunanjih ponudnikov ali drage infrastrukture. Njegov cilj je ustvariti varen in prilagodljiv sistem, ki se uči neposredno iz uporabe.

Poleg raziskovalnega dela si Ignacio prizadeva svoje bogate mednarodne izkušnje deliti z drugimi. Kot mentor si želi pomagati prihodnjim štipendistom in s svojo zgodbo navdihniti mlade, da bi razmišljali širše in bolj globalno.

Jacob Tyler

Ime mi je Jacob Tyler in na Univerzi Villanova študiram astronomijo in astrofiziko, moj namen pa je diplomirati tudi iz matematike in fizike. Predhodno sem izvajal raziskave na področju fotoelektrične fotometrije rdečih nadvelikank, vključno z Betelgezo (Alfa Orionis) in CE Bika (119 Tau). Med obiskom v Sloveniji pod mentorstvom dr. Andreja Prše načrtujem raziskovanje modelnih rešitev za prekrivalni dvojni zvezdni sistem.

Kevyn O’Connell

Kevyn O’Connell se v svojem raziskovalnem delu osredotoča na mikro- in makroekonomijo, ekonometrijo ter globalno gospodarsko politiko. Posebno pozornost posveča dejavnikom dolgoročne rasti in vlogi strukturne konkurenčnosti – področju, ki ga želi podrobneje raziskati v okviru slovenskega gospodarstva. Kevyn je pred kratkim magistrirala iz ekonomije na Barcelona School of Economics, kjer se je specializirala za mednarodno trgovino, finance in razvoj. Njen magisterij, objavljen v javnem repozitoriju univerze, je analiziral vpliv tuje pomoči na izdatke za javno zdravje v državah prejemnicah, pri čemer je uporabila strategije fiksnih učinkov in neparametrične identifikacije. Pred tem je z odliko diplomirala iz ekonomije na univerzi McMaster in opravila poletno prakso pri zavarovalnici Zurich Insurance.

Pred podiplomskim študijem je delala kot raziskovalna asistentka na oddelku za mednarodne ekonomske analize pri Centralni banki Kanade (Bank of Canada). Njeno delo je vključevalo uporabo metod analize besedil v komunikaciji centralnih bank, oblikovanje protidejanskih smeri gibanja prihrankov gospodinjstev v po-pandemični Evropi ter ocenjevanje uspešnosti napovedovanja ameriške centralne banke (Federal Reserve).

Kevyn se še posebej veseli pridružitvi štipendijskemu programu ASEF, saj sta bila oba njena stara starša po materini strani rojena v Sloveniji, preden sta se izselila v Kanado. Je tudi članica Slovenskega doma v Torontu, štipendijo pa vidi kot priložnost za ponovno povezovanje z družinsko dediščino in prispevek k slovenski akademski skupnosti. Poleg tega se veseli navezovanja stikov s študenti in učenjaki z vsega sveta, saj je odraščala v Avstraliji in Maleziji. Zunaj raziskovalnega dela Kevyn uživa v smučanju in plezanju.

Matija Šraj

Matija Šraj je nagrajeni slovensko-avstralski scenarist, ki živi v Melbournu. Je avtor in scenarist več televizijskih serij, ki so trenutno v razvoju, pred tem pa je delal kot asistent pri vrhunskih serijah za svetovne ponudnike pretočnih vsebin, kot so Paramount+, Amazon, Disney+, BBC ter avstralska ABC in Stan.

Preden se je posvetil scenaristiki, je Matija deloval v politiki za avstralsko stranko Zeleni (Australian Greens), med drugim kot svetovalec za odnose z javnostmi za senatorje in kot eden glavnih svetovalcev stranke med uspešno kampanjo za izenačitev zakonske zveze leta 2017. Diplomiral je iz politologije in prava na Univerzi v Melbournu, študijsko izmenjavo pa je opravil na Inštitutu za politične študije v Parizu (Sciences Po). Delal je tudi kot mentor v aboriginski šoli v odročnem avstralskem zaledju ter je usposobljen inštruktor plavanja in fitnesa.

Matija je odraščal ob slovenskem jeziku, ki ga je govoril z očetom Slovencem, še danes pa ohranja tesne vezi z družino in prijatelji v Sloveniji. Veseli se, da bo prek svojega ustvarjalnega in profesionalnega dela v okviru ASEF štipendijskega programa Obisk Slovenije še bolj poglobil svojo povezanost s Slovenijo.

Nikolas Gestrich

Nikolas je študent tretjega letnika dodiplomskega študija fizike s poudarkom na računskih metodah na Fakulteti za znanost in inženirstvo Univerze v Minnesoti. Zanima ga uporaba fizike za reševanje resničnih problemov, še posebej pa ga privlačijo kvantno računalništvo, rešitve za trajnostno energijo ter družbena uporaba matematike in podatkovne vede.

S slovensko kulturo je povezan preko svoje družine, predvsem preko starih staršev, Ivana in Barbare. Odraščal je v slovenski skupnosti v Chicagu in Clevelandu (Ohio), kjer je pogosto obiskoval sorodnike in prijatelje. Njegova najbolj nepozabna slovenska izkušnja je bilo delo mentorja na Pristavskem taborjenju, kjer je vodil aktivnosti in mlade poučeval o slovenski kulturi.

Nikolas je Slovenijo že večkrat obiskal, da bi videl širšo družino, za letošnje poletje pa se še posebej veseli, da bo tam živel, ter se popolnoma vživel v kulturo in jezik. Pričakuje, da ga bo izkušnja še bolj povezala z njegovo dediščino, hkrati pa mu bo ponudila priložnosti za akademsko in profesionalno rast. Veseli se izvajanja fizikalnih raziskav pod vodstvom ASEF mentorjev.

V prostem času rad preživlja čas v naravi – bodisi s pohodništvom, kolesarjenjem ali plavanjem – uživa pa tudi v poslušanju glasbe in gledanju filmov. To poletje želi poleg dela raziskati državo, se povezati z drugimi ASEF štipendisti, obiskati sorodnike in uživati v naravnih lepotah Slovenije.

Nora Withrow

Nora je študentka drugega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi Cincinnati, kjer študira kemijsko inženirstvo in se dodatno usmerja v biologijo. Navdušuje se nad prepletanjem inženirstva in ved o življenju, njen cilj po diplomi pa je nadaljevanje poti v raziskovalnih vodah in podiplomski študij.

Nora je odrasla v okolici Clevelanda v Ohiu, obkrožena z živahno slovensko skupnostjo. V slovensko kulturo se je vživela s sodelovanjem v Folklorni skupini Kres in aktivnim udejstvovanjem v skupnosti Slovenska Pristava. Njena stara starša, Lou in Sylvia, sta jo navdihnila, da je sprejela svoje slovenske korenine in si začela prizadevati za globljo povezanost s svojo dediščino.

Med bivanjem v Sloveniji se Nora veseli druženja z družino, pohodništva in podrobnejšega spoznavanja svoje dediščine. Prav tako želi pridobiti dragocene izkušnje na področju raziskav ter nadgraditi svoje veščine reševanja problemov z mednarodno perspektivo. Veseli se raziskovanja Slovenije in povezovanja z ostalimi ASEF štipendisti.

Caroline Cupar

Caroline Cupar je bodoča študentka četrtega letnika dodiplomskega študija na College of Wooster, kjer študira psihologijo in glasbo. Njen cilj je vpis na podiplomski študij, da bi postala otroška psihologinja in pomagala otrokom pri njihovem duševnem zdravju. 

Izvira iz Clevelanda (Ohio), kjer so njene slovenske korenine globoke, saj so se v Sloveniji rodili njeni stari starši in oče, kar jo uvršča tako med prvo kot drugo generacijo slovensko-ameriških potomcev. Njena dediščina jo povezuje s slovensko skupnostjo v Clevelandu prek aktivnega sodelovanja v župniji sv. Marije, kjer prostovoljno pomaga, poje v zboru in sodeluje pri prazničnih tradicijah. Deset let je obiskovala Slovensko šolo sv. Marije, ki jo je zaključila z osmim razredom. Poleg tega je aktivna članica folklorne skupine Kres, Slovenske pristave, KSKJ in Štajersko-prekmurskega kluba. Te izkušnje so okrepile njeno ljubezen do slovenske kulture in oblikovale njeno osebnost, saj so poglobile njeno povezavo s tradicijami, dediščino in jezikom ter ji prinesle trajna prijateljstva.

Med obiskom v Sloveniji se Caroline veseli poglabljanja znanja skozi raziskovanje na področju psihologije, zlasti otroške psihologije, hkrati pa razvijanja ključnih veščin, kot so reševanje problemov, profesionalnost in sodelovanje. Prav tako se veseli poglobitve v slovensko kulturo – raziskovanja države, odkrivanja njene zgodovine, učenja jezika, gradnje prijateljstev prek ASEF in ponovnega povezovanja z družino.

Elizabeth Stupica

Elizabeth Stupica je študentka tretjega letnika na Univerzi Ohio State. Študira zdravstvene vede in po končanem študiju namerava nadaljevati študij na podiplomski stopnji, da bi postala fizioterapevtka.

Elizabeth je odraščala v Clevelandu v Ohiu in se navdušila za slovensko kulturo zaradi rednih obiskov pri babici, kjer je spoznavala jezik in tradicionalne slovenske jedi. Poleg tega je od osnovne do srednje šole enkrat tedensko obiskovala šolo slovenskega jezika v župniji sv. Vida, poletja pa je preživljala na prireditvah v Slovenski Pristavi.

Med bivanjem v Sloveniji se Elizabeth veseli raziskovanja države, druženja z družino in učenja jezika. Upa, da bo med obiskom pridobila boljše razumevanje zdravstvenega področja, kar ji bo pomagalo pri pripravi na podiplomski študij in prihodnjo kariero.

Genevieve Gregorich

Genevieve je trenutno študentka zadnjega letnika doktorskega študija na Columbia Business School v New Yorku. Zanimajo jo spremembe v vlogi podjetij v družbi, zato se v svoji disertaciji osredotoča na to, zakaj in kako organizacije ter njihovi voditelji obravnavajo družbenopolitična vprašanja ter kakšne so posledice njihovih dejanj za njihov ugled. Prav tako raziskuje, kako prepričanja posameznikov (npr. prepričanje o ničelni vsoti, prepričanje o lastni učinkovitosti) znotraj skupnosti in organizacij oblikujejo pomembna vedenja, kot so izražanje stališč do polarizirajočih tem, sodelovanje v kolektivnih akcijah in pogajanja. Je avtorica študij primerov s področja osebne strategije in inovacij, pri čemer se osredotoča na razumevanje, kdaj in kako nastajajo inovativne ideje ter katere politične procese organizacije uporabljajo za njihovo uveljavitev. Poleg tega je zadnji dve leti posvetila oblikovanju in razvoju metode, ki pomaga ljudem premagovati miselne omejitve ter uresničiti osebne in kolektivne sanje. Njeno TEDx predavanje si lahko ogledate tukaj. Pred začetkom doktorskega študija je delala kot raziskovalna asistentka na Odboru zveznih rezerv v Washingtonu, DC. Genevieve je navdušena, da bo kot ASEF štipendistka imela priložnost obiskati Slovenijo.

Hayden Leach

Hayden Leach trenutno zaključuje študij računalniškega inženirstva na University of California, Santa Cruz, kjer bo diplomiral junija 2025. Odraščal je v slikovitem kalifornijskem gorovju Sierra Nevada, kjer je razvil globoko ljubezen do pustolovščin in se posvetil dejavnostim, kot so smučanje, pohodništvo in raziskovanje živahnih voda reke Yuba.

Haydenova prirojena radovednost je spodbudila njegovo strast do inženirstva, zlasti avtomobilskih in elektronskih sistemov. Uživa v praktičnih izzivih diagnosticiranja in popravljanja mehanskih in elektronskih naprav ter nenehno išče priložnosti za učenje in nadgrajevanje svojih veščin. S štipendijo ASEF si želi še dodatno razviti svoje sposobnosti in strokovno znanje, pri čemer ga vodi iznajdljiv in natančen pristop, ki ga je oblikovala tudi njegova slovenska dediščina. 

Hayden vidi štipendijo kot idealno priložnost za poglobitev svojega inženirskega znanja, spoznavanje slovenske inovativne tehnološke skupnosti in okrepitev povezave s svojimi kulturnimi koreninami. Z nestrpnostjo pričakuje raziskovanje čudovite slovenske pokrajine in navezovanje pomembnih stikov znotraj slovenske skupnosti.

Magdalena Eciolaza

Magdalena Eciolaza je argentinsko-slovenska študentka biologije iz Mar del Plata v Argentini. Leta 2019 je začela študij biologije in pedagogike na Nacionalni univerzi v Mar del Plata (UNMdP). Njena zanimanja so ohranjanje okolja, molekularna biologija, fotosintetski mikroorganizmi in biotehnologija. Opravila je prakso na področju morske ekologije in molekularne biologije, kjer se je ukvarjala s fiziologijo cianobakterij. Leta 2023 je prejela štipendijo za raziskave o presnovi dušika na Laboratoriju za molekularno in integrativno fiziologijo Inštituta za biološke raziskave Nacionalne univerze v Mar del Plati (IIB, CONICET-UNMdP). Trenutno je študentska asistentka na oddelku za rastlinsko in živalsko biologijo iste univerze.

Poleg akademske kariere se Magdalena ukvarja tudi z družbeno koristnim delom in ohranjanjem kulture. Je aktivna članica Slovenskega centra v Miramarju, kjer sodeluje pri komuniciranju dogodkov za krepitev kulturnih vezi. Njen cilj je spodbujati sodelovanje med Argentino in Slovenijo na področju ohranjanja in trajnosti. Rada preživlja čas v naravi in se ukvarja s športi, kot so pohodništvo, smučanje in odbojka.

Maria Futey

Maria Futey je študentka četrtega letnika na University at Buffalo, kjer bo diplomirala iz športne znanosti (Exercise science) s poudarkom na uporabni fiziologiji. Navdušuje jo izobraževanje pacientov, preventivna medicina in klinična vadbena fiziologija. Trenutno svoje znanje na teh področjih nadgrajuje z opravljanjem prakse v centru za srčno rehabilitacijo pri University Hospitals, njen karierni cilj pa je postati kardiovaskularna medicinska sestra specialistka (Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner).

Maria prihaja iz Clevelanda v Ohiu in je odraščala v župniji sv. Vida, kjer je vsak konec tedna obiskovala slovensko šolo in preživljala poletja na Slovenski pristavi. Njeni stari starši, Mimi in Vinko, so razlog, da je njeno slovensko poreklo zanjo tako pomembno. Navdihnili so jo, da je sprejela svojo kulturno identiteto in še poglobila povezavo s slovenskimi koreninami.

V Sloveniji se Maria veseli strokovnega razvoja in širjenja obzorij pri skrbi za paciente skozi globalno perspektivo, hkrati pa želi poglobljeno doživeti slovensko kulturo. Poleg študija igra v univerzitetni odbojkarski ekipi, rada hodi v hribe in preživlja čas s prijatelji in družino. Veseli se, da bo raziskovala različne regije čudovite slovenske pokrajine, ponovno vzpostavila stike z družino in sklenila trajna prijateljstva z drugimi ASEF štipendisti. 

Matthew Klepec

Matthew Klepec je študent drugega letnika biologije na preddiplomski ravni na Ohio State University, kjer študira biologijo s predmedicinsko usmeritvijo. Njegov cilj je študirati medicino in postati zdravnik, natančneje radiolog.

Izvira iz Clevelanda v Ohiu, kjer je odraščal globoko povezan s slovensko skupnostjo in kulturo. Njegovi stari starši, Metod in Martina, so mu že v mladosti privzgojili vrednote trdega dela in družine – načela, ki ga vodijo še danes. Svojo slovensko dediščino ohranja in prenaša naprej kot član slovenskega tabora Slovenska Pristava v Clevelandu, kjer deluje tudi kot vzgojitelj. To delo mu prinaša posebno zadovoljstvo, saj lahko otroke uči slovenskih tradicij in jim pomaga krepiti kulturne korenine.

V času svojega raziskovalnega obiska v Sloveniji v okviru ASEF želi ponovno vzpostaviti stik s svojo družino ter poglobiti razumevanje slovenske dediščine. Prav tako si želi pridobiti dragocene izkušnje na medicinskem področju z delom ob boku zdravnikov različnih specializacij, kar mu bo razširilo znanje medicine in okrepilo predanost k cilju – postati radiolog.

V prostem času rad telovadi, igra golf s prijatelji, smuča ter preživlja kakovosten čas z družino in prijatelji.

Milena Zupanc

Milena Zupanc je medicinska sestra v Argentini, katere izobrazba in kariera odražata njeno zavezanost skrbi za zdravje ter globoko kulturno dediščino. Študij zdravstvene nege je začela na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu (UBA), nato pa nadaljevala izobraževanje na Univerzi italijanske bolnišnice v Buenos Airesu, kjer je pridobila diplomo iz zdravstvene nege. Decembra 2024 je predstavila svojo diplomsko nalogo z naslovom "Prisotnost bolezni celiakije v zakonodaji in učnih načrtih študija za medicinske sestre v Argentini", s katero je zaključila svojo akademsko izobrazbo.

Trenutno dela na področju hemato-onkologije, kjer je specializirana za izvajanje kemoterapije ter skrb in spremljanje bolnikov po presaditvi kostnega mozga in tistih, ki trpijo za različnimi vrstami raka. Njena predanost in izkušnje pri oskrbi teh bolnikov odražajo njeno globoko poslanstvo za dobrobit drugih. To štipendijo vidi kot priložnost za poglobitev svojega kliničnega znanja, izmenjavo izkušenj z mednarodnimi strokovnjaki ter razvoj novih perspektiv v oskrbi pacientov.

Milena ima zelo močno osebno in kulturno povezavo z Slovenijo, saj so njeni štirje stari starši emigrirali iz Slovenije v Argentino. Njen materni jezik je slovenščina, obiskovala je slovensko šolo vsak konec tedna od tretjega do sedemnajstega leta, kjer se je učila o slovenski književnosti, zgodovini in tradicijah. Ta kulturna dediščina je temeljni del njene identitete.

Danes je Milena aktivna članica slovenske skupnosti Naš Dom, kjer vodi skupino Mladcev in Mladenk, jim prenaša ljubezen do slovenskih tradicij in običajev ter si prizadeva pustiti pečat v njihovih srcih. Njeno delo v skupnosti odraža njeno zavezanost k ohranjanju kulturnih korenin in njihovem prenašanju na prihodnje generacije. 

Zelo se veseli priložnosti, da bo ponovno obiskala Slovenijo, se povezala s svojimi koreninami in poglobila svoje razumevanje slovenskega zdravstvenega sistema ter bogate kulturne dediščine države.

Miranda Kreinbrink

Miranda Kreinbrink je študentka na San Diego State University, kjer študira novinarstvo s poudarkom na oglaševanju, ob tem pa opravlja tudi program iz rekreacije in turizma. Rodila se je in odraščala v Koloradu, vendar je vsako poletje preživela pri svoji družini v Kaliforniji, kar jo je navdihnilo, da se je odločila za študij v San Diegu. Družina njene matere je slovenskega porekla, zato je navdušena, da bo obiskala Ljubljano, kjer bo spoznavala in navezovala stike s svojo širšo družino, ki tam živi. Miranda je zelo ponosna na svojo dediščino in se veseli, da bo lahko razširila svoje znanje, delila svoje veščine in drugim predstavila lepote Slovenije.

To poletje bo Miranda sodelovala z ASEF pri ustvarjanju oglaševalske kampanje, ki bo predstavljala slovenska prizadevanja na področju trajnosti in turizma. Njen cilj je poudariti pomemben dosežek Slovenije kot ene prvih držav na svetu, ki je bila v celoti priznana kot zelena destinacija. Poleg tega upa, da bo promovirala slovenski turizem in navdihnila druge, da odkrijejo lepoto in čudesa te čudovite države. Na San Diego State University deluje kot vodja marketinga za SDSU Center for Surf Research in STOKE Certified, organizaciji, ki se posvečata promociji trajnosti v surf in smučarskih centrih ter napredku raziskav o trajnosti v surf industriji. Strastna zagovornica okolja, rada hodi v hribe in preživlja čas na plaži. Miranda je izjemno hvaležna za to priložnost in navdušena, da je del ASEF štipendije.

Vince Vombergar

Vince Vombergar je študent drugega letnika na Univerzi Miami v Oxfordu, Ohio, kjer trenutno študira poslovne vede. Vince, ki izvira iz Clevelanda, Ohio, ima globoke korenine v slovenski kulturi, ki so mu jih privzgojili njegovi stari starši, Maria in Vinko.

Že od mladih let je Vince aktivno sodeloval v slovenski skupnosti, saj je obiskoval slovensko šolo Saint Vitus in župnijo Saint Vitus. Imel je tudi priložnost, da slovensko mladino poučuje o običajih in tradicijah v okviru Slovenske Pristave, tedenskega slovenskega tabora, kjer prostovoljno deluje kot mentor.

Vince se veseli obiska Slovenije to poletje in aktivnega sodelovanja v raziskavi. S svojim obiskom upa, da bo pridobil praktične izkušnje na področju svetovanja in tržnih raziskav, saj bo sodeloval s slovenskimi podjetji za spodbujanje turizma in okrepitev gospodarskega položaja države v Evropi. Z nestrpnostjo pričakuje, da bo izvedel več o svoji dediščini in o tem, kar ponuja država, hkrati pa bo navezal tesne vezi s kolegi iz ASEF.

Alex Csaky

Alex prihaja iz Londona in se zgleduje po pokojnem dedku Slovencu, ki je po drugi svetovni vojni, ko se je preselil v Veliko Britanijo, vse življenje ostal ponosen član slovenske skupnosti. Alex je študent 3. letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi v Oxfordu, kjer študira arheologijo in antropologijo. Njegova akademska strast je antropologija in med študijem na programu ASEF namerava raziskovati slovensko identiteto v 21. stoletju. Upa, da bo ta raziskava prispevala k naraščajočemu zanimanju za spreminjajoče se demografske podatke v regiji ter zagotovila kontekst sodobnim geopolitičnim napetostim.

Kot ASEF štipendist Alex upa, da se bo spoprijateljil s širokim naborom ljudi, kar bo spodbudilo osebne in poklicne odnose v prihodnjih letih. Po diplomi se bo posvetil podjetništvu, saj ga zanimajo priložnosti, ki jih ponuja edinstvena geografska lega Slovenije, ter inovacije v industriji.

Prosti čas Alex rad preživlja čas v naravi in se veseli, da bo lahko v celoti izkoristil športne aktivnosti in pokrajino, ki jo ponuja Slovenija.

Bautista Kraševec

Bautista Kraševec je študent strojništva na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu v Argentini. 23-letnika navdušujejo vsi vidiki dirkalnih avtomobilov, of materialov, iz katerih so avtomobili izdelani, do dinamik posameznih komponent in vsega vmes. Njegov cilj je, da se nekega dne prebije v Formulo 1.

A za Bautisto ni vse v akademski poti – medtem želi spoznati čudovite ljudi in stopiti v globok stik s slovensko skupnostjo. Zadnja štiri leta je obiskoval tečaje slovenskega jezika in kulture, ki so skupaj z zapuščino njegovega dedka pripeljali do pridobitve slovenskega državljanstva. Bautista je tudi velik ljubitelj košarke, v prostem času je rad na prostem in se ukvarja s športom, zato bo Triglav zanj dober izziv. Počaščen je, da je lahko del ASEF družine in se veseli te edinstvene izkušnje. Skozi program ASEF Junior Fellows si Bautista ne želi le okrepiti svoje akademske in poklicne kariere, ampak tudi prvič obiskati svojo drugo domovino in spoznati družino svojega dedka.

Caroline Morton

Caroline Morton je strastna študentka drugega letnika na Univerzi v Bathu, kjer trenutno opravlja integrirani magistrski študij računalništva in umetne inteligence. Navdušuje jo potencialno delo v ospredju umetne inteligence in prispevanje k razvoju tehnologije in njene varnosti.

Caroline je navdušena, da se bo po nedavni smrti slovenskega dedka lahko znova povezala s svojo slovensko dediščino. Želi poglobiti svoje razumevanje Slovenije in hkrati spodbujati svojo strast do računalništva. Veseli se soočanja z novimi izzivi, grajenja novih odnosov in tega, da bo lahko pustila pozitiven pečat tako v tehnološkem svetu, kot tudi na svoji poti kulturne identitete.

Grace Simenc

Grace Simenc je spomladi 2023 diplomirala na fakulteti Berkeley, Univerze v Kaliforniji, z diplomo iz psihologije in s poudarkom na področju nevroznanosti. Kot dodiplomska študentka je raziskovala različne nevrološke motnje in učinkovitost različnih načinov zdravljenja, zaradi česar je odkrila presenetljivo pomanjkanje diagnostičnih metodologij, ki so na voljo za psihiatrična sočasna obolenja. Kot ASEF štipendistka upa, da bo razvila nov, natančen pristop k diagnosticiranju in zdravljenju AuDHD – sočasne motnje avtističnega spektra in motnje pozornosti s hiperaktivnostjo.

Trenutno širi svoje laboratorijske izkušnje kot veterinarska asistentka v bolnišnici za hišne ljubljenčke Banfield v San Franciscu v Kaliforniji, kjer se usposablja za kirurško specializantko. Po pridobitvi veterinarskega doktorskega naziva namerava s specializacijo na hitro razvijajočem se področju nevroetologije sčasoma združiti svojo strast do nevropsihologije z zanimanjem in izkušnjami na področju vedenja živali.

Poleg dela in študija Grace uživa v raziskovanju narave, slikanju, športu in druženju s svojima mačkama.

Janko Kalan

Janko Kalan je študent zadnjega letniga dodiplomskega študija Pittsburgu State University, kjer se ukvarja s klinično znanostjo o vadbi. Upa, da bo kmalu sprejet v doktorski program fizioterapije in si v tej smeri zgradil kariero.

Janko se je rodil v Sloveniji in tam živel nekaj let, preden se je preselil v Kansas, ZDA. V Sloveniji še vedno živijo njegovi stari starši, teta, stric in sestrične po očetovi strani ter več bratrancev po materini strani. Janko je veliko poletij preživel v Sloveniji, obiskoval družino in raziskoval čudovito pokrajino.

Upa, da se bo med potovanjem poglobil v svojo družinsko zgodovino, izboljšal svoje jezikovne sposobnosti, navezal stike z drugimi s slovenskimi koreninami in v pripravi na podiplomski študij razširil svoje znanje na področju fizioterapije.

Maja Kosir

Maja je študentka tretjega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi v Daytonu, kjer študira komunikacijski management in biologijo. Maja prihaja iz Clevelanda v Ohiu, vendar se je skozi svojo župnijsko cerkev Sv. Vida in sodelovanjem pri Folklori Kres poglobila v slovensko kulturo. Prav tako je izjemno hvaležna, da je članica Clevelandske skupnosti Slovenska Pristava, kjer je spoznala svojo dediščino in pridobila veliko slovensko-ameriških prijateljev. S svojo slovensko kulturo se je seznanila tudi preko starih staršev Pavla in Cilke.

Po diplomi na univerzi v Daytonu upa, da bo delala v medicinski prodaji ali v kadrovski službi na področju medicine. Med potovanjem v Slovenijo se veseli razširitve svojih strokovnih znanj in pridobivanja dragocenih delovnih izkušenj v drugi državi. Maja se veseli, da se bo lahko med raziskovanjem države in poglabljanjem v njeno dediščino ponovno povezala s svojo družino in sklenila nova, dolgotrajna prijateljstva z drugimi ASEF štipendisti.

Mariano Figueroa

Mariano Figueroa je rojen v San Carlos de Bariloche, v čudoviti regiji argentinske Patagonije. Navdušen nad veličastnimi zgradbami Buenos Airesa, se je odločil za kariero v gradbeništvu in diplomiral na prestižni univerzi v Buenos Airesu. Marianov diplomski projekt se je osredotočal na zasnovo naprave za obdelavo trdnih odpadkov v njegovem domačem kraju, s čimer je naslovil pomemben izziv za Bariloche, ki je del čudovite pokrajine.

Trenutno dela kot inženir pri podjetju WOOD Plc, ki je vodilno podjetje za vodenje energetskih projektov v Argentini. Osredotoča se na načrtovanje struktur za razne projekte z nafto in plinom, ter tako prispeva k napredku in učinkovitosti v tem ključnem sektorju.

Po materini strani sta bila Marianova stara starša rojena v Sloveniji in sam izjemno ceni, da je bil tu vedno prisoten vpliv njune kulture in jezika. Hvaležen je za priložnost, da bo lahko del ekipe, ki bo raziskovala to fascinantno deželo. Mariano je prepričans, da bo to bogata in nepozabna izkušnja.

V prostem času se rad ukvarja s športi na prostem, kot sta tek in kolesarjenje, ter z ekipnimi športi, kot sta rokomet in nogomet.

Meghan Hren

Meghan Hren je študentka 3. letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi Miami v Ohiu in študira biologijo in medicinsko sociologijo. Njen cilj je, da bi obiskovala medicinsko šolo in postala zdravnica.

Meghan prihaja iz Clevelanda v Ohiu in je odraščala v živahni slovenski skupnosti. Ljubezni do slovenske kulture in njihovih vrednot družine in dela se je naučila prek družine starih staršev Franka in Mare Hren ter bližnje slovenske skupnosti Slovenska Pristava. Zadnje desetletje se je vsako poletje udeležila enotedenskega slovenskega tabora Pristava, zdaj pa je tam svetovalka, ki si prizadeva za krepitev medgeneracijskih odnosov in prenašanja tradicij svoje kulture.

Meghan se veseli, da bo to poletje obiskala Slovenijo in sodelovala pri raziskavah ter izvedela več o svoji dediščini in poreklu svoje družine. Upa tudi, da se bo ponovno povezala z družino, ki še vedno živi v Sloveniji, in navezala trajne vezi s svojimi ASEF kolegi. S svojim obiskom želi pridobiti obsežno znanje in izkušnje, ki ji bodo v pomoč na njeni poti skozi in izven medicinske fakultete, ter veščine, ki ji bodo omogočile, da postane močnejša voditeljica za mlajše generacije.

Nadia Jakos

Nadia Jakos je leta 2019 diplomirala kot psihopedagoginja na Papeški katoliški univerzi v Argentini v Buenos Airesu. Delovala je na različnih področjih za različne ustanove in strokovne skupine ter je članica centra za klinično zdravljenje. V bolnišnici dela na področju nevropsihološkega ocenjevanja za pediatrično nevrologijo. Nadia je tudi članica magistrskega programa uporabne nevropsihologije, dela v šoli in je profesorica na univerzi, kjer je študirala.

Želi izvedeti več o različnih metodah poučevanja v Sloveniji in zanima jo, kako strokovnjaki podpirajo posameznike s posebnimi potrebami in učnimi težavami; tako v kliničnih kot v izobraževalnih ali terapevtskih skupinah. Na svojem področju želi primerjati prakse med dvema različnima kulturama ter izmenjati orodja in strategije, ki bi lahko obem stranem koristile in ju izboljšale.

Nadia dela z ljudmi z različnimi obolenji, različnih starosti in raznolikih družbenih ozadij. Njen poklicni cilj je spodbujanje k boljši kakovosti življenja. Kot psihopedagoginja želi spodbuditi zavedanje o nevrodiverziteti. V svoji vlogi je predana pomoči ljudem z orodji, ki jih potrebujejo za nadaljnje učenje, ne glede na njihove edinstvene razvojne poti.

ASEF program vidi kot posebno možnost, saj ji ne ponuja le priložnosti za osebnostno rast in nadgradnjo poklicnih veščin, temveč tudi sodelovanje s slovensko kulturo, ki ima v njenem življenju velik pomen. Odraščala je v slovenski družini; njeni štirje stari starši so po drugi svetovni vojni emigrirali v Argentino. Z njo sta skupaj z njenimi starši že od rojstva povezana slovenska kultura in jezik. Že od otroštva je aktivna članica slovenske skupnosti v Buenos Airesu.

Sophia Jarc

Sophia je študentka drugega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi Purdue, kjer študira industrijsko inženirstvo in management. Prihaja iz Clevelanda v Ohiu in je bila po zaslugi starih staršev Milene in Josepha Jarc vedno globoko zasidrana v slovensko kulturo.

Sophia je že od malih nog del slovenske dediščine, obiskovala je namreč slovensko šolo Saint Vitus in aktivno sodelovala pri Folklori Kres. Ker je predana ohranjanju svojih slovenskih korenin, ostaja angažirana članica Slovenske Pristave, kjer še naprej sprejema in deli slovensko tradicijo. Te lokalne izkušnje so ji privzgojile globoko spoštovanje do njene dediščine.

Med obiskom v Sloveniji se Sophia veseli mednarodnega pogleda na inženirsko industrijo. Prizadeva si, da bo s to izkušnjo nadgradila svoje sposobnosti reševanja problemov z globalnim pogledom. Med ponovnim povezovanjem z družino in poglobitvijo v slovenski jezik in kulturo, bo Sophia z velikim veseljem raziskovala državo, hkrati pa širila svoje inženirsko znanje in spretnosti.

Adrián Ruiz Mianovich

Adrián Ruiz Mianovich je argentinski biokemik, ki je leta 2021 diplomiral na Nacionalni univerzi v Tucumánu. Med letoma 2016 in 2021 je delal v bolnišnici Angel C. Padilla v San Miguel de Tucumán, kjer je opravljal prakso na področjih bakteriologije, hematologije in človeške reprodukcije. Trenutno dela v svojem zasebnem laboratoriju v domačem kraju Las Breñas v Chacu z očetom, prav tako biokemikom. Že od otroštva je s Civilnim združenjem slovenske skupnosti iz Las Breñas, Chaco, sodeloval na pokrajinskem festivalu priseljencev, ki ga praznujejo vsako leto novembra in na katerem slovenski potomci izvajajo plese, parade, pripravljajo značilne jedi, leta 2011 pa so celo osvojil prvo mesto na razstavnem tekmovanju držav, kjer so zastopali Slovenijo.

Leta 2017 je imel priložnost z babico odpotovati nazaj v Slovenijo in spoznati družino v Črnomlju, s katero od takrat ohranja stike. ASEF-u je neskončno hvaležen, da je bil izbran za letošnji štipendijski program, in meni, da bo ta priložnost neprecenljiva za vzpostavljanje vezi s Slovenci.

Aldana Silvero

Aldana Silvero se je rodila v Buenos Airesu v Argentini in ima srečo, da se je naučila slovenskega jezika s svojo babico, ki je žal morala zapustiti rodno državo po drugi svetovni vojni. Študirala je kineziologijo na Nacionalni univerzi La Matanza in diplomirala leta 2019, nato pa je tri leta delala v bolnišnici kot pripravnica. V teh letih je imela izkušnje z delom na področjih, kot so travmatologija, intenzivna nega in pediatrija.

Veseli se novih izkušenj, nadaljnje krepitve samozavesti, pridobivanja praktičnih izkušenj v novem okolju, in potrjevanja svoje strasti do kineziologije. Meni, da je Slovenija idealen kraj. Sanja o tem, da bi spoznala svoje korenine, izboljšala jezika, raziskovala lepote države in spoznala njeno kulturo. Zelo je hvaležna ASEF-u za to priložnost in ve, da bo to odlična izkušnja za osebno in poklicno rast.

Alexander Hoài Nam Penca

Alexander je mlad strokovnjak iz Canberre v Avstraliji, ki dela na področju upravljanja dogodkov, turizma in kulture. Svoje akademsko življenje je začel s študijem glasbe in na univerzi Griffith diplomiral iz klavirja. Po diplomi se je Alexander usmeril na operativno stran industrije in več let delal v administraciji in upravljanju dogodkov uprizoritvene umetnosti v Brisbanu v Avstraliji.

Od takrat se je Alexander navdušil nad tem področjem dela in želi še naprej razvijati svojo kariero s poudarkom na turizmu. Veseli ga, da bo obiskal Slovenijo, kjer bo opravljal mentorstvo s strokovnjaki na tem področju in s pomočjo ASEF-a pridobil dostop do izjemnih priložnosti za strokovni razvoj in neprecenljive izkušenje ter razširil svoje poklicne vezi s Slovenijo in Evropo. Alexander ima podjetniške ambicije in upa, da bo nekoč vodil lastno podjetje.

V prostem času Alexander uživa v pohodništvu, smučanju, raziskovanju nacionalnih parkov in potovanjih po svetu. Zavzeto se uči jezikov in rad vzpostavlja stike z ljudmi iz vseh življenjskih okolij in z vseh koncev sveta.

Alexandra Vombergar

Alexandra Vombergar je študentka drugega letnika dodiplomskega študija na državni univerzi v Ohiu, kjer si prizadeva za dvojno specializacijo iz zdravstvenih in rehabilitacijskih ved ter javnega zdravja, njen končni cilj pa je postati zdravniška asistentka. Alexandra je zelo navdušena nad enakostjo na področju zdravja in je veliko delala z neprivilegirano, ogroženo in migrantsko mladino, da bi premostila izobraževalne vrzeli v svoji skupnosti.

Kot štipendistka ASEF želi Alexandra delati na področju javnega zdravja in raziskovati povezave med socialno-ekonomskim statusom, razlikami v izobraževanju in zdravstvenimi rezultati. Zlasti jo zanima, kako je uspeh Slovenije pri zmanjševanju dohodkovne neenakosti prispeval k nižji stopnji razlik v izobraževanju in kako bi ta model lahko uporabili v Združenih državah Amerike. Raziskovalni obisk bo opravila na Katedri za javno zdravje na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, pod mentorstvom red. prof. dr. Lijane Zaletel Kragelj, dr.med. in doc. dr. Andreje Kukec, dipl. san. inž.

Vsi štirje Alexandrini stari starši so iz Slovenije, zato je izredno hvaležna za priložnost, da lahko raziskuje in se hkrati povezuje s kulturo, ki je globoko vplivala na njeno identiteto. V prostem času Alexandra raziskuje čudovite pokrajine svoje države, se druži z družino in spoznava svojo slovensko dediščino.

Amalia Blood

Amalia Blood je študentka tretjega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Barnard College Univerze Columbia, kjer študira politično ekonomijo in politične vede. 

Ljubezen do Slovenije in slovenske kulture se je začela že v mladosti in se je razvila z obiskovanjem šole slovenskega jezika v župniji sv. Vida, poletnimi počitnicami v Slovenski Pristavi in stiki s slovensko kulturo prek njene babice Milene Stropnik. Veseli se, da bo to poletje lahko raziskovala svojo dediščino s ponovnim druženjem z družino, potovanjem v Slovenijo in učenjem slovenskega jezika. Raziskave tega poletja namerava uporabiti za svojo diplomsko nalogo in se veseli, da bo skupnosti Univerze Columbia predstavila Slovenijo. 

Amalia upa, da bo po diplomi na univerzi Columbia delala v investicijskem bančništvu, in je sprejela poletno prakso pri KeyBanc Capital Markets v skupini za komunalne storitve, električno energijo in obnovljive vire energije, kjer bo leta 2024 delala kot analitičarka. Amalia bo svoj raziskovalni obisk opravljala pod mentorstvom dr. Gorazda Meška, predstojnika Inštituta za kazensko pravosodje in varnost na Univerzi v Mariboru, Fakulteti za kazensko pravosodje in varnost.

Andrés Klemen

Andrés Klemen je na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu študiral vizualno in zvočno oblikovanje ter diplomiral leta 2021. Zadnjih pet let dela kot multimedijski oblikovalec v različnih izobraževalnih ustanovah, kot so univerze in šole. Njegova avdiovizualna izobrazba v kombinaciji s strastjo do oblikovanja ga je pripeljala do združitve obeh svetov, kjer ustvarja ustvaril zanimive vsebine za digitalne in tradicionalne medije.

V zadnjem času se je začel ukvarjati z gledališčem in se udeležil različnih tečajev v prestižnih ustanovah, kot sta Teatro San Martín in Centro Cultural Rojas, ter delal kot asistent režiserja v neodvisni igri, ki je bila lani premierno uprizorjena v središču Buenos Airesa. Njegova osebna zanimanja segajo od umetnostne zgodovine do novih tehnologij in se gibljejo v vseh umetniških in humanističnih disciplinah, saj meni, da je vse lahko vir navdiha in ustvarjalnosti. V prostem času rad fotografira svoje vsakdanje življenje, obiskuje gledališče ter gleda zanimive filme in reference, ki jih uporablja pri svojem delu.

S to neverjetno priložnostjo, ki mu jo ponuja ASEF, pričakuje sodelovanje z odličnimi strokovnjaki, ki mu lahko predstavijo slovenski gledališki svet in se poglobi v vse, kar mu le-ta ponuja. Ker je v svoji lokalni slovenski skupnosti nastopil in pomagal pri več predstavah, je ta obisk ponovno srečanje s tem obdobjem njegovega življenja, tokrat v deželi njegovih starih staršev.

Ariel Olivari Opeka

Ariel Olivari Opeka je industrijski inženir in je magistriral iz poslovne administracije. Trenutno dela na področju raziskav, razvoja in inovacij v argentinski nacionalni železniški družbi.

Njegovi stari starši so bili Slovenci, zato je odraščal v družini, ki je ohranjala svojo kulturo, vrednote in tradicijo ter delila globoko ljubezen do Slovenije. Nikoli ni srečal nikogar, ki bi imel svojo domovino tako rad kot njegova stara starša, in že kot otrok je bil navdušen nad zgodbami, ki sta mu jih pripovedovala o svoji domovini. Zato je od nekdaj sanjal o tistih daljnih deželah onkraj morja, kjer so se dogajale najlepše zgodbe.

Med obiskom v Sloveniji bo delal na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani pod mentorstvom dr. Mateje Drnovšek in dr. Alenke Slavec Gomezel. Svoje raziskovanje namerava usmeriti na področje inovacij in socialnega podjetništva. Cilj njegovega raziskovanja bo pokazati, kako vse večji pomen imajo inovacije v organizacijah, zlasti v turbulentnih časih.

V prostem času se Ariel rad ukvarja s športom. Rad igra nogomet, hodi ali teče na prostem. Zelo je navdušen in iskreno hvaležen ASEF-u za to čudovito priložnost ter je prepričan, da bo ta štipendija veliko prispevala k njegovemu akademskemu in strokovnemu razvoju. Poleg tega, da se bo lahko srečal z mladimi slovenskega rodu z vsega sveta, ta raziskovalni obisk predstavlja edinstveno priložnost za mreženje in osebno rast.

Daniel Leber

Daniel Leber je argentinski vizualni umetnik in umetnostni zgodovinar. Na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu je diplomiral iz vizualnih umetnosti. Je tudi učitelj na srednji in višji stopnji izobraževanja na področju umetnosti. Leta 2012 je sodeloval v programu za priznane umetnike na Univerzi Torcuato Di Tella. Daniel je bil tudi prejemnik štipendije fundacije Oxenford leta 2019 in argentinske nacionalne fundacije za umetnost v letih 2013 in 2020. Leta 2021 je z delom "Un Ángel del Tiempo" prejel nagrado banke Itau. Daniel je poglobljeno študiral dela Joaquina Torresa Garcie, Federica Manuela Peralte Ramosa in Liliane Maresca, pomembnih latinskoameriških umetnikov 20. stoletja. Njegove nedavne razstave so "Idea Fija" v Calvaresi Contemporáneo (september, 2022), "Leberinto" v Isla Flotante (Buenos Aires, 2021) in "Pedo Místico" v PM Galería (Buenos Aires, 2020).

Pri svojem delu gradi podobe, ki artikulirajo slikovno in grafično polje, pri čemer za os jemlje naravo simbolov. Prizadeva si za lasten pogled na svet, izhajajoč iz smernic južnoameriških modernih umetnikov, povezanih z duhovnimi in političnimi združitvami, pri čemer vzpostavlja dialoge z lastno slovensko dediščino. Kot štipendist ASEF bo Daniel pod mentorstvom dr. Barbare Ivančič Kutin z Inštituta za slovensko narodopisje ZRC SAZU nadaljeval svojo raziskavo o panjskih končnicah.

Matías D. Zakelj

Matias D. Zakelj je pred kratkim diplomiral iz molekularne biologije in biotehnologije na Univerzi v Torontu. Med študijem je sodeloval pri različnih projektih na biološkem področju in se ukvarjal tako s kolibriji kot z bakterijami. Matias želi nekega dne ustanoviti lasten laboratorij, da bi preučeval in bolje razumel genetske motnje in napačno zlaganje beljakovin. Matias verjame, da mu bo štipendija ASEF omogočila pridobiti ustrezne izkušnje v industriji zunaj akademskega okolja, in da bo razširil svoje znanje na znanstvenem področju.

Poleg tega je navdušen, da bo vse to lahko počel ob obisku Slovenije, saj mu bo to pomagalo bolje razumeti svojo dediščino, kulturo in se naučiti jezika svojih starih staršev. Ko bo Matias zaključil svoj raziskovalni obisk, želi pomagati drugim študentom s podobnim ozadjem, da se povežejo z ASEF-om in jim omogoči poklicno rast. V prostem času Matias rad posluša glasbo, gleda šport in hodi v fitnes. Rad se tudi uči novih stvari in spoznava nove ljudi z različnimi kulturnimi ozadji.

Matias Juhant

Matías Alejandro Juhant je doktorski študent biologije na univerzi v Tucumánu v Argentini. Cilj njegovih akademskih raziskav je razumeti, kako deluje narava in kako različni elementi ekosistemov medsebojno delujejo, da ohranijo sistem v ravnovesju, pri čemer uporablja ptice roparice (jastrebe, orle in sokole) kot modelne vrste. Diplomiral je iz biologije na Fakulteti za naravoslovje in matematiko Univerze v Mariboru v Sloveniji, magisterij pa je opravil na  Univerzi Wageningen na Nizozemskem.

Njegova akademska želja je postati biolog za ptice roparice z globalno perspektivo in ta priložnost mu bo pomagala pri uresničevanju tega strokovnega cilja. Obiskal bo dr. Davorina Tomeja na Nacionalnem inštitutu za biologijo, kjer bo imel priložnost opraviti raziskavo o tem, kako antropogene dejavnosti vplivajo na fizične pogoje ptic roparic, ki bo del poglavja njegove doktorske disertacije.

Njegova družina se je vedno trudila ohranjati močno vez s svojimi koreninami, saj sta obe strani njegove družine Slovenci, zato je ta štipendija odlična priložnost, da še naprej izpopolnjuje svojo slovenščino in spoznava slovensko kulturo. V prostem času uživa v delu na vrtu, dejavnostih na prostem in teku.

Mije Von Merta-Sustarich 

Mije Von Merta-Sustarich je po smrti matere, babice in tete, ki so zbolele za rakom, obiskovala Univerzo Kalifornije Berkeley. Mije je diplomirala iz molekularne in celične biologije ter biokemije v upanju, da ji bo izobrazba pomagala v boju proti bolezni. Ima veliko upanja na dolgo in obetavno kariero na vedno bolj rastočem področju medicinskih raziskav in razvoja.

Svoje naslednje korake bo začela z odhodom v tujino, v Slovenijo, kjer bo na Nacionalnem inštitutu za genetsko toksikologijo in raka delala pod vodstvom dr. Barbare Breznik. Mije je ponosna ameriška Slovenka tretje generacije, ki opravlja funkcijo sekretarke v loži 304 Slovenskega narodno koristnega društva v San Franciscu. Poleg tega se Mije že več kot 13 let ukvarja z muay thai in je certificirana osebna trenerka z akreditacijo tajskega ministrstva za izobraževanje za svoje dosežke v športu muay thai.

Zarja Miovic

Zarja Miovic je pred kratkim diplomirala na Univerzi Rutgers, Šoli za okoljske in biološke vede v New Jerseyju, kjer je opravila tudi diplomsko raziskovalno nalogo v laboratoriju za virologijo na Oddelku za biologijo rastlin. Odločena je, da bo svojo akademsko kariero nadaljevala s podiplomskim študijem mikrobne biologije s posebnim zanimanjem za okoljsko in rastlinsko virologijo, zato se prijavlja na izbrane programe, ki imajo odličnost na teh področjih in jo bodo pripeljali do produktivnega in konkurenčnega doktorskega študija.

Medtem Zarja upa, da bo pridobila dodatne raziskovalne in laboratorijske izkušnje z raziskovalnim obiskom na Nacionalnem inštitutu za biologijo pod mentorstvom dr. Iona Gutierreza Aguirreja, kjer bo sodelovala z odlično ekipo, sestavljeno iz članov z različnih področij, povezanih z biologijo rastlin, virologijo, bakteriologijo, biokemijo in biotehnologijo. To bo Zarji omogočilo preučevanje interakcij mikrobov z drugimi organizmi in njihovim okoljem z multidisciplinarnim pristopom ter ji zagotovilo priložnosti za učenje, ki jih potrebuje za rast in odličnost kot mikrobiologinja in članica znanstvene skupnosti.

Rodila se je v Sloveniji in se veseli ponovnega stika s Slovenijo in njenimi ljudmi, bogato kulturo ter čudovito ohranjeno naravo dolin in jezer v slovenskih Alpah, slikovito jadransko obalo ter pisano vinorodno deželo v okolici Maribora in Ptuja. V prostem času se Zarja namerava ponovno povezati s svojo družino v Mariboru ter uživati v različnih dejavnostih na prostem, vključno s kolesarjenjem, pohodništvom in plavanjem.

Casquil Carolina

Carolina Casquil je diplomirala iz arhitekture na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu. V Argentini in Braziliji je izvedla številne urbane projekte, da bi spremenila pogled ljudi na mesto, njegovo arhitekturo in dediščino. Preučevala je tudi, kako različne konfiguracije prostora v njegovih številnih razsežnostih, kot so hiše, ulice, soseske in mesta, vplivajo na kakovost življenja. Že od malih nog ji je bila slovenska kultura njenih starih staršev po materini strani privzgojena z ljubeznijo. ASEF-u se zahvaljuje za priložnost, ki jo je prejela, v svojem raziskovalnem delu pa bo spodbudila tako Slovence kot tiste, ki ne poznajo tako lepe dežele, da ponovno odkrijejo slovensko arhitekturno, kulturno in družbeno dediščino.

Figueroa Maria Micaela

Maria je profesionalna glasbena gledališka igralka. Odraščala je v Barilocheh-u, majhnem mestu, obdanem z gorami na jugu Argentine. Vedno je skrbela za okolje in uživala v učenju različnih jezikov, pohodih, branju in pisanju. Njena strast do umetnosti se je začela že v otroštvu, saj je bila del slovenske skupnosti, kjer je bilo to vedno prisotno. Odraščanje, obkroženo z argentinsko, slovensko in nemško kulturo ji je dalo različna orodja in perspektive ter jo motiviralo, da je vedno odprta in radovedna. Preselila se je v Buenos Aires, da bi začela profesionalno umetniško kariero, kjer je imela možnost poglobljeno preučiti vse, kar je povezano s tem: številne gledališke in pevske tehnike, glasbeno teorijo, dramaturgijo, zgodovino glasbenega gledališča, številne plesne stile (jazz, balet, step, sodobnik) itd. Po diplomi je lahko svoj študij uporabila v glasbeno-gledaliških igrah, predstavah in umetniških dogodkih. Svoje znanje mladim umom deli tudi kot učiteljica dramske igre, koreografinja, vokalna trenerka in režiserka številnih koncertov. Trdno verjame, da je umetnost eden od stebrov družbe. Navdihuje, zdravi in ​​odseva družbene težave in realnost. Njen obisk v Sloveniji kot del skupnosti ASEF je edinstvena in plodna izkušnja, da vidi, kako se glasbeno gledališče in umetniške discipline poučujejo in uporabljajo v drugačnem kontekstu. Tudi za osebno rast in vzpostavitev dolgotrajnih poklicnih povezav na umetniškem področju. Prav tako je zelo navdušena nad uživanjem v čudovitih krajih in zgodovini, ki jo ponuja Slovenija. Navsezadnje se je Slovenija vedno počutila kot drugi dom in v njej je gojila strast do umetnosti. »Umetnost je del človeške narave. Ima pomembno vlogo, večjo, kot si mislimo. Spremeni življenja. Lahko celo spremeni potek zgodovine."

Medina Lucia

Lucía Medina se je rodila v mestu Comodoro Rivadavia v Patagoniji v Argentini. Diplomirala je iz socialne komunikacije na nacionalni univerzi La Plata. V zadnjih letih deluje na področju družbenih medijev, javnih politik in zagovorništva. Leta 2020 je končala specializacijo iz politične in vladne komunikacije na nacionalni univerzi Tres de Febrero. O njenih osebnih povezavah s Slovenijo je njen dedek po materini strani rojen v Štrekljevcu v Semiču, emigriral pa je v Patagonijo, kjer je spoznal njeno babico, rojeno na Hrvaškem. Družina je rasla okoli obeh kultur. Leta 2019 je prvič obiskala Slovenijo, da bi spoznala del Križanove družine in rojstni kraj njegovega dedka. Lucia je izjemno hvaležna za to priložnost, ki jo nudi ASEF, skozi katero bo rasla s profesionalnega in osebnega vidika. Med programom želi izboljšati svoj slovenski jezik, spoznati lokalno zgodovino in kulturo, obiskati sorodnike in okrepiti svoj odnos do svoje slovenske dediščine. Poleg svojega akademskega in poklicnega udejstvovanja uživa v kolesarjenju in trekingih, resnično je navdušena nad raziskovanjem naravnih lepot in pokrajine države.

Mezner Joseph

Joseph Mezner je pravkar diplomiral na državni univerzi Boise v Boiseu v Idahu v Združenih državah Amerike z diplomo iz financ. V času študija je delal in stažiral v različnih panogah, kot so proizvodnja, zabava, zavarovalništvo in nepremičnine. Joseph bi rad svojo kariero na področju financ nadaljeval v nepremičninski in energetski industriji. Že od prvega obiska Slovenije leta 2018 se je zaljubil v državo in se želi vrniti, da bi izvedel več o svoji dediščini, državi in jeziku. Program ASEF bo fantastična priložnost za povezovanje z drugimi mladimi Slovenci in nadgradnjo študija. Joseph je živel po vseh Združenih državah, vključno z državami Kolorado, Washington, Nova Mehika, Idaho in New York, kar je vzbujalo strast do potovanj in raziskovanja novih krajev. Poleg tega rad preživlja čas na prostem, pohodih in ob fotografiranju.

Nemanič Gabriel Julian

Gabriel Julian Nemanič trenutno obiskuje pripravništvo v zadnjem letniku medicine na National University of Cuyo. Njegovo zanimanje za ta poklic, da lahko ljudem pomaga skozi medicino, se je začelo pri 16 letih, ko je bil hospitaliziran zaradi mioperikarditisa, ki je minil brez posledic. Rojen je bil leta 1996 v Mendozi v Argentini. Od otroštva je odraščal v slovenskem klubu Mendoza, kjer je študiral in utrjeval svoje znanje o tejčud oviti deželi, iz katere so nekega dne morali oditi njegovi stari starši po očetovi strani. Sodeloval je na številnih dogodkih v klubu in tečaju jezikovnega izpopolnjevanja v letu 2015 v Sloveniji. Ima izkušnje s prostovoljnim delom v cerkvi San Nicolas, z ljudmi v ranljivih situacijah, ki se ga udeležujejo v socialnem, prehranskem, duhovnem in zdravstvenem vidiku, ki so brez dvoma tisti, ki lahko pripomorejo k izboljšanju kakovosti življenja pacienta, saj zdravje vključuje veliko vidikov. Imel je tudi priložnost biti del bioetične skupine in v kateri je organiziral delavnico o zavedanju človekovega življenja. V prostem času se ukvarja s športno aktivnostjo, kot so tek, kolesarjenje in crossfit. Zanima ga odnos zdravnik-pacient v Sloveniji in želi se naučiti novih medicinskih tehnik ter ustvariti trajne odnose z zdravstvenimi delavci. Že od malih nog je sanjal, da bi lahko izkušnjo študija opravil v Sloveniji, saj so njegove korenine in je rojen v drugi državi, a z običaji, govorom in vrednotami, zaradi katerih se počuti v Sloveniji, za katero je zelo vesel in hvaležen za priložnost, ki jo ponuja ASEF.

Porcelo Zakelj Ana

Ana, bolj znana kot Anči, je diplomirana študentka na Narodni univerzi Tucumán v Argentini. Od leta 2018 dela kot asistentka 2. kategorije pri predmetu Španski jezik II (Lengua Española II), trenutno pa zaključuje štipendijo za izmenjavo na Univerzi v Kölnu v Nemčiji. Ves čas študija jo je zanimalo jezikoslovje, področje, s katerega je pristopila k študiju slovenske skupnosti, naseljene v njeni pokrajini Tucumán. Od 2019 do 2021 je sodelovala kot učiteljica za začetnike na Šoli slovenskega jezika Janeza Evangelista Kreka. Sodelovanje v programu ASEF Obiščite Slovenijo ji bo omogočilo, da posodobi in poglobi svoje znanje o deželi svojih starih staršev, tako jezikovno kot kulturno. Prav tako bo lahko vzpostavila nove povezave z drugimi sodelavci in strokovnjaki, kar bo zagotovo pripomoglo k njenemu strokovnemu in osebnemu razvoju. Tako bo lahko naučeno posredovala drugim pripadnikom slovenske skupnosti v Tucumánu in tako prispevala k ohranjanju slovenske kulture in jezika v Argentini. V prostem času Anči ​​rada bere in hodi v telovadnico, hodi na sprehode in se srečuje s prijatelji in družino. Uživa tudi v učenju novih stvari in spoznavanju ljudi iz drugih krajev in kultur.

Reina Jacob Mayka María

Jacob Mayka María Reina je plesna učiteljica, v svoji karieri se je naučila različnih stilov in žanrov. Trenutno se uči argentinske folklore. Mayka v plesu najde drugačno zvrst jezika, s katerim lahko izraža čustva, besede, vrednote in še marsikaj… Zato že približno 15 let poučuje ples otrok, mladostnikov in odraslih, v čemer uživa in je navdušena. Poleg plesa Mayka rada tudi bere, pije kavo in se pogovarja z ljudmi ter se druži z družino in prijatelji. Glede na povezavo s Slovenijo je Mayka po materini strani slovenskega rodu. Ve, da je njen prapraded prispel v Argentino leta 1882. Trenutno aktivno deluje v Slovenski ustanovi Slovenski duh, kjer se izvajajo aktivnosti za širjenje slovenske kulture, vrednot in identitete. ASEF-u se zahvaljuje za to edinstveno izkušnjo, saj verjame, da bo našla priložnosti za učenje slovenske folklore in kulture, pridobivanje znanja in vrednot ter osebnostno in poklicno rast. Zelo je zaskrbljena in malo prestrašena, ker bo prvič potovala z letalom in zapustila svojo državo, vendar resnično pričakuje, da bo uživala in izkoristila to izkušnjo.

Shepard Anna

Anna Shepard je študentka drugega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi v Cincinnatiju, kjer študira medicinske vede in integrativno zdravje. Njeni poklicni interesi so v zdravstvu in kliničnih raziskavah, saj si trenutno prizadeva za podiplomski študij na medicinski fakulteti, da bi postala zdravnica-znanstvenica. Med obiskom želi razviti mednarodno perspektivo, v kateri bi lahko pristopila k problemom in lastnim raziskavam v prihodnosti s pogledom na svet. Anna je izjemno hvaležna za priložnost, da obišče Slovenijo, ne le za sodelovanje v raziskavah v zgodnji fazi svoje akademske in raziskovalne kariere, temveč tudi za poglobitev znanja in spoznavanja Slovenije. Anna je zelo naklonjena slovenski kulturi (in hrani) že od slovenskih starih staršev, obiskuje slovenske dogodke v Clevelandu v Ohiu in je 10 let v času obiskovanja osnovne in srednje šole sobotne dopoldneve preživljala v šoli slovenskega jezika. Navdušena je, da bo imela priložnost spoznati kulturo, se še bolje naučiti slovenskega jezika, raziskati naravne lepote dežele in obiskati svojo družino v Sloveniji, kar bo združila z nadgraditvijo znanja v medicini, znanosti in z raziskovanjem.

Starc Antonia

Antonia Starc je marca 2022 predčasno diplomirala na Cal Polyju v San Luis Obispo z diplomo iz politologije, podjetništva in prava. Najbolj jo zanimajo globalna politika in mednarodni odnosi, z željo po delu v pravu ali vladi. V prostem času se lahko Antonia sprosti na plaži, igra odbojko, hodi, uživa v glasbi, raziskuje nove kraje, preizkuša različne jedi in preživlja čas s prijatelji. Antonia se z veseljem vrne v Slovenijo, da se še dodatno poveže s svojo kulturo in družino ob raziskovanju svojega področja zanimanja. Po 10-tedenski ASEF štipendiji se bo Antonia vrnila v Kalifornijo in se pridružila Deloittu kot analitičarka za vladne in javne službe v Sacramentu.

Tutkaluke Taylor

Taylor Tutkaluke bo maja 2022 diplomirala iz kineziologije na Fakulteti za kineziologijo in rekreacijski menedžment na Univerzi v Manitobi. Taylor, ki ima izkušnje kot tekmovalna športnica v igranju hokeja na ledu, je zdaj osebna trenerka in inštruktorica skupinske vadbe, hkrati pa je navdušena nad uporaba telesne dejavnosti kot preventive. Taylor je delala kot raziskovalna asistentka na projektih, ki vključujejo avtohtone športnike v športu, kako sočutje do samega sebe vpliva na diagnozo pred-diabetesa ter sočutje do sebe in telesno aktivnost. Upa, da bo v Sloveniji ves čas svojega bivanja v Ljubljani raziskovala teme, kot so fizična pismenost, aktiven prevoz in spoštovanje telesne dejavnosti.

Valerian Nola

Nola Valerian je v tretjem letniku The Ohio State University, kjer študira smer oblikovanja vizualnih komunikacij z manjšo medijsko produkcijo in analizo. V okviru študija raziskuje uporabo digitalnih orodij, vključno z napredno računalniško tehnologijo, za vizualizacijo in predstavitev prevodov kompleksnih podatkov in idej. Nola trenutno dela kot asistentka pri načrtovanju organizacije za informacijsko tehnologijo, ki je specializirana za mreženje znotraj države. Poleg tega dela kot asistentka za video produkcijo v okviru atletskega programa na svoji fakulteti. Poleg študija in dela Nola rada obiskuje koncerte, hodi in preživlja čas s prijatelji in družino. Slovenska kultura je bila vedno pomemben del Nolinega življenja, saj so se tam rodili in odraščali njeni stari starši, preden so prišli v Ameriko. Od zadnjega obiska pred tremi leti se veseli povezovanja z družino v Sloveniji in upa, da bo izkoristila lepoto Slovenije na prostem.

Živa Perko

Živa Perko se je s starši preselila v Belgijo, ko je bila stara dve leti. Trenutno je srednješolka v zadnjem letniku srednje šole. Obiskuje srednjo šolo znanstveno narovoslovnih smeri,  kjer je imela v zadnjih dveh letih kot glavne predmete kemijo, biologijo in fiziko. Njena šola Heilig Graf v Turnhoutu je poznana po izvrstnih laboratorijih, kjer teorijo dijaki preverjajo v praksi in opravljajo različne eksperimente. Kot ASEF štipendistka bo v Sloveniji od septembra 2022 do konca decembra 2022 in bo obiskovala Bežigrajsko gimnazijo. Skupaj z ostalimi dijaki se bo pripravljala na maturo, ne le iz kemije in biologije temveč tudi iz slovenščine. Svojo slovenščino si želi izboljšati skozi druženje z vrstniki na gimnaziji. Rada igra glasbo in je v letošnjem šolskem letu zaključila glasbeno akademijo in smer klasičnega petja. Živa je tudi dvakratna Belgijska prvakinja v jadranju v kategoriji Cadet (2020 in 2021). Belgijo je v Cadetu zastopala na štirih svetovnih prvenstvih. Upa, da bo z novimi slovenskimi prijatelji imela priložnost jadrati v Piranskem zalivu.  Je ljubiteljica narave in planeta Zemlja, zato je tudi okoljska aktivistka, udeleženka gibanja “Fridays for climate”. Na natečaju Evropskega programa posvečenega klimatski krizi Erasmus++ je bila izbrana za Belgijsko predstavnico 2021, kjer je skupaj z ostalimi predstavniki sodelovala v enoletnem projektu, posvečenemu posledicam klimatske krize. Pričakuje, da bo o klimatski krizi in nujnih akcijah govorila tudi v Sloveniji. Zahvaljuje se ASEF skupnosti za to izjemno priložnost, saj verjame, da bo spoznala ne le Slovenijo, slovenske vrstnike, kulturo, temveč se bo naučila veliko tudi o sebi.

Živa Perko

Živa Perko se je v Belgijo s starši preselila, ko je bila stara dve leti. Trenutno je srednješolka v zadnjem letniku srednje šole, ki je znanstveno naravoslovno usmerjena. Njeni glavni predmeti so kemija, biologija in fizika. Srednja šola Heilig Graf v Turnhoutu, ki jo obiskuje, je poznana po izvrstnih laboratorijih, kjer teorijo dijaki preverjajo v praksi in opravljajo različne eksperimente. Kot članica ASEF skupnosti bo v Sloveniji od septembra 2022 do konca decembra 2022 obiskovala gimnazijo Bežigrad. Skupaj z ostalimi dijaki se bo pripravljala na maturo ne le iz kemije in biologije, temveč tudi iz slovenščine. Upa, da bo lahko svoje znanje slovenščine izboljšala skozi druženje z vrstniki. Živa ima tudi ljubezen do glasbe in je v preteklem šolskem letu zaključila glasbeno akademijo v smeri klasičnega petja. Je dvakratna Belgijska prvakinja v jadranju v kategoriji Cadet (2020 in 2021). Belgijo je v Cadetu zastopala tudi na štirih svetovnih prvenstvih. Upa, da bo z novimi slovenskimi prijatelji imela priložnost jadrati v Piranskem zalivu.  Je ljubiteljica narave in planeta Zemlja in zato tudi okoljska aktivistka, udeleženka gibanja “Fridays for climate”. Na natečaju Evropskega programa posvečenega klimatski krizi Erasmus++ je bila izbrana za Belgijsko predstavnico 2021, kjer je skupaj z ostalimi predstavniki sodelovala v enoletnem projektu posvečenemu posledicam klimatske krize. Pričakuje, da bo o klimatski krizi in nujnih akcijah govorila tudi v Sloveniji. Zahvaljuje se ASEF skupnosti za to izjemno priložnost, saj verjame, da bo spoznala ne samo Slovenijo, slovenske vrstnike in slovensko kulturo, temveč se bo naučila veliko tudi o sebi.

Arraigada Pablo David

Pablo David Arraigada se je rodil leta 1985 v Entre Riosu. Od nekdaj je živel v Ezpeleti, majhnem mestu v Buenos Airesu. Ima diplomo iz književnosti. Pablo je pravkar začel doktorat. o partizanski književnosti kot literarni zvrsti na območju nekdanje Jugoslavije. Je član združenja Dovstojevskega v Argentini in pomaga pri organizaciji dogodkov in konferenc v svoji državi.
Pablo dela kot svetovalni profesor na Oddelku za slovanske književnosti Univerze v Buenos Airesu. Vodil je različne seminarje o kulturi in književnosti bivše Jugoslavije. Povabljen je bil k predavanjem na različnih univerzah, tako v Argentini (Univerza Córdoba) kot v Evropi (Univerza v Zadru in Univerza v Ljubljani). Danes je del raziskovalnega projekta UBACyT o utopijah in distopijah v slovanski književnosti. Za ta raziskovalni projekt v španščino prevaja različne avtorje, ki so razvili znanstveno fantastiko in utopijo na Balkanu, na primer »Mikromega« Simona Jenka. Iz srbskega jezika namerava prevesti tudi Radoja Domanovića in Dragutina Ilića. Po drugi strani pa Pablo raziskuje tudi avantgardna gibanja na Balkanu, vojno v Bosni ter figuro izgnanstva in govora ter vidike gibanj LGBTQ+ v državah bivše Jugoslavije. Pred tem je prevajal slovenska pesnika Braneta Mozetiča in Uroša Praha.
Z literarnim svetom je zelo povezan, tako kot profesor kot založnik in knjigotrž. Vodil je različne dejavnosti v zvezi s prodajo knjig. Poleg tega je prevajalec iz slovenskega, srbskega in hrvaškega jezika, med drugim pa je prevajal avtorje, kot so Srečko Kosovel, Josip Murn, Dragotin Kette, Matej Bor, Desanka Maksimović, Radoje Domanović, Ivan Goran Kovačić in Vladimir Nazor.
Med svojim nastopom v Sloveniji za ASEF Junior Fellowship je Pablo zelo navdušen nad idejo, da bi lahko s svojim mentorjem, slovenskim pesnikom in umetnostnim zgodovinarjem Miklavžem Komeljem, sodeloval in raziskoval o slovenskih partizanih. To bo neverjetna priložnost za razumevanje in prevajanje pesmi v španščino avtorjev, ki so se borili v drugi svetovni vojni, in analiziranje stališča v njihovih produkcijah.
Poleg svoje poklicne perspektive Pablo uživa tudi v literaturi kot hobi in je pesnik. Do danes je izdal tri pesniške knjige, bil pa je leta 2019 na Smederevskem pesniškem jesenskem festivalu, kjer so izdali tudi dvojezično srbsko-špansko antologijo njegovih pesmi Beleške. Njegove pesmi so bile prevedene tudi v slovenščino in bolgarščino.

Gimpelj Dylan

Dylan Gimpelj je študent drugega letnika prava na Univerzi v Montrealu. Po diplomi iz ekonomije na univerzi McGill je dve leti delal v finančni industriji, preden se je vrnil k študiju. Hvaležen je za to enkratno priložnost, ki jo je ASEF zagotovil enkrat v življenju in ki daje priložnost, da svoje trenutne veščine uporabi v profesionalnem pravnem okolju in pridobi nova znanja, ki so pomembna za njegovo karierno rast. Ker je Kanada zvezna večkulturna država in je Slovenija članica Evropske unije, Dylan z navdušenjem raziskuje slovensko pravno tradicijo in tako ceni pronicljive vzporednice in razlike, ki jih je mogoče narediti s kanadskim pravnim kontekstom.
Dylan, ki je pred nekaj poletji le na kratko obiskal Slovenijo, si želi še naprej vzpostavljati osebno povezavo s Slovenijo in svojo slovensko družino, ki bo omogočena v času podaljšanega bivanja štipendije. Upa, da bo svoj osebni čas tam izkoristil za gradnjo močnih, trajnih odnosov in dodobra uživanje v kulturni in naravni dediščini, ki jo ima Slovenija. V prostem času Dylan večinoma uživa v preživljanju prostega časa s prijatelji na prostem, pa naj gre za šport, pohodništvo ali kampiranje v številnih čudovitih kanadskih nacionalnih in pokrajinskih parkih.

Gregorčič Ren

Ren Gregorčič je umetnik in raziskovalec na področju kiparstva in prostorske prakse, ki trenutno živi v Canberri v Avstraliji. Diplomiral je iz likovne umetnosti (kiparstvo in prostorska praksa) in magistriral iz konzervacije kulturnih materialov na Univerzi v Melbournu. Februarja 2020 je začel doktorat. kandidirala na Šoli za umetnost in oblikovanje na Avstralski nacionalni univerzi na Oddelku za kiparstvo in prostorsko prakso. Renova povezava s Slovenijo je preko očeta in očetovske družine, ki sta se v 50. letih 20. stoletja preselila v Melbourne v Avstralijo.
Renova umetniška praksa raziskuje, kako se načela globalne modernosti (t.i. kartezijanska prostorska ureditev, ekonomski racionalizem, kulturna homogenizacija) izražajo v arhitekturi, infrastrukturi, urbanističnem načrtovanju in upravljanju narave ter vplive teh izrazov na posameznike in kolektive. Poleg svoje prakse je Ren delal v različnih umetniških in kulturnih ustanovah v Avstraliji. Prejšnje vloge so vključevale kustosa razstav in širjenja v galeriji Warrnambool Art Gallery, raziskovalca in vodjo projekta na Univerzi v Melbournu, vodjo projektov pri Združenju avstralskih muzejev in galerij Victoria in vodjo projekta premestitve v Museums Victoria. Trenutno je tudi vodja galerije v Canberri, ki jo vodijo umetniki, Australian National Capital Artists.
V času svojega bivanja v Sloveniji se želi Ren osredotočiti na raziskovanje, dokumentiranje in produkcijo kritičnih raziskav in umetniških del, ki preučujejo vpliv prevlade betona kot sistema naročanja in okoljskega posrednika v slovenskem kontekstu.

Javeršek Milena

Milena Javeršek se je po uspešno končani srednji šoli leta 2019 za sedem mesecev preselila v Indonezijo. Tam je živela in delala v centru, kjer so ženske podprte pri izobraževanju in poklicu. Med tem prostovoljnim delom pri UEM se je intenzivno ukvarjala s strukturnim rasizmom, podnebnimi spremembami in pravicami žensk ter se od takrat aktivno bori proti svetovnim krivicam.
Zelo je hvaležna za ASEF Fellowship. Zelo je navdušena nad spoznavanjem države izvora, kulture in jezika svojih starih staršev.
Milena je zelo hvaležna za to priložnost, da raste tako osebno kot poklicno ter da lahko vpogled in izkušnje, pridobljene v prihodnje, uporabi v svoji nadaljnji karieri. Prihodnje leto bo študirala pravo na univerzi v Kölnu, specializirala se bo za mednarodne človekove pravice in izgradnjo miru.
Recimo, da svojega prostega časa ne preživlja z družino in prijatelji, ne bere knjig na vrtu ali ne igra odbojke. V tem primeru se aktivno vključuje v mladinsko in otroško delo v svoji krajevni cerkveni skupnosti. Trenutno obiskuje tečaj slovenskega jezika z očetom, sestro, sestrično in teto. Svoje pridobljeno jezikovno znanje z veseljem utrjuje in poglablja v Sloveniji.

Košir Sonja

Sonja Košir v četrtem letniku Univerze v Cincinnatiju študira biomedicinski inženiring. Imela je štiri semestre inženirske pripravništva, še posebej pa je uživala v svojem delu na področju raziskav in razvoja medicinskih pripomočkov v srčni in torakalni kirurgiji. Zelo se zanima za razvoj medicinskih tehnologij za spodbujanje zdravja in dobrega počutja svoje skupnosti. Sonja se izven pouka zelo ukvarja tudi s Katoliškim centrom, klubsko tekaško ekipo, svojim inženirskim društvom in prostovoljstvom v shrambi s hrano.
Sonja je zelo navdušena, da bo preživela čas s svojo družino v Sloveniji, medtem ko se še naprej ukvarja z medicinskimi raziskavami pri svojih mentorjih, prof. dr. Damijan Miklavičič in Angelika Vižintin ter raziskovanje čudovite dežele svojih starih staršev. Navdušena je, da se odpravi na pohode, se nauči več slovenskega jezika in se potopi v kulturo.

Leber Stefania

Stefania Leber je leta 2017 diplomirala iz dentalne medicine na Universidad del Salvador – Asociación Odontológica Argentina. Že od študentskih let so jo navdušile orofacialne bolečine in temporomandibularne motnje. Zdaj je docentka na Universidad del Salvador, Universidad Maimonides in Universidad de Buenos Aires, kjer rad poučuje.
Navdušena je nad vzpostavitvijo močnih poklicnih odnosov z drugimi ASEF-ovci po vsem svetu, predvsem v Sloveniji. S tem si želi poklicno in osebno napredovati ter raziskati vpliv slovenske kulture na njeno raziskovalno področje. V prostem času uživa v vožnji s kolesom in kolesarjenju, ko vreme dopušča, kar ji omogoča, da se poveže z naravnim svetom, ki jo obdaja. Navdušena je tudi nad kuhanjem, zato se je pod taktirko obeh slovenskih babic ukvarjala s slovensko kulinariko.
Sodelovala je tudi pri organizaciji več družbeno-kulturnih dejavnosti v svoji skupnosti kot članica Slovenskega doma San Martin in je nekdanja predsednica Slovenske dekliške organizacije. Posledično bi bilo raziskovanje njene slovenske identitete razburljiva izkušnja, zato je Štefi izjemno hvaležna za neverjetno priložnost, ki jo je ponudil ASEF.

Morrison Jillian

Jillian Morrison je absolventka tretjega letnika na univerzi DePaul v Chicagu v Illinoisu in diplomirala bo iz politologije s koncentracijo mednarodne politike in mladoletniki iz francoščine in muzejskih študij. Pred ASEF je Jillian porabila veliko časa za učenje o različnih političnih sistemih po svetu in ustreznih sodobnih političnih teoretikih. Marca 2021 je predstavila svoj raziskovalni projekt o povečanju etičnih praks rudarjenja mineralov v vzhodni Demokratični republiki Kongo na nacionalni študentski raziskovalni konferenci Pi Sigma Alpha. Poleg tečajev politologije se je še posebej zanimala za ustno zgodovino in muzejske študije, ki so jo pripeljali do pripravništva v Muzej zgodovine Chicaga v Centru za ustno zgodovino Studs Terkel.
Navdušena je, da bo to poletje imela priložnost živeti in delati v Sloveniji in se veseli, da bo skozi ustno zgodovino poglobila svoje razumevanje slovenskih političnih sistemov. Veseli se tudi utrjevanja odnosov v mednarodni slovenski skupnosti. Poleg svojega akademskega in poklicnega ukvarjanja Jillian uživa v plezanju, umetnosti iz vlaken in uživa v času s prijatelji. Vsekakor se veseli, da bo to poletje izkoristila čudovito kulturo Slovenije na prostem in komaj čaka, da začne to neverjetno avanturo.

Resnik Micaela

Micaela Resnik is an Actuary who graduated from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Throughout her studies, she has analyzed different types of risks, their measurement, and management, along with the tools used to mitigate them. She has studied different insurance available on the market like property, life, financial, reinsurance, and the various configurations of retirement plan funds, pensions, and health coverage. In her final thesis, she developed a credit scoring model for a retirement loan portfolio.
Since she was a child, she has been raised in Slovenian culture. She speaks the language fluently and enjoys the different traditions her grandparents and parents taught her. Among the many activities she is part of in the Slovenian community, she enjoys dancing in Folklorna skupina Maribor.
She is very grateful to ASEF for the incredible and unique opportunity given to her, where she will be able to learn, appreciate and compare the behavior of the European market with the Argentinian. Furthermore, this will allow her to develop her working skills and discover her abilities collaborating in an interdisciplinary group. She is very honored that she can professionally and personally develop in the country where her grandparents were born, the land where she feels like home.

Selan Daniela

Daniela Selan se je rodila in odraščala v Buenos Airesu v Argentini. Trenutno končuje diplomo iz antropologije z usmeritvijo iz arheologije na univerzi La Plata (UNLP). Danielo zanima predvsem bioarheologija – preučevanje človeških ostankov z arheoloških najdišč. Trenutno se ukvarja z analizo osteoloških zbirk iz delte reke Zgornje Paraná (provinca Entre Ríos) v muzeju La Plata. Vsi štirje njeni stari starši so bili rojeni v Sloveniji in so se preselili v Argentino, zato sta obe kulturi temeljni v njenem življenju. Del njenega zanimanja za preučevanje kulturne raznolikosti – tako v sedanjosti kot tudi v preteklosti – izhaja iz njene osebne zgodovine. V okviru ASEF Fellowship bo Daniela sodelovala z dr. Antona Veluščka na Inštitutu za arheologijo ZRC SAZU. Veseli se ustvarjanja intelektualnih vezi s slovenskimi strokovnjaki in spoznavanja njihovega pristopa k arheološki in kulturni dediščini. Poleg zanimanja za poklicno rast želi Daniela svoj obisk izkoristiti tudi za raziskovanje številnih zgodovinskih in naravnih znamenitosti v državi, srečanja s sorodniki in prijatelji ter krepitev odnosa do svoje slovenske dediščine.

Staresinic Claire Nicole

Claire Staresinic je študentka četrtega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi Severne Karoline v Chapel Hillu, kjer študira dvojno smer psihologija in nemščino z manjšo biologijo. Naslednji korak k psihiatrinji bo naredila tako, da se bo maja prijavila na medicinsko fakulteto. Claire je navdušena nad povečanjem dostopa do oskrbe za duševno zdravje ter zdravljenjem in destigmatizacijo duševnih bolezni. Upa, da bo svoje prejšnje izkušnje na področju ambulantnega vedenjskega zdravja nadgradila z medicinskimi raziskavami ali delom v psihiatričnem bolnišničnem zdravljenju. Claireini prastari starši po očetu prihajajo iz Slovenije in želi odkriti več o svojih slovenskih koreninah in graditi odnose v državi, ki se že počuti kot doma. Upa tudi, da bo spodbudila pogovore med vodilnimi v raziskavah duševnega zdravja tako v Sloveniji kot v ZDA, da bi pomagala razširiti vire v obeh državah. V prostem času Claire rada riše in slika, igra oboo, obiskuje lokalno kmečko tržnico in se prepusti le malo resničnostne televizije.

Stellatelli Agustin

Agustin Stellatelli je pravnik, ki je diplomiral na Katoliški univerzi v Argentini. Trenutno piše podiplomsko nalogo iz delovnega prava, ki jo namerava izvesti konec leta 2021 za nadaljevanje magistrskega študija. Njegov študij in njegovo poklicno delovanje kot odvetnik zaznamuje posebna senzibilnost do družbenih problemov. Agustin ljubi svojo državo in trdno verjame, da se mora Argentina učiti iz mednarodnih izkušenj. Obisk v Sloveniji mu bo dal priložnost, da pobližje spozna kulturo in sodstvo ter politični sistem. Zanima ga delovno pravo in človeške nadloge nasploh, politika in zgodovina, ki se jim skuša približati s pravo humanistično vizijo. Agustin se navdušuje nad veslanjem, kolesarjenjem in drugimi športi ter se rad izziva. Šport obravnava kot način delitve z drugimi. Agustin je prepričan, da bo njegov obisk v Sloveniji močno vplival ne le nanj, ampak tudi na njegovo družino in skupnost. Njegova žena je Slovenka, zato se je njegovo zanimanje za kulturo, zgodovino in vse vidike države samoumevno povečalo. Veseli se plodnega sodelovanja z mentorico ob študiju slovenskega jezika in odkrivanju vseh lepot, ki jih Slovenija ponuja.

Ellis Dylan

Dylan Ellis je dodiplomski študent kemijskega inženiringa na Barrett Honors College na državni univerzi Arizona. Vedno je ljubil reševanje problemov in ga je navdušila biologija ter upa, da bo svoj študij uporabil za boj proti težavam na področju zdravja in trajnosti. To poletje je navdušen, da lahko nadaljuje s tem prizadevanjem za inženiring na vmesniku živih sistemov prek ASEF-ove štipendije. Poleg poklicnega razvoja je izjemno hvaležen in navdušen za priložnost, da se poglobi v svojo slovensko dediščino in da lahko deli vse, kar se nauči ob vrnitvi iz štipendije. Dylanovi hobiji vključujejo branje, šport, glasbo, pohodništvo in preživljanje časa z družino in prijatelji.

Fitzsimmons Thomas

Thomas Fitzsimmons je vizualni komunikator s strastjo do multimedije. Thomas bo pripravnik v Studiu Siposh opravljal video produkcijo in delal skupaj s filmskimi ustvarjalci in zračnimi kinematografi. Thomas je študiral komunikacijo in grafično oblikovanje ter namerava v prihodnosti pridobiti magisterij iz teologije na Papeškem Atheneumu v Sant Anselmu v Rimu. Thomas upa, da se bo naučil dragocenih veščin, ki ga bodo razlikovale v svetu kinematografije, navdušen je nad priložnostjo ustvarjanja multimedijskih vsebin v eni najlepših držav na svetu in namerava ohraniti dolgotrajen odnos z ASEF še dolgo po tem, ko bo listi. Thomas je navdušen, saj je to njegov drugi obisk v Sloveniji. Prvič je bil leta 2016 med obiskom, ki ga je imel med bivanjem v Evropi na študijskem semestru v tujini v Italiji. Thomas je imel priložnost obiskati družino v Sloveniji in spoznati svoje slovenske bratrance in se je imel priložnost sprehajati po istih ulicah v Ljubljani kot njegova babica in dedek, preden sta emigrirala v ZDA. Thomasa pogosto najdemo, da teče, pretekel je dva maratona v zveznih državah in načrtuje, da bo tretji opravil nekje v EU, Thomas obožuje tudi videografiranje in drone, fotografiranje, urejanje videa ter kliče svojo 82-letno babico in jo uči nasvete in trike, kako uporabljati njen iPhone.

Gačnik Annika Rose

Annika Gačnik je magistrska kandidatka za študij hrane, interdisciplinarno področje prehrambene politike, poslovanja in kulture, na Univerzi v New Yorku. Annika, ki živi v Kaliforniji, je veliko delala na področju proizvodnje in distribucije hrane, vključno z urbanim kmetijstvom, raziskavami ribištva, vinarstvom in živilsko industrijo. Prejela je B.S. iz molekularne biologije okolja na kalifornijski univerzi Berkeley. Ko ne študira hrane, rada preživlja čas v oceanu in na vrtu. Kot štipendistka ASEF bo Annika raziskovala pri dr. Tanji Kamin na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Ob podpori te štipendije si Annika prizadeva doseči družbene spremembe v prehranjevalnih sistemih, da bi dvignila človekove pravice in povečala trajnost. Annika ima srečo, da je že prej obiskala Slovenijo, kjer se je ponovno povezala s sorodniki po očetu in potovala z družino, vključno s sestro Michaelo - štipendistom ASEF 2018. Annika je izjemno hvaležna za to priložnost, da poglobi svoje razumevanje svoje dediščine in vzpostavi nove, pomembne povezave s sodelavci in vrstniki.

Klesin Alexandra

Alexandra Klesin je decembra 2018 diplomirala iz psihologije in diplomirala iz filozofije na Mount Saint Mary College. Trenutno je koordinatorka razvoja projektov za nov dodiplomski program pomočnika pri poučevanju na The Mount. Na tej poti je Alexandra ugotovila, da je njena strast pomagati mladostnikom, ki se spopadajo z duševno boleznijo, uspeti tako v vsakdanjem življenju kot v akademskem življenju. Po ASEF štipendiji želi nadaljevati izobraževanje in doktorirati iz klinične psihologije. To poletje bo Aleksandra asistirala prof. dr. Valentina Hlebec na mednarodnem raziskovalno-inovacijskem projektu »Jaz-mi« na Univerzi v Ljubljani, Fakulteti za družbene vede. »Me-We« je okrajšava za psihosocialno podporo za spodbujanje duševnega zdravja in dobrega počutja med mladimi negovalci v Evropi (me-we.eu). Mladi skrbniki so mladostniki, ki postanejo primarni skrbniki starša ali brata ali sestre z duševno/razvojno motnjo.

Alexandra vidi to štipendijo kot neverjetno priložnost, da ne samo okrepi svoje raziskovalne sposobnosti, ampak tudi okrepi svoje vezi s svojo slovensko dediščino. Hvaležna je, da obišče dom svojih starih staršev in se sprehodi po ljubljanskih ulicah ter se potopi v vse, kar Slovenija ponuja. V času zastoja Aleksandra rada piše, predvsem poezijo. Upa, da bo to poletje svoj dnevnik napolnila z zanimivimi zgodbami, ki jih bo lahko delila s prijatelji in družino. Ko ne piše, verjetno bere. Aleksandra uživa tudi v telovadbi, jogi in igranju odbojke. Običajno jo lahko najdete, kako sedi nekje na slikovitem mestu in jede kolaček.

Krevh Rachel

Rachel Krevh je maja diplomirala na univerzi Xavier z diplomo iz kemije. Jeseni bo obiskovala univerzo Ohio Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, da bi začela nadaljevati svojo kariero kot zdravnica. Rachel je opravila predhodno raziskavo na Univerzi Xavier o oksidativnem mehanizmu bakrovih amin oksidaz in na raziskovalnem programu Nacionalne znanstvene fundacije Univerze v Cincinnatiju, kjer je preučevala lastnosti proti obraščanju elektrod iz ogljikovih nanocevk iz vlaken. Rachel je navdušena nad to priložnostjo za štipendijo v Sloveniji, saj ji bo to pomagalo spoznati več medicinskih tem, preden začne medicinsko šolo in postane zdravnica. Rachelini poklicni interesi kot zdravnice so dermatologija, onkologija in primarna oskrba. Poleg zdravstvenih raziskav letošnjega poletja Rachel zanima raziskovanje različnih regij Slovenije, preživljanje poletnih večerov ob reki v Ljubljani, srečanje z drugimi sošolci in meščani v okolici ter nadaljnje učenje slovenskega jezika. Rachel je bila pred tem v Sloveniji trikrat: s svojo šolo slovenskega jezika leta 2007, na obisku pri sorodnikih leta 2014 in se udeležila dvotedenskega programa slovenščine na Univerzi v Ljubljani leta 2015. Štiri leta so minila, odkar je je bila nazadnje v Sloveniji in je navdušena, da bo spet videla svoje sorodnike in čudovito deželo. Prav tako je navdušena, da bo do konca poletja, upajmo, imela poln pogovor v slovenščini. Poleg spoznavanja znanosti in medicine Rachel uživa tudi na pogostih sprehodih po svojem mestu, na pohodih in kolesarjenjih, spoznava nove ljudi in preizkuša novo hrano. Zanimivo pri njej je, da ima majhno tetovažo Triglava, v Grčiji pa je zaigrala v videospotu.

Lunka Robert

Bobby Lunka je prvi letnik otroškega zobozdravstva, ki študira na Stomatološki šoli univerze Virginia Commonwealth, kjer opravlja tudi magistrski študij. Dobil je diplomo študiral biologijo na Univerzi v Virginiji, kjer je po končani zobozdravniški šoli na VCU zaključil tudi rezidenco splošne prakse. Kasneje je Bobby opravil pripravništvo za oralno in maksilofacialno kirurgijo v medicinskem centru Jacobi/bolnišnici Beth Israel in zobozdravniški šoli WVU. Njegova strast vključuje izboljšanje svojih veščin in znanja pri skrbi za otroke s posebnimi zdravstvenimi potrebami. Raziskava, s katero se Bobby trenutno ukvarja, vključuje uporabo očal za navidezno resničnost za izboljšanje zobozdravstvenih izkušenj otrok z avtizmom. Bobby, rojen očetu Slovencu, pogosto obiskuje družinsko kmetijo in uživa v druženju s sorodniki in raziskovanju dežele. Ponosno se identificira kot pravi Slovenec, saj se je pred kratkim povzpel na Triglav. Z veseljem raziskuje zdravstvene, izobraževalne in raziskovalne organizacije na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Štipendija pri ASEF bi mu omogočila, da bi se naučil, cenil in primerjal, kako slovenski visokošolski zavodi izvajajo raziskovalno in klinično delo, natančneje, kako slovenski zdravstveni delavci skrbijo za otroke in bolnike s posebnimi potrebami. V prostem času Bobby uživa v kajtanju, vinarstvu, igranju kitare in vožnji z motorjem. Zelo je hvaležen za priložnost, ki mu jo je ponudil ASEF in bo še naprej promoviral vse, kar Slovenija ponuja svojim kolegom doma!

Marusic Tatiana

Tatiana Marušič je splošna zdravnica, diplomirala je na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu, trenutno pa je v četrtem letniku pediatrične bolnišnice »Ricardo Gutierrez Children's hospital«. Rodila se je in odraščala v Argentini, vsi njeni stari starši pa so bili rojeni v Sloveniji in so jo naučili svojih vrednot in kulture. Kritične svetovne begunske razmere in nizek dostop do zdravstvene pomoči so ena največjih Tatjaninih skrbi. Zato bo s Primožem Jamškom sodelovala pri Slovenski filantrofiji, humanitarni organizaciji. Pridružila se bo programu, ki ponuja boljšo dostopnost zdravstvenih storitev za ljudi v ranljivem položaju, neposredno dela z begunci in jim zagotavlja zdravstveno oskrbo. Prepričana je, da jo bo ta izkušnja izzvala na novo raven, kjer bo rasla s strokovnega in osebnega vidika. V prostem času uživa v aktivnostih na prostem, kot sta pohodništvo in potapljanje. Ima sebe za ljubiteljico narave, komaj čaka, da obišče čudovite slovenske pokrajine!

McDonald Thomas

Thomas je doktorski študent primerjalne književnosti na univerzi Stanford. Rojen in odraščal v Južni Karolini, ima diplomo MBA iz mednarodnega poslovanja in je deloval na Japonskem, v Nemčiji, Latinski Ameriki in ZDA. Na Stanfordu raziskuje, kako so literarna in filmska dela predvidevala gospodarsko in družbeno krizo v 20. stoletju. Slovenščino študira, da bi globlje razumel primer nekdanje Jugoslavije. Zagovornik učenja tujih jezikov, je študiral različne jezike in tekoče govori špansko, portugalsko, francosko, nemško, japonsko in srbohrvaško.

Rozman Tina

Tina Rozman trenutno vstopa v tretji letnik univerze v Cincinnatiju. Študira zdravstvene nege in je tudi kadetinja v korpusu za usposabljanje rezervnih častnikov vojske (ROTC). Je na vrhu svojega razreda ROTC in je vsak semester fakultete na akademski dekanski listi. Tina je članica National Society of Pershing Rifles, Združenja študentskih medicinskih sester in več prostovoljnih organizacij. Lansko poletje ji je vojska omogočila študij ruščine na univerzi v Pittsburghu, letos poleti pa bo šla v letalsko šolo. Tina bo zaključila štipendijo v DEOS Trnovo, domu za ostarele, pri mentorici Biljani Vojvodič. Veseli se, da bo v domu za ostarele, saj je nabrala veliko izkušenj s svojimi ostarelimi starimi starši. Izjemno jo zanima funkcionalna medicina, alternativna oblika medicine, ki si prizadeva izboljšati zdravje, zlasti kronične bolezni, s celostnim zdravljenjem in zdravljenjem temeljnih vzrokov. Tinini stari starši, tako po materini kot po očetovi strani, so bili Slovenci in njena slovenska dediščina je oblikovala vse njeno življenje. Tekoče govori slovensko, je članica plesne skupine Folklorna Skupina Kres in iskreno ceni vpliv slovenske kulture v svojem ozadju in zapuščino, ki so ji jo ustvarili njeni stari starši. Z veseljem vidi, kje se je rodila njena družina, in doživlja znano slovensko ljubezen in velikodušnost, po kateri slovi dežela, vključno z znamenitostmi, kot so Blejsko jezero, gradovi in ​​gore. Navdušena je tudi nad odkritji, do katerih bo prišla med študijem pri mentorju. Med njenimi hobiji so tudi prostovoljstvo, igranje klavirja in violine, in upa, da bo svoje veliko zanimanje za čebele lahko uporabila tudi v Sloveniji. Zanimivo o Tini je, da je njen brat pred nekaj leti v Sloveniji nastopil s svojo vokalno skupino “Mi Smo Mi”.

Voelk Sean

Sean Voelk je študent četrtega letnika dodiplomskega študija na poslovni šoli Leavey na univerzi Santa Clara, kjer je specializiran za finance. Sean se je rodil in odraščal na severozahodu Pacifika. Njegov praded se je rodil v Sloveniji in je izjemno hvaležen za to priložnost, da izve več o Sloveniji in sodeluje v tem programu. Seanove izvenšolske dejavnosti večinoma vključujejo glasbo. Vodi glasbeno in pogovorno oddajo KSCU Slightly Social, ki oddaja na območju Bay Area in drugih krajih v Kaliforniji. Je tudi pisec za blog KSCU, ki pokriva predvsem teme, povezane s hip-hopom in hip-hop kulturo. Ob vikendih lahko pogosto najdete Seana na pohodu ali kako drugače uživate na prostem.

Grbec Dalma Lorena

Dalma Lorena Grbec je javna računovodkinja, diplomirala je na Argentinski poslovni univerzi (UADE). Nato bo končala MBA iz poslovnega menedžmenta na Univerzi Cema v Buenos Airesu. Dalma je specializirana za podjetja MSP, njena končna raziskava pa se nanaša na upravljanje inovacij, ki se uporablja za zrela MSP, zlasti v razvijajočih se gospodarstvih.

Zelo je hvaležna in navdušena za priložnost, ki jo je ponudil ASEF. Vpliv te izkušnje ji bo omogočil osebno rast kot profesionalka, saj bo odprta za interakcijo in raziskovanje, kako se izobraževanje in raziskovanje razvijata v Ljubljani. Poleg tega ji pomaga izboljšati slovenski jezik. To bo njen drugi obisk v Sloveniji in pričakuje, da bo v svojem najljubšem letnem času, jeseni.

V prostem času se rada ukvarja z aktivnostmi na prostem, sodeluje na glasbenih dogodkih, degustira in se uči vsega o čajih in poparkih. Njena podjetniška duša ji je omogočila lastno blagovno znamko, ki jo je poimenovala Ljubimski čaj.

Grohar Mariana Cecilia

Mariana Cecilia Grohar je doktorska študent botanike. Rojena in odraščala v Buenos Airesu v slovenski družini, zdaj išče poklicni razvoj v Sloveniji. Po desetih letih raziskovalnih izkušenj na področju taksonomije in morfologije rastlin jo zanima predvsem opis in upravljanje z ogroženimi ali invazivnimi rastlinskimi vrstami ter posredovanje znanstvenih spoznanj širši javnosti. Z dr. Jernejem Joganom bo sodelovala na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer pričakuje, da bo razvila nov vpogled v slovensko floro in raziskovalne tehnike, ki se uporabljajo pri njenem preučevanju in upravljanju. Navdušuje jo slovenska kultura, naravne lepote, zato je resnično navdušena nad življenjem in delom v Sloveniji!

Magister Nadia

Nadia Magister se je rodila v Barilocheju, čudovitem argentinskem mestu na dnu Andskih Kordiljerjev, obkroženem z gorami, jezerom Nahuel Huapi in naravo naokoli. Njeni štirje stari starši so se rodili v Sloveniji, zaradi druge svetovne vojne pa so morali zapustiti svoje domove. Prispeli so v veliko mesto Buenos Aires, a se je govorilo, da v Patagoniji obstaja kraj, podoben Sloveniji. Tako so se tja preselili tisti, ki so bili alpinisti in ljubitelji gora. Iskali so košček svojega tako pogrešanega doma, v novi državi. In tam so ga našli, v Bariločah, kjer so zgradili svoj novi dom, pri čemer so na svoje otroke in vnuke prenesli ogromno ljubezni do svoje države, kulture, tradicije, jezika.

Vsaka oseba ima strast. In pravijo, da ko ga najdemo, ga ne moremo utišati. Nadijina strast je glasba, petje. Čeprav je diplomirala iz modnega oblikovanja na univerzi v Buenos Airesu in se ukvarja tudi z oblikovanjem; Sledila je svoji strasti in študirala solo petje na “Conservatorio Superior de Música Manuel de Falla” v Buenos Airesu, pred dvema letoma pa je začela podiplomski tečaj za starodavno glasbo na isti instituciji. Izhaja iz družine, v kateri jo je glasba obkrožala že od rojstva, z mamo glasbenico in očetom, ki je vedno v stiku z glasbo; na pet njenih bratov in njo so prenesli ljubezen do glasbe. To je del tega, kar je, in od kod motivacija, da gre v Slovenijo, da nadaljuje s svojo pevsko kariero.

Izjemno je hvaležna za priložnost ASEF Fellowship, kjer jo bo mentorirala sopranistka Theresa Plut. Nadia ve, da jo bo možnost dela in delitve z glasbeniki iz druge države izzivala na novo raven, kjer bo rasla s profesionalne in osebne perspektive.

Puntín Julieta Natalí

Julieta Natalí Puntín je učiteljica angleščine, ki je leta 2018 diplomirala na UADER (Universidad Autónoma de Entre Rios) v Argentini. Kot pedagoginja drugega in tujega jezika dela na osnovnih, srednjih šolah in tudi na zasebnem inštitutu za učenje angleščine. Julieti se zdi poučevanje praksa življenjskega učenja, ki je ne moremo razumeti tudi kot vsakodnevni izziv. Julieta se je poleg poučevanja ukvarjala s športom; natančneje se je udeležila tekmovanj v odbojki, odbojki na mivki in na snegu v Argentini in tudi v drugih državah. Uživa v naravi, potuje, se ukvarja s športom in si deli nekaj prijateljev, medtem ko sklepa prijateljstva.

Julieta je po svoji povezanosti s Slovenijo četrta generacija slovenskih potomcev v Argentini po prihodu njenega pradeda v 80. letih 19. stoletja. Udeležuje se različnih dejavnosti Zveze slovenskih potomcev Triglav v Entre Riosu in že od nekdaj je sanjala, da bi obiskala to daljno deželo in v živo cenila njeno zgodovino, kulturo, jezik in bistvo.

Hvaležna je ASEF-u, da je odprl ta vrata edinstveni učni pustolovščini. Njeno trdno prepričanje je, da se bo srečala z neštetimi priložnostmi in pridobila znanje, vrednote in izkušnje iz prve roke na osebni in profesionalni ravni. Njen obisk bo potekal v Ljubljani na Gimnaziji Erudio, kjer si bo lahko izmenjala in izmenjala izkušnje, predvsem pa pridobivala znanje od usposobljenih in visoko usposobljenih pedagogov na vseh področjih poučevanja in učenja. Dejansko ta štipendijski program pomeni izboljšanje in rast, ki bo zagotovo zaznamovala njeno življenje za vedno.

Scasserra José Ignacio

José Ignacio Scasserra je februarja 2017 diplomiral iz filozofije na univerzi v Buenos Airesu. Delal je v več pedagoških programih, z otroki in mladostniki iz ranljivih sosesk v Buenos Airesu. Trenutno končuje magistrsko nalogo iz interdisciplinarnih študij subjektivnosti in pričenja doktorat. v filozofiji. Njegove raziskave se nanašajo na etiko, izobraževanje, spolno nasilje in konstrukcijo subjektivnosti v današnjem času. Imena, kot so Michel Foucault, Immanuel Kant ali celo sveti Avguštin, so vidna na njegovih dokumentih.

José se veseli opravljanja izkušenj v Ljubljani ne le zaradi svojih raziskovalnih in strokovnih povezav, temveč tudi zaradi povezanosti s svojo slovensko dediščino. Njegov ded Dušan Lenščak je bil profesor filozofije na ljubljanski univerzi do leta 1938, ko je z ženo Ludmilo Kalim, ki je študirala pedagogiko na isti univerzi, pobegnil v Argentino. Josejeva družina pozna veliko zgodb iz tistega časa, vendar le malo ve o življenju svojih starih staršev na univerzi. S hojo po istih hodnikih sta skoraj stoletje prej hodila njegova stara starša, ob malcem raziskovanju univerzitetnega arhiva pa pričakuje, da bo spoznal še kaj več o poklicnem življenju svojega starega starša v Ljubljani.

José obožuje pisanje in branje literature, študij jezikov in telovadbo. Trenutno pripravlja svoj prvi roman v literarni delavnici med študijem francoščine na univerzi v Buenos Airesu. Običajno počiva z glavo pri vadbi, treningu na bazenu ali teku po parkovnih poteh.

Sebernich Mariela Belén

Njena pra-starša Juan Sebernich in Maria Podversic sta prispela v Argentino ob prvem priseljevanju leta 1880 z otroki, med njimi tudi njenim pradedkom Angelom Sebernichom. Trenutno se znajde kot administratorka v zasebnem podjetju in kot arhitektka v svoji študiji. Začenja raziskovati gospodinjstva, ki so ostala nedotaknjena, ki so jih zgradili prvi slovenski priseljenci na podeželju Cerrito, Entre Rios, ter odkriva gradbene materiale in tipologijo teh hiš, da bi ugotovila podobnosti s primitivnimi v Sloveniji. Poučuje risanje in slikanje na Društvu upokojencev Primorske narodne univerze (UNL), kjer je bila na začetku svojega akademskega izobraževanja tudi profesorica pripravnica.

Je del Triglavskega slovenskega združenja Entre Rios, kjer svoj čas vlaga v širjenje slovenske kulture po Providence. Diplomirala je iz arhitekture na UNL z zaključno nalogo o trajnostni arhitekturi, usmerjeni v varčevanje z energijo, predmet, ki se ga želi še naprej učiti v svoji poklicni praksi. V letu 2017 je organizirala izlet v Slovenijo in nekatere druge evropske države. Od tega trenutka je vedela, da se bo želela vrniti in izvedeti več o zgodovini svojih prednikov in tudi o slovenski arhitekturi. V prostem času rada hodi na dolge sprehode, bere romane, gleda filme in se udeležuje tečajev ličenja. Letos se je vpisala na profesorico vizualnih umetnosti.

Soledad Barrionuevo María

María Soledad Barrionuevo bo kmalu diplomirala iz zgodovine na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu (UBA), kjer je tudi dodiplomska asistentka na katedri za sociologijo in zgodovino Španije. Soledad je sodeloval pri raziskovalnih projektih s področja zgodovine ter napisal članke in prispevke o Primožu Trubarju in Janezu Vajkardu Valvasorju za akademske revije in predavanja. Poleg raziskovanja jo zanima tudi poučevanje. V zadnjih letih je na isti univerzi vodila predavanja, odprta za skupnost (študente in neštudente), kjer je predavala en predmet o Trubarjevi reformaciji.

Soledad will be working under the mentorship of Ddr. Igor Grdina, a member of the Institute of Cultural History ZRC SAZU in Ljubljana. She is looking forward to continuing her research about Slovene Early Modern Cultural History − she is currently writing her BA thesis about Valvasor −, and getting in contact with experts in this field. This experience will also help her to develop Slovene studies in Argentina.

Ker meni, da so jeziki pomemben vidik raziskovanja, ima znanje latinščine in se je naučila drugih sodobnih jezikov, kot so slovenski, nemški, hrvaški in angleški. Trenutno dela kot učiteljica angleščine.

Turk David

David Turk je študent tretjega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi Saint Louis na predmedicinskem študiju. To jesen bo opravil intervju za zgodnji sprejem na Medicinsko fakulteto univerze Saint Louis. David izvaja raziskave na Univerzi Saint Louis, kjer dela na razvoju nove metode za odkrivanje hemoglobina C za uporabo na Haitiju in drugih državah z omejenim dostopom do električne energije in laboratorijskih virov. Delal je tudi v ambulantnem kirurškem centru za več kot 700 ur opazovanja neštetih operacij in izpopolnjevanja svojih veščin oskrbe pacientov. Upa, da bo te izkušnje to poletje izkoristil za izvajanje medicinskih raziskav. David se tudi veseli vzpostavitve pomembnih povezav v Sloveniji, ki jih bo vzdrževal skozi svojo poklicno kariero in doživljanja razlik med slovenskega in ameriškega zdravstvenega sistema. Čeprav je slovenski državljan, se v Sloveniji ne zadržuje več kot tri tedne naenkrat. Hvaležen je za možnost, da dalj časa živi v Sloveniji in dodatno doživlja naravne lepote. V prostem času David rad teče na prostem, bere dokumentarne knjige, atte zaigral na očetove harmonike in zaplesal polke s Folklorno Skupina Kres, slovensko folklorno plesno skupino v njegovem rojstnem mestu Cleveland v Ohiu.

Urbančič Natasha Ianina

Natasha Ianina Urbančič je 28-letna učiteljica s certifikatom iz predšolske vzgoje na “Instituto Superior Docente Santo Domingo de Ramos Mejía”, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Opredeljuje se kot proaktivna, entuziastična, družabna in sodelujoča, vedno predana svojemu delu in poskuša inovirati z novimi strategijami različnih izobraževalnih teorij. Njeni stari starši po očetovi strani so bili rojeni v Sloveniji. Po materini strani se je njen dedek rodil v Pensilvaniji v Združenih državah Amerike, njena babica pa v Bosni in Hercegovini, a sta se oba v otroštvu preselila v Slovenijo. Vsa Natašina družina je rasla okoli slovenske kulture. Skozi generacije so si prizadevali za ohranjanje tradicije in jezika te čudovite dežele. Že od malih nog je obiskovala Slovenski klub mesta San Justo, Buenos Aires, in sodelovala na številnih dogodkih, ki jih je Klub izvajal.

Pomagala je tudi na Slovenski osnovni šoli Franceta Balantiča in na Slovenski gimnaziji Marka Bajuka, kjer je utrdila svoje znanje slovenskega jezika. Profesionalna rast je ena njenih prioritet; meni, da bo sodelovanje v štipendiji zagotovilo njena orodja in znanje, da bo najboljša učiteljica, kar je lahko. Zelo je navdušena nad učenjem iz slovenskega izobraževalnega sistema in preživljanjem časa v domovini svojih starih staršev. Prihodnji december bo Natasha obiskovala vrtec dr. Franceta Prešerna v Ljubljani. Srečala se bo z ravnateljico Majo Kunaver in delala na podrobnostih štipendije, ki vključuje pridobivanje znanja o različnih učnih motnjah. Neverjetno je hvaležna za to izkušnjo štipendije!

Vombergar Ana

Ana Vombergar je študentka četrtega letnika dodiplomskega študija na Univerzi George Washington, kjer opravlja dvojni študij mednarodnih zadev in arabistike. Ana je v Maroku, Omanu in Jordaniji veliko časa razvijala svoj arabski jezik in medkulturne komunikacijske veščine ter si želi še naprej širiti svoje znanje o svetu s poletno štipendijo ASEF. Vsi štirje Anini stari starši so se rodili in odraščali v Sloveniji in nadvse hvaležna je za priložnost, da živi in ​​se uči v državi, ki je tako globoko zakoreninjena v njeni identiteti. Letos poleti bo na Filozofski fakulteti delala skupaj z dr. Mojco Ilc Klun in verjame, da bo ta izkušnja okrepila njeno ljubezen do mednarodnih zadev in omogočila bolj celovito razumevanje evropskih migracij. Poleg akademske in strokovne komponente štipendije se Ana veseli, da se poglobi v vsakodnevno slovensko življenje in vzpostavi močnejšo povezavo s svojo slovensko dediščino. Ob vikendih jo lahko zasledite, ko preživlja čas s prijatelji in družino, študira arabščino in uživa na prostem.

Fitzsimmons Matthew

Matthew Fitzsimmons je samostojni trobentač in pedagog iz območja Washington D.C. Matthew, ki je diplomiral iz glasbe na Katoliški univerzi v Ameriki, trenutno magistrira iz izvajanja trobente na Univerzi v Severnem Teksasu. Matthew je nastopil na državnem tekmovanju trobentačev ZDA, za člane kongresa Združenih držav Amerike in za papeža Frančiška z Washington Symphonic Brass. To jesen bo nadaljeval podiplomski študij pri članih Dallas Symphony na Southern Methodist University.

Zavezan k vračanju svoji skupnosti in dediščini z glasbo, je Matthew član KSKJ in SUA, dveh slovensko-ameriških organizacij. Ker je razvil zanimanje za ustvarjanje trajnostne prihodnosti za klasično glasbo, se je pripravil v Center za uprizoritvene umetnosti John F. Kennedy v Washingtonu. S svojimi izkušnjami trobentača, administratorja in pedagoga je navdušen nad gradnjo trajnostne in nagrajevalne prihodnosti za nastopajoče umetnike ter upa, da bo nekega dne navdihnil in služil svoji skupnosti v profesionalnem simfoničnem orkestru ali servisnem orkestru.

Gačnik Michaela

Michaela Gačnik je dodiplomska študentka na Boston College, kjer študira marketing na The Carroll School of Management in minoring v Studio Art. Michaela se je rodila in odraščala v Kaliforniji, očetova družina pa izvira iz Slovenije. Tako se veseli vrnitve v Ljubljano in nadaljnjega raziskovanja svojih kulturnih korenin. Michaela je ponosna na svojo dediščino in želi svoje znanje, strast in veščine uporabiti za delitev Slovenije z drugimi.

To poletje bo Michaela sodelovala z ASEF in TRUD Travel Agency. V ASEF bo Michaela ustvarjala marketinške vsebine za nadaljnjo promocijo organizacije in njenega edinstvenega druženja. Poleg tega bo sodelovala s promocijsko ekipo pri TRUD-u, da bi pomagala pri trženju njihovih slovenskih potovanj prihajajočim popotnikom. Na Bostonski kolidžu je Michaela stalna asistentka za skupnost 40 novopečenih stanovalcev in kapitanka bollywoodske fuzijske plesne ekipe. Michaela je navdušena tudi nad oljnim slikarstvom, oceanom in potovanji. Neverjetno je hvaležna za to izkušnjo druženja!

Hernán Di Marco Martín

Martín Hernán Di Marco je doktorski kandidat iz družbenih ved na univerzi Buenos Aires (UBA, Argentina). Diplomiral je iz sociologije na UBA, trenutno pa je profesor na Fakulteti za družbene vede, pravo in zdravstvo (UNLaM). Njegovi raziskovalni interesi vključujejo nasilje in nasilne smrti, javno zdravje, sociokulturno epidemiologijo, življenjske zgodbe in triangulacijo podatkov. Njegov doktorski projekt je osredotočen na analizo družbenih in institucionalnih poti moških, ki so zagrešili umore na obrobju glavnega mesta Buenos Airesa.

V okviru štipendijskega programa ASEF bo Martín obiskal dr. Tita Albrehta z Nacionalnega inštituta za javno zdravje (NIJZ). Med bivanjem bo spoznal javnozdravstveni sistem Slovenije, proučeval povezavo med različnimi oblikami nasilja in zdravjem v tej državi ter se hkrati naučil, kako se te oblike nasilja lotevajo v javnih politikah. V prostem času se veseli, da bo spoznal Slovenijo – deželo svoje babice –, poskusil čim več hrane in se naučil čim več receptov.

Lucesole Sinkec Alenka

Alenka je študentka tretjega letnika dodiplomskega študija Gradbeno-hidravličnega inženiringa na Narodni univerzi La Plata, Fakulteta za inženirstvo. Njena družina izvira iz Slovenije in zelo je hvaležna za priložnost, da se uči in sodeluje v tem čudovitem programu v deželi svojih starih staršev.

Med akademskim bivanjem v Sloveniji bo Alenka sodelovala s prof.dr.inž. Jožeta Korelca z Univerze v Ljubljani, Fakultete za gradbeništvo in geodetsko inženirstvo, o raziskovalni nalogi na področju gradbenih konstrukcij in fizike. Delala bo predvsem na področju stabilnosti jeklenih konstrukcij, numeričnega modeliranja in obnovljive energije v stavbah. Poleg študija inženirstva se Alenka ukvarja tudi s filmsko umetnostjo in opravlja več predavanj na Narodni univerzi za umetnost, Fakulteta za avdiovizualne umetnosti, v Buenos Airesu v Argentini.

Lucesole Sinkec Alenka

Alenka je študentka tretjega letnika dodiplomskega študija Gradbeno-hidravličnega inženiringa na Narodni univerzi La Plata, Fakulteta za inženirstvo. Njena družina izvira iz Slovenije in zelo je hvaležna za priložnost, da se uči in sodeluje v tem čudovitem programu v deželi svojih starih staršev.

Med akademskim bivanjem v Sloveniji bo Alenka sodelovala s prof.dr.inž. Jožeta Korelca z Univerze v Ljubljani, Fakultete za gradbeništvo in geodetsko inženirstvo, o raziskovalni nalogi na področju gradbenih konstrukcij in fizike. Delala bo predvsem na področju stabilnosti jeklenih konstrukcij, numeričnega modeliranja in obnovljive energije v stavbah. Poleg študija inženirstva se Alenka ukvarja tudi s filmsko umetnostjo in opravlja več predavanj na Narodni univerzi za umetnost, Fakulteta za avdiovizualne umetnosti, v Buenos Airesu v Argentini.

Peterlin Sebastian

Sebastian Peterlin bo sodeloval z Markom Grobelnikom v AiLabu Instituta Jožef Stefan. Sebastian je diplomiral na univerzi Stanford z diplomo. in M.S. diplomiral iz inženiringa - Atmosfera/energija leta 2012. Kasneje je dokončal celoten tečaj razvoja na App Academy in MBA na IE Business School (v Madridu, Španija).

Sebastiana zanimajo programiranje, AI, matematika in statistika. Pričakuje, da bo svoje znanje napredoval in potencialno doktoriral na IJS. Zaradi njenih naravnih lepot in preprostega načina življenja je navdušen nad obiskom Slovenije. Njegov oče je iz Slovenije in je Slovenijo obiskal velikokrat. Sebastianovi hobiji so veslanje, kitara in triatlon. Visok je tudi 2 metra!

Shepard Maria

Maria Shepard je študentka drugega letnika dodiplomskega študija na državni univerzi Ohio, kjer je specializirana za farmacevtske vede. Marijini poklicni interesi se osredotočajo na zdravstvo in farmacijo, saj si želi po dodiplomskem študiju obiskovati medicinsko ali podiplomsko šolo. Letos poleti bo pri Viti Godec na praksi v Lenis Farmacevtiki v Ljubljani v okviru programa AmCham European Experience in The Green Heart of Europe. To podjetje je specializirano za pridobivanje nelicenciranih farmacevtskih izdelkov, Maria pa želi spoznati edinstveno perspektivo farmacevtske industrije. Maria je Slovenka in je zelo hvaležna za to priložnost, da se poveže s svojo dediščino.

Urbancic Cecilia

Cecilia Urbancic je grafična oblikovalka na UADE, Argentina University of Company, v Buenos Airesu. Sodelovala je pri izdaji e-knjige in preučevala različne možnosti, ki jih oblikovanje lahko ponudi vizualni komunikaciji. Delala je tudi v argentinskem časopisu LA NACION in spoznavala uredniško komunikacijo. Danes razvija grafiko za dogodke in vsebino za spletna mesta. Cecilia bo to poletje preživela v Zemanti, podjetju za internetni marketing, da bi pridobila izkušnje in se osredotočila na svoj poklicni razvoj. Zanima jo doživljanje vizualnih jezikov in razumevanje, kako se njihova funkcionalnost spreminja in je odvisna od družbenega okolja, s katerim je obkrožena.

Prav tako bi rada poudarila vpliv vizualnega komunikatorja. Z ustvarjanjem ustvarjalnih dejanj z vizualno komunikacijo se lahko družba preoblikuje. Komunikatorji najdejo edinstvene priložnosti za ustvarjanje ustvarjalnih dejanj, ki lahko spremenijo družbo in ljudem omogočijo, da vidijo svet z drugačne perspektive.

Viano Lacey

Lacey Viano bo obiskovala Univerzo v Ljubljani, kjer bo študirala živilstvo in prehrano pri dr. Tanji Pajk. Njen dodiplomski študij na univerzi Eastern Illinois je obsegal dietetiko, znanost o hrani, medicinsko prehransko terapijo in številne projekte skupne prehrane. Medtem ko je v Sloveniji, si Lacey prizadeva, da bi v izobraževanju rasla kot posameznik, izkusila kulturo Slovenije in iz prve roke spoznala vse neverjetne vidike države. Najbolj je navdušena, da se ponovno poveže s svojo oddaljeno družino in prek njih spozna svoje stare starše. Vse življenje je sanjala o obisku dežele, v kateri so živeli njeni predniki, zdaj pa so ji te sanje postale neverjetno resnične. V prostem času rada peče in kuha prijateljem po receptih, ki se jih je naučila od svoje slovenske babice. Ko je ni doma v kuhinji, je zunaj na pohodih, plavanju ali čolnarstvu. Lacey verjame, da je nadvse blagoslovljena, da je dobila to priložnost in je zelo navdušena nad obiskom Slovenije!

Aljoša Škorjanc

Aljoša Škorjanc je študent šestega letnika splošne medicine na Univerzi v Ljubljani, Medicinski fakulteti, in se zanima za specializacijo iz nevrokirurgije. Kot ASEF Junior Fellow je bil izbran za raziskovalni obisk pri prof. dr. Richardu Aplencu na Univerzi v Pensilvaniji, kjer si želi poglobiti razumevanje zdravljenja s celicami CAR-T, prispevati k tekočim raziskovalnim projektom in spoznati raziskovalno kulturo v ZDA. V prihodnje želi pridobljeno znanje s področja imunoterapije uporabiti pri raziskovanju zdravljenja primarnih možganskih tumorjev, zlasti glioblastoma. Njegovo dosedanje delo obsega temeljne in klinične raziskave. Deloval je kot vodilni razvijalec orodja GOReverseLookup, bioinformatičnega orodja za odkrivanje povezav med fenotipi in geni. Delo je bilo objavljeno v reviji Computers in Biology and Medicine, za kar je prejel priznanje dr. Uroša Seljaka in Prešernovo nagrado Univerze v Ljubljani.

Na področju kliničnega raziskovanja na Oddelku za nevrokirurgijo UKC Ljubljana vodi primerjalne raziskave izidov zdravljenja spinalnih duralnih arteriovenskih fistul. Vodi tudi statistično analizo pri raziskavah anevrizmalne subarahnoidne krvavitve s poudarkom na poznem možganskem infarktu, za katerega je razvil nov točkovni napovedni model za izboljšanje zgodnje ocene tveganja. Izsledki njegovega raziskovalnega dela so bili predstavljeni na dveh vodilnih svetovnih nevrokirurških kongresih, in sicer na kongresu European Association of Neurosurgical Societies 2025 na Dunaju ter na 19th World Congress of Neurosurgery – World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies 2025 v Dubaju.

Poleg izobraževanja in akademskega udejstvovanja je aktiven na področju kirurškega izobraževanja. Več let je sodeloval pri projektu Kirurško šivanje, eno leto je projekt vodil ter organiziral praktične delavnice in mednarodne kongrese za več kot 900 slovenskih in tujih študentov medicine. Razvil je večplastne silikonske šivalne podloge, ki so po mehanskih parametrih podobne različnim plastem človeškega tkiva in omogočajo učenje naprednejših tehnik kirurškega šivanja. V preteklosti je bil aktiven v tekmovalnih športih, danes pa se v prostem času posveča rekreativni vadbi, odbojki in alpskemu smučanju, obenem pa se ukvarja tudi s programiranjem.

Eva Ivić

Eva Ivić zaključuje enovit magistrski študij farmacije na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Svojo akademsko pot je obogatila na Univerzi v Milanu, kjer je svoje znanje razširila predvsem na področjih klinične farmacije in farmakogenomike. Posebno mesto v njenem delovanju zavzema komunikacija znanosti. Zadnji dve leti kot vodja projekta podcast Serotonin pri Društvu študentov farmacije Slovenije ustvarja prostor za pomembne zdravstvene diskurze. V dialogu z znanstveniki in strokovnjaki obravnava aktualne teme – od zgodovinskega razvoja kontracepcije in pomena reproduktivnih pravic do demistifikacije zdravila Ozempic in sodobnih pristopov k zdravljenju kroničnih nenalezljivih bolezni.

Kot ASEF štipendistka se bo pridružila raziskovalni skupini prof. dr. Josipa Carja na King’s College London. Pod mentorstvom vodilnega strokovnjaka za digitalno zdravje bo raziskovala presečišče farmacije, umetne inteligence in etike. Njen cilj je povezati svoje farmacevtsko predznanje z vpogledom v digitalno preobrazbo zdravstvenih sistemov ter to znanje prenesti v Slovenijo za razvoj učinkovitejšega in dostopnejšega zdravstva.

Gal Zmazek

Gal je študent magistrskega študija Računalništva in Matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani ter diplomant splošne matematike. Njegovi raziskovalni interesi so predvsem matematični temelji strojnega učenja in grafovske nevronske mreže. Trenutno je raziskovalec na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan in je nabiral izkušnje na raziskovalnem obisku na Universitat Pompeu Fabra, praks v tehnoloških podjetjih in sodelovanja na različnih interdisciplinarnih projektih.

V okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo obiskal univerzo Stanford, kjer bo raziskoval pri prof. dr. Juretu Leskovcu. Veseli sa vključevanja v edinstveno raziskovalno okolje Stanforda in novih izzivov na področju strojnega učenja in umetne inteligence.

Helena Godina

Helena Godina je študentka petega letnika medicine na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, ki si je med študijem pridobila obsežne mednarodne klinične in raziskovalne izkušnje, medicino pa študirala v kar štirih jezikih: slovenščini, nemščini, hrvaščini in angleščini.

Njena akademska pot vključuje izmenjave Erasmus+ v Freiburgu in Splitu, klinične prakse v Madridu ter na prestižni univerzi Stanford v Kaliforniji. Kot aktivna raziskovalka na Onkološkem inštitutu Ljubljana se posveča preučevanju raka dojk, svoje raziskovalne obzorje pa je širila tudi na izmenjavi v Mehiki. Svoje znanje bo zdaj nadgradila v okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellowship na Univerzi v Utahu, kjer bo pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Dravida Križaja poglabljala veščine na področju oftalmologije.

Ivana Vukšinić

Ivana Vukšinić je študentka magistrskega programa biokemije na univerzi ETH Zürich v Švici. Njena raziskovalna zanimanja obsegajo področja celične biologije, imunologije in molekularnih mehanizmov bolezni, z dolgoročnim ciljem prispevati k razvoju novih terapevtskih pristopov. Dodiplomski študij biokemije je zaključila na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer je v okviru diplomske naloge na Institutu Jožef Stefan raziskovala nenormalno agregacijo proteinov pri nevrodegenerativnih boleznih. V času magistrskega študija je sodelovala v več raziskovalnih skupinah na Institutu za farmacevtske znanosti univerze ETH Zürich. Ukvarjala se je z odkrivanjem celičnih receptorjev, ki prispevajo k okužbi z virusom influence tipa A, in prispevala k razvoju encimov, namenjenih izboljšanju permeabilnosti in biorazpoložljivosti oralnih peptidnih zdravil. Poleg akademskega dela je pridobila dragocene izkušnje tudi v farmacevtski industriji, na področju razvoja in genetske karakterizacije celičnih linij, ki se uporabljajo pri proizvodnji bioloških zdravil.

V okviru štipendijskega programa ASEF Raziskovanje v tujini bo obiskala skupino prof. Jerneja Uleta na univerzi King’s College London, kjer bo poglobila svoje znanje o vlogi RNA omrežij pri uravnavanju proteinske homeostaze v kontekstu nevrodegeneracije. V prostem času rada potuje, hodi v hribe in se ukvarja s športi, kot so kolesarjenje, plavanje in badminton.

Jakob Bratkovič

Jakob Bratkovič je raziskovalni sodelavec na Institutu "Jožef Stefan", kjer deluje na področju optične koherentne tomografske angiografije (OCT-A). Njegove raziskovalne dejavnosti so usmerjene v eksperimentalne vidike slikanja z OCT-A, s čimer prispeva k tekočim interdisciplinarnim projektom na področju biomedicinske optike.

Hkrati je študent drugega letnika magistrskega študija medicinske fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Na isti fakulteti je pred tem zaključil dodiplomski študij fizike, kjer je pridobil trdne temelje iz teoretične in uporabne fizike; njegov dodiplomski seminar se je osredotočal na Fokker-Planckovo enačbo. Njegova akademska zanimanja se prepletajo na presečišču fizike, medicinskega slikanja in kvantitativne analize.

Poleg akademskih dosežkov ima Jakob bogate izkušnje s tekmovalnim šahom. Slovenijo je zastopal na več mednarodnih mladinskih olimpijadah in svetovnih prvenstvih. Osvojil je več naslovov državnega mladinskega prvaka in dosegel tretje mesto na evropskem šolskem prvenstvu. V prostem času ostaja aktiven z igranjem nogometa za lokalno ekipo, odbojko na mivki in pohodništvom.

Jakob Fir

Jakob Fir je študent prvega letnika magistrskega študija matematike in računalništva na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer je predhodno zaključil tudi dodiplomski študij. V diplomskem delu se je ukvarjal z rekonstrukcijo višine morske gladine z uporabo metod globokega učenja za potrebe oceanografskih napovedi, njegovi raziskovalni interesi pa so usmerjeni predvsem v globoko učenje ter podatkovno vodeno modeliranje kompleksnih sistemov.

Poleg študija je Jakob pridobil industrijske izkušnje na področju tehnologij za transkripcijo govora in razvoja decentraliziranih sistemov, kjer se je ukvarjal z aplikativnim strojnim učenjem ter sistemskimi izzivi. Ob tem je sodeloval na mednarodnih tekmovanjih s področja kibernetske varnosti in na hekatonih na več celinah.

V prostem času se ukvarja z različnimi športi na prostem, med drugim z gorskim kolesarstvom, plezanjem in smučanjem. V okviru štipendije ASEF Junior Fellowship bo raziskovalno deloval pri profesorici Dawn Song na Univerzi Kalifornije v Berkeleyju, kjer se bo posvečal raziskavam na področju varnosti umetne inteligence.

Lana Prijon

Lana je študentka prvega letnika magistrskega študija matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Že od nekdaj si rada zapleta misli v reševanje matematičnih problemov, v gimnazijskih letih pa se je potem tudi udeležila številnih mednarodnih tekmovanj. Svoje prve raziskovalne izkušnje je pridobila na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, kjer je delala na projektih s področja strojnega učenja. Svojo pot zdaj nadaljuje kot štipendistka ASEF Junior Fellow, svoj raziskovalni obisk pa opravila pri prof. Mateji Šajna na Univerzi v Ottawi. Tam se bo posvetila raziskovanju mehkih kognitivnih zemljevidov.

Svoj prosti čas preživlja v naravi. Najdete jo lahko med plezanjem ali pa na sproščenih sprehodih po gozdu, kjer jo najbolj navdušuje lepota mahov in lišajev. Rada se tudi druži s prijatelji, poseže po dobri knjigi ali pa se loti kakšnega ustvarjalnega projekta z volno.

Maja Kalin

Maja Kalin je študentka dodiplomskega študija prava na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani ter prejemnica Priznanja Univerze v Ljubljani za dosežke na področju obštudijskih dejavnosti. Njene izkušnje vključujejo prakso na Ministrstvu za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS, pripravništvo v večji odvetniški pisarni ter študijski obisk v kabinetu sodnika Jana Passerja na Sodišču Evropske unije, ob hkratnem sodelovanju v raziskovalnih skupinah in strokovnih telesih s področja prava in visokega šolstva. Na področju moot court tekmovanj je dosegla vidne uspehe, med drugim tretje mesto in nagrado za najboljšo govorko na Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition 2024 ter skupno prvo mesto in nagrado za najboljšo govorko na Central and Eastern European Moot Court Competition 2025. Je avtorica dveh člankov, objavljenih v revijah Javna uprava in Pravna praksa, ter dolgoletna aktivna članica študentskega predstavništva kot predsednica Študentskega sveta PFUL, članica Senata PFUL in delegatka pri European Students’ Union.

Njeni raziskovalni interesi zajemajo evropsko pravo človekovih pravic ter pravo Evropske unije, zlasti vladavino prava, temeljne pravice, evropsko ustavno in procesno pravo ter evropsko konkurenčno pravo ter pravo državnih pomoči. Njeno delo zaznamujejo prostovoljstvo, mentorsko delo s študenti ter aktivno povezovanje prava s širšimi družbenimi vprašanji.

V okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Verice Trstenjak raziskovala sodno prakso Sodišča EU v zvezi z aktualnimi razvojnimi trendi prava EU na Luxembourg Centre for European Law Univerze v Luxemburgu. Njeno raziskovalno delo povezuje prepoznavanje praktičnih pravnih problemov, institucionalno prakso in družbeno odgovornost.

Maks Koncilja

Maks Koncilja je magistrski študent na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer vzporedno študira fiziko in finančno matematiko. Njegova raziskovalna zanimanja vključujejo fiziko kondenzirane snovi, slučajne procese ter strojno učenje. Med študijem je izkušnje pridobival kot demonstrator pri predmetu Računalniški praktikum ter z raziskovalnim delom na Institutu Jožef Stefan, kjer se je v okviru projekta, financiranega s strani Evropske vesoljske agencije (ESA), ukvarjal z detekcijo anomalij s pomočjo strojnega učenja. Opravil je poletna raziskovalna obiska na teoretičnih oddelkih za fiziko univerze CY Paris, kjer se je seznanil z osnovami statistične fizike in Monte Carlo metodami, ter na Tehniški univerzi v Dresdnu, kjer se je ukvarjal z dinamičnimi sistemi.

Kot ASEF Junior Fellow bo na Univerzi v Berkeleyju sodeloval z raziskovalno skupino prof. Uroša Seljaka pri raziskavah s področja slučajnih procesov ter vzpostavljal raziskovalno sodelovanje z laboratorijem za kozmologijo. V prostem času obiskuje gledališče, se ukvarja s športom in planinarjenjem.

Mark David Longar

Mark David Longar je študent magistrskega študija strojnega učenja na University College London ter raziskovalec strojnega učenja, ki se osredotoča na sklepanje in generalizacijo v umetni inteligenci z grafovskimi in relacijskimi metodami. Diplomiral je iz matematike in računalništva na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer je pod mentorstvom izr. prof. dr. Lovra Šublja pripravil dodiplomsko nalogo o grafovskem globokem učenju in širjenju informacij v relacijskih grafih.

Kot raziskovalni inženir pri OECD.AI je vodil projekt AI Incidents Monitor ter razvijal orodja za analizo politik na področju umetne inteligence. Na Institutu Jožef Stefan je raziskoval sklepanje z velikimi jezikovnimi modeli ter konsistentne svetovne modele, izpeljane iz besedila.

Matej Jelenc

Matej je študent 3. letnika matematike in računalništva na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko, na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Njegovo zanimanje za računalništvo se je začelo v srednji šoli, kjer se je v okviru programa mednarodne mature ukvarjal z razvojem videoiger, kar pa se je kasneje razvilo v raziskovanje umetne inteligence. Njegovi interesi ležijo na presečišču multimodalnega učenja, bioinformatike in razložljive umetne inteligence, s poudarkom na razvoju zanesljivih in razložljivih sistemov za uporabo v medicini. Trenutno deluje na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, kjer se ukvarja z integracijo raznolikih biomedicinskih podatkov, kot so medicinske slike in klinični podatki, za podporo pri diagnozi in napovedovanju uspešnosti zdravljenja.

Je soavtor konferenčnih prispevkov s področja medicinskega strojnega učenja in prejemnik nagrade Zlati Ris v okviru Tekmovanja o razvoju novih analitskih metod v medicini. V okviru štipendije ASEF Junior Fellowship bo obiskal profesorico Matejo Jamnik na Univerzi v Cambridgeu, kjer želi poglobiti svoje znanje na področju multimodalne in razložljive umetne inteligence ter raziskovati načelne pristope k razvoju zaupanja vrednih sistemov strojnega učenja.

Matija Kiker

Matija je študent petega letnika medicine na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Njegovo zanimanje je usmerjeno predvsem v žilno in srčno-žilno kirurgijo, zato bo v okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellowship gostoval pri prof. Luki Počivavšku na Univerzi v Chicagu. Poleg študija se aktivno vključuje v raziskovalno delo in sodeluje pri različnih raziskovalnih projektih, med drugim pri projektu Funkcionalna opredelitev genetskih različic neznanega kliničnega pomena (2025), ter je prejemnik Prešernovega priznanja Medicinske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani (2024). Praktične izkušnje pridobiva v Kirurškem sanatoriju Rožna dolina, med letoma 2024 in 2026 pa je delal tudi v podjetju MESI na področju kliničnih raziskav. Od leta 2025 je glavni urednik revije Medicinski razgledi. V prostem času se ukvarja z letalstvom in tekom.

Oliver Majer

Oliver Majer zaključuje dodiplomski študij računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani ter deluje kot mladi raziskovalec na področju umetne inteligence na inštitutu Jožef Stefan. Njegova glavna raziskovalna zanimanja vključujejo računalniške biologijo in grafovskih nevronskih mrež. Raziskovalne izkušnje je pridobil na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, Kemijskem Inštitutu ter v industriji, kjer je delal kot programski inženir.

Kot ASEF štipendist bo obiskal prof. Julijo Zavadlav na Tehniški univerzi v Münchnu, kjer si želi prispevati k raziskavam večnivojskega modeliranja fluidnih materialov. V prostem času Oliver rad zbistri misli z gorskim tekom, prebira klasike in uživa v dolgih filozofskih diskusijah.

Sebastian Korenič Tratnik

Sebastian Korenič Tratnik (1993, Novo mesto) je raziskovalec na področju informatike in računalništva z interdisciplinarnim ozadjem v filozofiji, umetnostni zgodovini, avdiovizualnih medijih in informacijskih tehnologijah. Ima diplomo iz filozofije in umetnostne zgodovine s Filozofske fakultete ter magisterija iz filmske režije z Akademije za gledališče, radio, film in televizijo in iz novih medijev z Akademije za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje, vse na Univerzi v Ljubljani.

Trenutno je doktorski študent na Mednarodni podiplomski šoli Inštituta Jožef Stefan v modulu Informacijske tehnologije, kjer deluje na področju umetne inteligence in podob. Za svoje dosežke na tem področju je prejel strokovne nagrade, tako za teoretične kot praktične prispevke.

Tom Kitak

Tom Kitak opravlja magistrski študij računalniške biologije in bioinformatike na ETH Zürich v Švici ter je hkrati zaposlen kot raziskovalni asistent v Skupini za statistično bioinformatiko na Univerzi v Zürichu. Diplomiral je iz računalništva in inženirstva na Tehniški univerzi v Delftu na Nizozemskem, kjer je v sodelovanju z Univerzitetnim medicinskim centrom Erasmus v Rotterdamu opravil diplomsko nalogo s področja metod strojnega učenja za analizo bioloških podatkov. Preden se je osredotočil na raziskave na področju računalniške biologije, je delal kot razvijalec analitike kibernetskih tveganj v podjetju za kibernetsko varnost v Haagu, nato pa kot član ekipe za analitiko portfeljev v zasebni banki v Zürichu.

Njegov glavni raziskovalni interes je razvoj metod umetne inteligence za poglobljeno razumevanje bioloških sistemov. Kot štipendist ASEF bo opravljal raziskovalno delo v laboratoriju prof. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford.

Urban Železnik

Urban Železnik je doktorski študent fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Trenutno je v tretjem letniku doktorskega študija, kjer njegovo raziskovalno delo povezuje teoretično fiziko in biologijo. Njegove raziskave so na področju mehanike celičnih agregatov, s posebnim poudarkom na tumorskih sferoidih kot fizikalnih modelih tumorjev in raka, v širšem okviru teoretične biofizike. Magistriral je iz fizike na Univerzi v Ljubljani leta 2023, z magistrsko nalogo iz teoretične biofizike, pred tem pa je leta 2021 na isti ustanovi zaključil dodiplomski študij fizike. Njegovo magistrsko delo je obravnavalo nelokalne modele strukture epitelijskega tkiva, kar odraža njegov dolgotrajni interes za fizikalna načela, ki urejajo biološke sisteme.

Od leta 2023 je zaposlen kot mladi raziskovalec na Institutu Jožef Stefan, kjer se ukvarja z raziskovanjem mehanike in strukture rastočih celičnih agregatov. Od leta 2024 deluje tudi kot asistent pri poučevanju fizike na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer izvaja pedagoško delo s študenti študijskega programa Živilstvo in prehrana. V okviru raziskovalnega obiska bo sodeloval s prof. dr. Andrejem Košmrljem na Univerzi Princeton, kjer bosta razvila in implementirala hibridni model, ki povezuje ogliščne modele tkiv z metodo končnih elementov za opis mehanskega odziva okoliškega substrata.

Urša Zevnik

Urša Zevnik je študentka magistrskega programa Molecular Life Science na Karolinskem inštitutu, KTH, in Stockholmski univerzi. V svojem trenutnem raziskovalnem projektu preučuje, kako bi lahko izboljšali strojno učenje za dizajn proteinov. Njena dolgoročna vizija je uporaba strojnega učenja v medicini, čemur bo posvetila svoj doktorski študij DPhil in Medical Sciences na Univerzi v Oxfordu. Pred tem bo v sklopu ASEF programa obiskala prof. Andreja Šalija na Univerzi Kalifornije, San Francisco, ker bo nadgradila svoje razumevanje strukture proteinov in njihovih interakcij.

Žiga Koren

Žiga je zaključil dodiplomski študij Biokemije na Fakulteti za Kemijo in Kemijsko Tehnologijo, med katerim je dobil navdih, da se nauči več o delu s kompleksnimi, visokorazsežnimi podatki. Zaradi tega je za magisterij izbral program Uporabne statistike na Fakulteti za Elektrotehniko, kjer trenutno piše magistrsko nalogo. Njegovi glavni raziskovalni interesi vključujejo strukturno biologijo, proteinski inženiring in delo z multiomskimi podatki. Praktične izkušnje je pridobil pod okriljem dr. Sana Hadžija, pri katerem je raziskoval vpliv proteinskih oznak na fazno separacijo tekoče-tekoče. Kasneje se je pridružil NMR centru na Kemijskem Inštitutu, kjer je nadaljeval s raziskovanjem fazne separacije, tokrat osredotočen na vzpostavitev sistemov RNA kondenzatov.

Kot štipendist programa ASEF Research Abroad bo okrepil svoje znanje s prof. Boštjanom Kobetom na Univerzi v Queenslandu v mestu Brisbane v Avstraliji. Tam namerava združiti svoje izkušnje v strukturni biologiji s teoretičnim znanjem napovednega modeliranja. V svojem prostem času je zavzet član debatnega društva Univerze v Ljubljani, s katerim se letno udeležuje več mednarodnih tekmovanj. Zraven debate uživa v igranju klavirja, branju, učenju jezikov, potovanju in predvsem v dolgih sprehodih s svojo psičko.

Duška Stopar

Duška Stopar trenutno opravlja doktorski študij v Sloveniji, kjer se osredotoča na napredne koncepte v dentalni medicini. Magistrski študij je uspešno zaključila na Univerzi v Sieni v Italiji. Kot štipendistka ASEF Junior Fellow je predana prispevanju k skupnosti, ki ceni integriteto in mednarodno raziskovalno sodelovanje. Že v času dodiplomskega študija se je udeležila izmenjave Erasmus v Münchnu. Ta izkušnja je, skupaj z udeležbo na mednarodnih konferencah, utrdila njen pogled na raziskovanje kot resnično globalno družbo z izjemnim potencialom za čezmejno sodelovanje. Trdno verjame, da bi morala močna raziskovalna skupnost izkoristiti edinstvene prednosti različnih svetovnih okolij za spodbujanje inovacij in rasti.

Duška učinkovito združuje klinično prakso s pedagoškim in prostovoljnim delom. Vzporedno z doktorskim študijem deluje kot asistentka, kjer dodiplomske študente vodi skozi temeljne klinične koncepte in ključne veščine. V okviru svojega prostovoljnega dela na Katedri za zobne bolezni in endodontijo tesno sodeluje s študenti vseh treh kliničnih letnikov. Ta izkušnja je bila ključna za razvoj njene poklicne identitete, saj jo je naučila pomembnosti ponižnosti, vztrajnosti in empatije.

V okviru svoje štipendije ASEF bo Duška opravljala raziskovalni obisk pod mentorstvom izredne profesorice periodontologije Janine Golob Deeb na Virginia Commonwealth University. Veseli se sodelovanja z raziskovalnimi kolegi in mentorji, njen cilj pa je prenesti vrhunsko strokovno znanje nazaj v slovenski akademski prostor ter hkrati krepiti globalno mrežo ASEF.

Gal Gantar

Gal Gantar je študent tretjega letnika interdisciplinarnega študija računalništva in matematike na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Ljubljani. Njegovi akademski interesi ležijo na stičišču strojnega učenja in kriptografije, s posebnim poudarkom na grafovskih nevronskih mrežah, varnosti decentraliziranih protokolov in dokazih brez razkritja. Raziskovalno se ukvarja z varnostjo nizkonivojskih pametnih pogodb, polinomskimi zavezami ter grafovskimi nevronskimi mrežami. Poleg akademskega dela ima Gal obsežne izkušnje iz industrije. Osvojil je tudi več prvih mest na globalnih tekmovanjih, med drugim na ETHGlobal Bangkok, ETHGlobal Istanbul, ETHGlobal London in LambdaHack Brussels. V okviru štipendijskega programa ASEF bo Gal obiskal profesorico Dawn Song na univerzi UC Berkeley, kjer namerava poglobiti svoje znanje s področja varnosti umetne inteligence in decentraliziranih tehnologij.

Hana Podjed

Hana Podjed je diplomirala iz slovenskega jezika in književnosti ter medjezikovnih študij na Univerzi v Mariboru, trenutno pa zaključuje magistrski študij na Oddelku za slavistiko Univerze v Ljubljani. Ob začetkih študijske poti jo je še posebej zanimala književnost, ki jo je spodbudila k nadaljnjemu študiju jezikov in raziskovanju širših kulturnih, družbenih in jezikovnih pojavov. Svoje znanje je v času študija v okviru različnih izmenjav in seminarjev izpopolnjevala tudi v tujini – med dodiplomskim študijem se je tako udeležila izmenjav na Dunaju in na Karlovi univerzi v Pragi, v času magistrskega študija pa tudi številnih mednarodnih jezikovnih seminarjev na Ohridu v Severni Makedoniji in v Beogradu v Srbiji. V Skopju se je v začetku študijskega leta 2024/25 udeležila raziskovalnega obiska na temo zgodovinskih literarnih ter medjezikovnih stikov. Opravila je tudi prakso pri Generalnem direktoratu za prevajanje Evropske komisije v Luksemburgu, kar je še dodatno poglobilo njeno zanimanje za medkulturne jezikovne stike, predvsem pa tudi sodobna vprašanja evropske integracije in zgodovinske dejavnike, ki vplivajo na aktualne jezikovne politike. Svoj raziskovalni obisk bo pod mentorstvom profesorja Petra Verovška opravila na Univerzi v Groningenu na Nizozemskem.

Luka Jože Pušlar

Luka Jože Pušlar je študent fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Trenutno je v absolventskem letu, ki ga namenja poglabljanju raziskovalnega znanja. V tem času se posveča več projektom na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan (IJS), kjer raziskuje uporabo modelov strojnega učenja v eksperimentalni fiziki delcev ter integracijo računalniškega vida in analize podatkov v ekotoksikoloških eksperimentih.

Kot študentski raziskovalec na IJS se ukvarja z matematičnim modeliranjem in interdisciplinarnimi projekti, pri čemer združuje svojo strast do reševanja fizikalnih problemov s tehnikami strojnega učenja. 

Poleg akademskih dejavnosti Luka rad igra nogomet, trenira judo in teče, prav tako pa ga veseli branje. V okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo opravil raziskovalni obisk na Univerzi v Cincinnatiju pod mentorstvom prof. Jureta Zupana, kjer se bo posvetil nevronskim mrežam in njihovi uporabi v fiziki delcev.

Mark Žnidar

Mark zaključuje dodiplomski študij računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani, hkrati pa vzporedno študira finance na Univerzi v Londonu (vodilni kolidž: London School of Economics). V preteklosti je profesionalno igral košarko v najvišji slovenski ligi in na mednarodnih tekmovanjih, vendar se je na koncu odločil za akademsko pot. Poleg študija in raziskovalnega dela je aktiven tudi v vodstvenih vlogah, kar odraža njegovo zavezanost k razvijanju veščin, ki mu bodo pomagale prenesti akademsko znanje v prakso. Rad se udeležuje hackathonov in je med drugim prejel nagrado Inženirska iskra.

Raziskovalne izkušnje je pridobil na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, Nacionalni tajvanski univerzi in kot podatkovni znanstvenik v industriji. Njegova glavna raziskovalna področja vključujejo priporočilne sisteme, geometrijsko globoko učenje in računsko biologijo.

V okviru ASEF programa bo obiskal prof. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford in prispeval k raziskovanju grafovskih nevronskih mrež (GNN), zlasti na področju odkrivanja zdravil. Veseli se tudi priložnosti, da bo izkusil edinstveno okolje, kjer se prepletata vrhunska akademska odličnost in podjetniški duh.

Marko Fišer

Sem Marko Fišer in trenutno sem študent drugega letnika magisterija iz smeri geografije in zgodovine na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru. Prvo (dodiplomsko) stopnjo sem končal na isti ustanovi. Trenutno zraven fakultete še opravljam delo člana upravnega odbora in blagajnika v Društvu študentov geografije Maribor in občasno pomagam mlajšim študentom pri delu z Geografskimi informacijskimi sistemi (GIS). Skozi celoten učni proces sem se navduševal nad geografijo in zgodovino, sodeloval na raznih kulturnih dogodkih in tekmovanjih, na fakulteti pa sem se še posebej začel navduševati nad geografskimi informacijskimi sistemi. V prostem času je moja strast nogomet, smučanje, branje fantazijskih knjig in kuhanje ter druženje s prijatelji.

V svoji magistrski nalogi se bom ukvarjal z problematiko socialne segregacije mest Maribor (SLO) in Ames (ZDA) v povezavi z vse pogostejšo toplotno obremenitvijo urbanih struktur zaradi posledic podnebnih sprememb. S pomočjo prostorske analitike in podnebnih podatkov bomo lahko pripravili bodoče scenarije toplotne obremenitve in ocenili stopnjo ogroženosti posameznih socialnih skupin. Rezultate bomo v zaključni fazi izkoristili za pripravo izobraževalne igre o zagotavljanju trajnostnega prostorskega načrtovanja in osveščanju problema podnebnih sprememb. Raziskovalni obisk v tujini mi bo prinesel veliko k oblikovanju končne magistrske naloge, prav tako pa si želim širiti svoja obzorja.

Martin Jazbec

Sem magistrski študent kemijskega inženirstva na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Skozi svojo akademsko pot sem razvil zanimanja za raziskovanje različnih znanstvenih področij.  

V svoji diplomski nalogi sem primerjal različne vrste hidrogelov, ki se uporabljajo za rast in diferenciacijo matičnih celic. Med magistrskim študijem se je moje zanimanje usmerilo predvsem v področje znanosti o materialih. Lani sem svojo akademsko pot obogatil z Erasmus+ izmenjavo na tehniški univerzi Instituto Superior Técnico v Lizboni, kjer sem bil del mednarodne raziskovalne skupine, ki je preučevala fotonske kristale. V tem študijskem letu nameravam nadaljevati svojo raziskovalno dejavnost na IST z namenom, da tam opravim magistrsko nalogo.  

Že od otroštva sem navdušen nad letalstvom in vesoljem, zato sem navdušen nad priložnostjo, da se lahko v to področje poglobim v sklopu ASEF raziskovalnega obiska pri profesorici dr. Kaji Antlej. Veselim se dela na projektih povezanih z letalsko in vesoljsko industrijo, novih poznanstev s strokovnjaki, ki delujejo na tem področju ter pridobivanja neprecenljivih izkušenj.   

Šport že od nekdaj predstavlja pomembno vlogo v mojem življenju. Po zaključku moje hokejske kariere najbolj uživam v smučanju, kolesarjenju, teku in surfanju. Poleg tega zelo rad potujem, fotografiram, kuham in se družim s prijatelji. 

Zelo sem počaščen, da sem lahko del ASEF junior fellowship programa, ob tem pa se že veselim vseh priložnosti in izkušenj, ki jih bom pridobil v času ASEF-ovega štipendijskega programa. 

Maša Karčovnik

Maša je študentka prvega letnika magistrskega študija biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Diplomirala je iz kemije in se navdušila nad biokemijo. Fascinira jo, da je naše telo sestavljeno iz 2 * 10^25 molekul, ki se morajo pravilno povezati, da lahko delujemo kot celota. Rada bi bolje razumela procese v nas. Med študijem si je praktične izkušnje nabirala na Institutu Jožef Stefan na Odseku za biokemijo ter molekularno in strukturno biologijo. Proučevala je vpliv točkovne mutacije Y283C v človeškem katepsinu K. Ta mutacija je ena izmed tistih, ki vodijo v nastanek bolezni piknodizostoza. Maša je svoje znanje nadgradila tudi z 10 tedensko poletno prakso v Švici v sklopu NCCR Bio-Inspired Materials Science Foundation. Delala je na Inštitutu Adolphe Merkle v skupini za biofiziko. Bila je del projekta, katerega cilj je bil uporaba prehodne vezave fluorescenčnih molekulskih rotorjev na amiloide z namenom razlikovanja in detekcije agregatov, ki so odgovorni za Alzheimerjevo bolezen, Parkinsonovo bolezen itd. Letos bo raziskovala pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Boštjana Kobeta na Univerzi v Queenslandu v Avstraliji. V prostem času rada odkriva nove kraje, spoznava njihovo zgodovino in kulturo. Uživa tudi v naravi, pohodništvu, plezanju ter plesu.

Nikiša Plešec

Nikiša Plešec je doktorska študentka teoretične fizike delcev na Univerzi v Ljubljani in mlada raziskovalka na Institutu Jožef Stefan. Zanima jo odkrivanje temeljnih zakonitosti vesolja, s poudarkom na fiziko okusov. 

V magistrski nalogi je raziskovala razpad lažnega vakuuma, kjer je preučevala fazne prehode skalarnih polj. Tekom študija je sodelovala tudi pri analizi podatkov eksperimenta Belle II. Svoje znanje rada deli z javnostjo, med drugim na dogodkih, kot je bila 10. obletnica odkritja Higgsovega bozona v Ljubljani. 

Kot ASEF Junior Fellow bo obiskala prof. Jureta Zupana na Univerzi v Cincinnatiju, kjer bo poglobila svoje znanje o fiziki okusov, izpopolnila veščine efektivne teorije polja ter se povezala z raziskovalno skupino tamkajšnje univerze. 

Poleg fizike se ukvarja s kvačkanjem, šivanjem in treniranjem svojega psa, kjer uporablja enako potrpežljivost in ustvarjalnost, kot ju ceni pri raziskovanju.

Polona Zabret

Polona trenutno zaključuje magistrski študij iz antropologije na Univerzi v Kopenhagnu. V sklopu svoje magistrske naloge in preko vključenosti v projekt UPCHAIN se osredotoča na razumevanje vrednostne verige oglja v severni Ugandi; mapiranje vanjo vključenih deležnikov; umeščanje in prepoznavanje konceptov kot so moč, interes in tvornost; ter izpostavljanje pomena družbene, okoljske in ekonomske trajnosti v regiji, kjer je pred kratkim zaključila trimesečno raziskovalno delo.

V okviru štipendijskega programa ASEF Raziskovanje v tujini bo obiskala izr. prof. Matevža Raškovića na Tehnološki univerzi v Aucklandu, kjer bo okrepila svoje razumevanje globalnih verig vrednosti ter njihovih regionalnih in ekonomskih svojevrstnosti. Pri tem bo posebno pozornost namenila prepoznavanju in preučevanju tako imenovanih »wicked problems« ter različnih oblik izkoriščanja delovne sile, vključno s sodobnim suženjstvom.

Svoj prosti čas rada preživlja na prostem, ukvarja s številnimi športi, bere knjige in prostovolji kot piska člankov ter kot so-vodja interesne skupine Trajnostni razvoj pri Društvu VTIS.

Teja Pelko

Teja Pelko je doktorska študentka na področju biologije na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer dela kot mlada raziskovalka na Katedri za botaniko in fiziologijo rastlin. Njene raziskave se osredotočajo na vpliv biorazgradljive mikroplastike na rastline, vključno z njenimi fiziološkimi in biokemijskimi učinki, porazdelitvijo v rastlinskih tkivih in prehajanjem po prehranjevalni verigi. Njen cilj je razviti metode za odkrivanje mikroplastike v rastlinskih tkivih.

Magistrirala je iz kemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Pred začetkom doktorskega študija je pridobivala izkušnje na področju organske kemije, procesnega inženirstva in karakterizacije materialov na različnih ustanovah, med drugim v podjetju Hella Saturnus Slovenija d.o.o., na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo in Institutu Jožef Stefan. Njeno interdisciplinarno znanje zajema kemijo, biologijo in znanost o materialih.

Kot ASEF štipendistka bo Teja obiskala prof. dr. Boštjana Kobeta na Univerzi Queensland v Avstraliji, kjer bo pridobila znanje s področja strukturne biologije in biokemije. Ta izkušnja ji bo pomagala razumeti, kako mikroplastika interagira z rastlinskimi proteini in vpliva na imunski odziv rastlin.

Poleg akademskega dela Teja uživa v potapljanju in podvodnem fotografiranju, potovanjih in branju. Bila je tudi aktivna prostovoljka, saj je sodelovala pri protidopinškem nadzoru na športnih prireditvah ter se ukvarjala s tutorstvom in mentorstvom.

Tina Košuta

Tina Košuta je doktorska študentka statistike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Obe predhodni stopnji študija je zaključila na isti univerzi. Med študijem je sodelovala v dveh Erasmus izmenjavah—del dodiplomskega študija je preživela v Lizboni, med magistrskim študijem pa je obiskala Univerzo Vic v Kataloniji. Tam je pod mentorstvom prof. Carla Manza raziskovala Nested Sampling algoritem za svojo magistrsko nalogo. Njeno doktorsko raziskovanje je osredotočeno na uporabo penaliziranega verjetja za ocenjevanje parametrov v posplošenih linearnih mešanih modelih. V okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo Tina obiskala prof. dr. Gregorja Gorjanca na Univerzi v Edinburghu na Škotskem. V prostem času se rada ukvarja s športom, kot so pohodništvo, plezanje in sabljanje, poleg tega pa uživa v branju in potovanjih.

Tomaž Jurkovič

Tomaž Jurkovič je študent prvega letnika magistrskega študija Razvojno raziskovalnega programa - Mehanika na Fakulteti za strojništvo Univerze v Ljubljani. Dodiplomski študij je zaključil pod mentorstvom prof. Mihe Brojana, pri čemer se je osredotočal na nelinearne deformacije elastičnih nosilcev v nehomogenih magnetnih poljih. V okviru raziskovalnega obiska bo sodeloval s prof. Andrejem Košmrljem na Univerzi Princeton v ZDA, kjer želi pridobiti nove raziskovalne izkušnje in razširiti svoje znanje s področja mehanike. V prostem času rad igra tenis, odbojko na mivki ter klavir in kitaro.

Valter Hudovernik

Valter Hudovernik je magistrski študent podatkovne znanosti na Univerzi v Ljubljani. V magistrski nalogi Metode globokega učenja za generiranje sintetičnih relacijskih podatkov raziskuje uporabo difuzijskih modelov za generiranje zasebnih in verodostojnih sintetičnih podatkovnih baz. Predhodne rezultate je predstavil na delavnici NeurIPS 2024 Tabular Representation Learning Workshop in trenutno pripravlja objavo o ocenjevanju kakovosti sintetičnih relacijskih podatkov.

Ob študiju je pridobil praktične izkušnje na Inštitutu Jožef Štefan ter kot pripravnik na oddelku za podatkovno znanost v podjetju Endava. Sodeloval je tudi pri interdisciplinarnem projektu Geološkega zavoda Slovenije, kjer je razvijal metode strojnega učenja za napovedovanje atributov kraških vodonosnikov.

Izven akademskih okvirov je nosilec črnega pasu v Brazilskem jiu-jitsu in je za svoje tekmovalne uspehe prejel univerzitetno priznanje za posebne dosežke. Svojo strast do športa in strojnega učenja je združil v diplomski nalogi, za katero je prejel fakultetno Prešernovo nagrado.

Zara Bunc

Zara Bunc je študentka biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Raziskovalno se zanima predvsem za molekularno biologijo, genetiko in bioinformatiko. Praktične izkušnje je pridobila pri delu na Inštitutu za patološko fiziologijo in Kemijskem inštitutu, kjer se je usposabljala za izvajanje elektrofizioloških meritev, molekularnega kloniranja in optofizioloških analiz. V svoji diplomski nalogi je pod mentorstvom akademika prof. dr. Roberta Zorca raziskovala vlogo amizina pri eksocitozi astrocitov in tako prispevala k boljšemu razumevanju mehanizmov fuzijskih por pri razvoju nevrodegenerativnih bolezni.

V sklopu programa ASEF Junior Fellows bo svoj raziskovalni obisk opravila na King’s College London pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Jerneja Uleta. Še posebej jo zanima njegovo delo na področju regulacije RNA, alternativnega izrezovanja (splicinga) ter molekularnih mehanizmov, ki prispevajo k razvoju nevrodegenerativnih bolezni. Poglobljeno razumevanje RNA-procesiranja in njegove vloge pri boleznih osrednjega živčevja predstavlja ključen korak k razvoju novih terapevtskih pristopov. Njeno poznavanje celičnih mehanizmov, biologije glia celic in molekularnega signaliziranja ji bo omogočilo dragocen doprinos k raziskovalni skupini ter nadaljnje strokovno izpopolnjevanje.

Aktivno sodeluje tudi v raziskovalnih in znanstvenih združenjih, kjer se med drugim ukvarja tudi z organizacijo dogodkov. Kot vodja za odnose s podjetji in finance je sodelovala pri BioFairu, največjem kariernem sejmu za študente naravoslovja v Sloveniji. Poleg tega je ustanovila in vodila tridnevni interdisciplinarni strokovno-izobraževalni dogodek BEST dnevi znanosti, namenjen vsem študentom znanosti. V prostem času najraje igra tenis, smuča, potuje in spoznava nove ljudi.

Anžur Lana Nastja

Lana Nastja Anžur je študentka doktorskega študija Varstvo okolja ter raziskovalka v Laboratoriju za dediščinsko znanost, oboje na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Pred tem je zaključila študij arheologije in prava, na Venice International University pa je opravila specializacijski študijski program Economics, Management and Digital Technologies applied to Cultural Heritage. V okviru  doktorske raziskave se ukvarja z vprašanji trajnostnega upravljanja z dediščino, še posebej z interdisciplinarnimi načini vrednotenja dediščinskih virov. Del raziskave bo opravila na Mavriciju, kot del aktivnosti projekta Mauritian Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (Stanford University), pri katerem sodeluje od leta 2021. Pred tem je izkušnje pridobivala kot raziskovalka na projektu Sustainable Management of Cultural Heirage in the Balkans (Venice International University), v okviru katerega se je ukvarjala z vplivi klimatskih sprememb na kulturno dediščino balkanskih držav. Trenutno je del arheološke ekipe projekta Dežela stečkov, v okviru katere raziskujejo srednjeveško krajino na območju Bosne in Hercegovine. Preučevanje socio-kulturne vrednosti stečkov bo pod mentorstvom dr. Saše Čaval nadaljevala v okviru ASEF obiska na Institute for Research in the Social Sciences ter Stanford Archaeology Center. V prihodnosti bi želela svoje znanje, pridobljeno pri raziskovalnem delu, prenesti v sektor neprofitnih dejavnosti preko ustanavljanja iniciativ za spodbujanje ekonomskega razvoja v državah globalnega juga. V prostem času se najraje ukvarja s potapljanjem ali pa sprehajanjem svojega psa.  

Birk Jernej

Jernej je študent tretjega letnika kemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo v Ljubljani. Tekom osnovne in srednje šole je aktivno sodeloval na kulturnih prireditvah, atletskih tekmovanjih in različnih tekmovanjih iz znanja. Raziskovalni obisk na področju organske sinteze bo opravil pod mentorstvom profesorja Davida Šarlaha v Illinoisu. Skozi študijska leta je razvil strast do organske kemije, zato mu priložnosti, poznanstva in znanja, ki jih bo pridobil kot član ASEF skupnosti, pomenijo zelo veliko. V prostem času se najraje športno udejstvuje, bere stripe in spletne romane ter se druži s prijatelji.

Bračič Veronika

Veronika je zaključila dodiplomski študij kemije na Univerzi v Ljubljani, nato pa se je željna novega znanja odpravila na poletno šolo na Univerzo v Aarhusu, kjer sta jo očarala tako Danska kot tudi preučevanje človeških možganov. Svoj magistrski študij biokemije je tako nadaljevala na Univerzi v Kopenhagnu, kjer trenutno dokončuje magistrsko nalogo na področju selektivne avtofagije na Danish Cancer Institute. Zaradi velikega zanimanja za delovanje možganov se želi v prihodnje osredotočiti predvsem na raziskovanje nevrodegenerativnih bolezni. Kot ASEF Junior Fellow se bo pridružila raziskovalni skupini dr. Jerneja Uleta na King's College v Londonu, kjer se bo tekom obiska s pomočjo diferenciacije matičnih celic poglobila v vlogo RNA-proteinskih kompleksov v nevrodegeneraciji. V prostem času zapleta misli v niti najrazličnejših volnenih projektov, zajema trenutke v objektiv svoje analogne kamere, ter ob branju knjig popije nepredstavljive količine čaja.

Godejša Jaka

Jaka Godejša obiskuje magistrski študijski program turizma na Univerzi na Primorskem, Fakulteti za turistične študije - Turistica v Portorožu. Diplomiral je pod mentorstvom dr. Dejana Križaja iz uporabe nezamenljivih žetonov (NFT) na prireditvah. V sklopu pisanja naloge je organiziral prvo večerjo v Sloveniji, za katero so gosti rezervacijo opravili z nakupom NFT-ja preko blockchain omrežja. Med študijem aktivno sodeluje pri organizaciji dogodkov in vzpostavljanju skupnosti raziskovalno-razvojnega programa UP FTŠ sTOUdio Turistica. Pred nadaljevanjem študija na podiplomski ravni je delal v mednarodno obarvanem startupu Fairbnb.coop, s katerim je bil sprejet v priznan inkubator MIT Design X v Benetkah. V okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo Jaka obiskal prof. dr. Kajo Antlej na Univerzi Deakin v Viktoriji v Avstraliji.

Igličar Matej

Matej Igličar je zaključil dodiplomski študij na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Tekom študija je bil tutor Rimskega prava in Kazenskega procesnega prava. Ustanovil je mentorski program za študentke in študente prvega letnika ter služil kot predsednik Študentske organizacije Pravne fakultete. Poleg tega je bil član ekipe Pravne fakultete, ki je v Antwerpnu slavila na tekmovanju PAX Moot Court, pri čemer je dobil nagrado za najboljšega posameznega govornika.

Njegovi raziskovalni interesi se osredotočajo na kazensko pravo, pravo Evropske Unije in mednarodno zasebno pravo. Počaščen je s priložnostjo, da bo pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Verice Trstenjak na Centru za evropsko pravo v Luksemburgu raziskoval zgodovino in razvoj evropskega mednarodnega zasebnega prava. Cilj njegovega raziskovalnega obiska je iskanje vzporednic med integracijo na področju sodnega sodelovanja v civilnim in kazenskih zadevah.

Jurjevič Vesna

Vesna Jurjevič je študentka magistrskega študija molekularne in funkcionalne biologije na Biotehniški fakulteti, Univerze v Ljubljani. Trenutno pripravlja magistrsko nalogo pod mentorstvom dr. Barbare Breznik z Nacionalnega inštituta za biologijo v Ljubljani, v kateri preučuje vlogo melanomskega antigena proteina MAGEC2 pri glioblastomih in protitumorskem imunskem odzivu. V okviru štipendije ASEF Research Abroad bo svoje raziskave nadaljevala v laboratoriju prof. Klementine Fon Tacer s Fakultete za veterinarsko medicino na Univerzi Texas Tech. Njen cilj je izboljšati informacijsko bazo podatkov o beljakovinah MAGE z raziskovanjem glioblastomov in opredelitvijo inovativnih načinov uporabe tega znanja za oblikovanje novih terapij.

V prostem času Vesna rada preživlja čas v naravi s prijatelji ali dela v izobraževalnem oddelku ljubljanskega živalskega vrta, kjer vodi oglede in izobražuje obiskovalce o različnih živalskih vrstah in ohranjanju narave.

Jurkovič Martin

Martin je študent drugega letnika magistrskega programa Podatkovne Vede na Fakulteti za Računalništvo in Informatiko Univerze v Ljubljani, kamor se je vpisal po končanem dodiplomskem programu Matematike in Računalništva. Poleg študija je pridobival izkušnje kot raziskovalec na Inštitutu Jožef Štefan ter kot inženir umetne inteligence v industriji. V zadnjem letu je na konferenci Dnevi Slovenske Informatike 2023 osvojil prvo mesto za najboljši študentski projekt z aplikacijo MindMessAI.

Trenutno se zanima za raziskovanje metod za generiranje sintetičnih podatkov, specifično za generiranje relacijskih baz. S projektom “A Survey and Empirical Comparison of Synthetic Data Generation Methods” je njegova ekipa dosegla prvo mesto na tekmovanju Data Science Competition. Na to temo trenutno zaključuje znanstveni članek ter benchmark za evaluacijo kvalitete relacijskih sintetičnih podatkov.

Kogoj Lena

Lena Kogoj trenutno zaključuje dodiplomski študij Biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. V naslednjih mesecih bo sodelovala s Kemijskim inštitutom, kjer bo v okviru svoje diplomske naloge raziskovala vlogo RNA v brezmembranskih organelih. Področje njenega študija, ki jo najbolj navdušuje, je molekularna biologija. Veselje do tega področja je dobila po dvomesečnem pripravništvu v raziskovalni skupini prof. Anne Spang na Univerzi v Bazlu, kjer je proučevala vpliv transteritinu sorodnih proteinov na proteostazo v C. elegans. Ker si želi svoje znanje molekularne biologije še nadgraditi, bo svoj raziskovalni obisk opravljala pri prof. Jerneju Murnu na Univerzi v Kaliforniji, Riverside, kjer se bo poglobila v biologijo RNA in pridobila raziskovalne izkušnje v neevropskem prostoru. Kot prostovoljka že od leta 2018 sodeluje v lokalnem taborniškem društvu, kjer vodi skupino otrok (zdaj že najstnikov) ter pomaga pri organizaciji številnih izletov in taborjenj. Tudi preostanek svojega časa preživlja v naravi, rada namreč teče.

Koren Jerneja

Jerneja Koren je študentka MSci študijskega programa imunologija in farmakologija na Univerzi v Aberdeenu na severovzhodu Škotske. Trenutno dela na zaključnem raziskovalnem projektu v Centru za diabetes in kardiovaskularna obolenja na Inštitutu za medicinske znanosti, v okviru katerega preiskuje vlogo encima fosfataze PTP1B v kronični inflamaciji povezani s prekomerno telesno težo. Pridobljeno znanje pomembno prispeva k praktičnim izkušnjam, ki jih je Jerneja pridobila med svojim enoletnim MSci raziskovalnim obiskom in projektom v Biozentrumu, centru za molekularne medicinske znanosti v Baslu v Švici. Tam je Jerneja uporabila CRISPR/Cas9 gensko urejanje za preučevanje funkcije dveh proteinov, coronin 2 in 3. Poleg tega je Jerneja nabirala praktične izkušnje tudi preko študentskega dela v slovenskem biotehničnem podjetju COBIK, raziskovalni skupini na Inštitutu za medicinske znanosti v Aberdeenu in dvema projektoma povezanima z digitalno patologijo. Poleg raziskovalnega dela je Jerneja aktivno vpeta v študentsko življenje na kampusu kot članica komiteja Društva žensk v znanosti in inženirstvu Univerze v Aberdeenu. V prostem času Jerneja rada teče in peče kruh z drožmi. Kot ASEF Fellow se Jerneja veseli raziskovalnega obiska pri profesorici Klementini Fon Tacer v Teksasu.

Mladenić Grobelnik Adrian

Adrian Mladenić Grobelnik je mladi raziskovalec in inženir na področju umetne inteligence na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan v Sloveniji, ter študent tretjega letnika dodiplomskega študija računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Specializiran za obdelavo naravnega jezika in umetne inteligence z zdravo pametjo je Adrian objavil šest člankov in zaključil pripravništvo na Univerzi Carnegie Mellon, kjer se je osredotočil na umetno inteligenco v zdravstvu. Z željo po razširitvi svojih raziskav na področju strojnega učenja z grafi, bo obiskal prof. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford. Predan je uporabi umetne inteligence za reševanje družbenih izzivov, pri čemer si prizadeva združiti teoretične raziskave s praktičnimi rešitvami za napredek na področju.

Odra Raščan Ema

Ema Odra Raščan je doktorska kandidatka ameriških študij na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Pred tem je zaključila magistrski študij na Diplomatische Akademie Wien, kjer je v magistrskem delu primerjala pomorski varnostni strategiji EU in ZDA. Njena raziskovalna naravnanost je razvidna iz njenih objav, v katerih obravnava različne teme, od geopolitike do evropskih zadev. Poleg akademskega dela ima Ema Odra nabor delovnih izkušenj v diplomaciji, od vloge asistentke na konzularnem oddelku veleposlaništva Republike Slovenije na Dunaju do pripravništev na Stalnem predstavništvu Slovenije pri EU in v Evropskem parlamentu. 

V okviru programa raziskovalne štipendije ASEF v tujini se bo pridružila prof. Alenki Poplin na Iowa State University, kjer bo poglobila svoje razumevanje racionalne ignorance pri prostorskem participativnem načrtovanju in vloge javnih participativnih geografskih informacijskih sistemov v tem procesu.

Perko Zala

Zala Perko je magistrska študentka biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Pred zaključkom dodiplomskega študija je med absolventskim letom praktične izkušnje najprej pridobivala v podjetju Lek d. d. na oddelkih mikrobiologije in analitike, kasneje pa se je vključila v raziskovalno skupino na Katedri za biokemijo, kjer je delala na razvoju encimskih oligomerov in v sodelovanju s podjetjem LabCore raziskovala interakcije proteinov z malimi molekulami. Predvsem jo zanimajo področja strukturne biologije, encimologije in proteinskega inženiringa. Na tej temi bo nadaljevala tudi z magistrsko nalogo. Zelo se veseli in je hvaležna, da bo v okviru ASEF-a lahko odšla na raziskovalni obisk k prof. dr. Boštjanu Kobetu na Univerzo v Queenslandu v Avstralijo, kjer bo svoje znanje razširila na področje strukture biologije in dragocene izkušnje prenesla v svoje nadaljnje delo. 

Kadar se ne posveča študiju, čas najraje preživlja v naravi ob različnih športih. Ukvarja se z gorništvom, alpskim smučanjem, tekom in pilatesom. Kot prostovoljka je članica protidopinške ekipe na športnih dogodkih. Navdušuje jo tudi umetnost, od glasbe in baleta do moderne arhitekture.

Puhar Gregor

Gregor je magistrski študent kemije na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer je zaključil tudi podiplomski študij. V praktičnem delu magistrske naloge, ki ga je opravljal na Umeå University, je raziskoval kinetiko reakcij med živim srebrom in različnimi organskimi ligandi. Tam je tekom enoletne Erasmus+ izmenjave pridobil tudi magisterij znanosti. Poleg študija je praktične izkušnje iz raziskovanja pridobil na O2 odseku IJS in dveh mednarodnih IAESTE praksah na UCT, Prague na Češkem in Łodz University na Poljskem. Poleg študija je zelo aktiven v društvu IAESTE, kjer sodeluje pri organizaciji študentskih mednarodnih praks iz naravoslovno-tehniškega področja. V prostem času se rad ukvarja s športom in potuje. Na raziskovalni obisk bo odšel k prof. Davidu Šarlahu na University of Illinois in se že zelo veseli te izkušnje.

Rožič Miha

Miha Rožič je študent 5. letnika programa EMŠ Farmacija na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Svojo raziskovalno pot želi posvetiti odkrivanju zdravil za težko oziroma neozdravljive bolezni. Več let je sodeloval v raziskovalni skupini izr. prof. dr. Izidorja Sosiča, kjer je zasnoval ter razvijal nove potencialne himerne molekule (PROTAC) za zdravljenje raka ter Alzheimerjeve bolezni. Znanje pridobiva tudi na oddelku za razvoj bioloških zdravil v Novartisu. Del študija je preživel na Erasmus+ izmenjavi v Tübingenu, prav tako sem opravljal prostovoljno delo v bolnišnici v Gambiji. ASEF mi bo omogočil raziskovalni obisk pri prof. Andreju Šaliju na Kalifornijski Univerzi v San Franciscu. Raziskovalnega obiska se zelo veseli, prav tako tudi sodelovanja v številnih aktivnostih ASEFa v naslednjih letih. Prosti čas večinoma preživi v naravi, rad hodim v gore, kampiram, kolesarim, tečem ter igram odbojko na mivki. Veliko tudi fotografira, najraje dogodivščine iz njegovih številnih potovanj.

Rozman Črt

Črt Rozman je študent tretjega letnika univerzitetne fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani, ki se bo v nadaljevanju vpisal na magistrski študij Medicinske fizike. Hkrati je udeležen pri raziskovalnih projektih na Inštitutu Jožef Štefan. V sklopu izmenjave ASEF bo obiskal dr. Roberta Jeraja na univerzi Madison – Wisconsin, kjer bo delal na področju Medicinske fizike. 

V svojem prostem času se najraje ukvarja s športom - odbojko trenira že 15 let. Poleg tega rad hodi v hribe, posluša glasbo in igra računalniške igrice. Obožuje tudi potovanja, sploh v toplejše kraje. 

Škerlep Domen

Domen je trenutno dodiplomski študent aero-vesoljskega inženirstva na Delft University of Technology. V okviru svojega programa, je tudi že zaključil semester iz astrofizike na Univerzi Queensland v Avstraliji. Med svojim izobraževanjem je Domen napisal znanstveni članek, ki je bil objavljen v matematični reviji Matrika. Trenutno raziskuje aerodinamične in akustične lastnosti deljenih propeler pogonov v okviru Honours programa in EU projekta ENODISE. Med poletjem bo raziskoval na inštitutu CERN v Ženevi. V preteklosti, se je udeležil debatnih turnirjev v Bangkoku, Hanoiju in na univerzah Harvard in Yale v ZDA, kjer je dosegel tretjo mesto med vsemi evropskimi ekipami. Domen je del Elite Sports program v Haagu in že več kot 11 let igra odbojko v slovenski, nizozemski in avstralski nacionalni ligi. V prostem času uživa v smučanju in igranju tenisa. V okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellows bo odšel na raziskovanje k prof. dr. Andreju Košmrlju na Univerzo Princeton v ZDA.

Žavbi Juš

Juš Žavbi je doštudiral iz MSci Neurosceince na University of Nottingham. V sklopu študija je opravljal placement na Nacionalnem Inštitutu Biologije v Sloveniji, kjer je delal na mikrookolju glioblastoma. Za magistrsko nalogo je sodeloval na raziskavah shizofrenije na podganskem modelu. Po študiju se je zaposlil na Fiziološkem inštitutu v Pragi, kjer je raziskoval vlogo mikrotubuliv v epilepsiji na mišjih modelih. Nevroznanost je njegov fokus že celotno akademsko kariero zato se sedaj odpravlja na obisk k Dr. Davidu Križaju na University of Utah, kjer bo še razširil svoje znanje in sicer na področju očesne signalizacije nevronov in mehanotransdukcije.

Alif Živa

Živa Alif je doktorska študentka Ekonomike naravnih virov na Univerzi v Ljubljani, ki svoje raziskovalno delo usmerja v socialne vidike ohranjanja narave na kmetijskih zemljiščih – z drugimi besedami, poskuša prepričati kmete, da varujejo biotsko raznovrstnost na svojih kmetijah. Na Imperial College v Londonu je zaključila raziskovalni magistrski študij ekologije, evolucije in ohranjanja in na Univerzi v Oxfordu diplomirala iz bioloških znanosti. Živa, ki je iz biologije prešla na družboslovje, si želi vpogleda v eksperimentalne in vedenjske raziskave na okoljskem področju, zato bo z veseljem obiskala prof. dr. Saro Dolničar na Univerzi v Queenslandu. V prostem času rada poje in se udeležuje vseh vrst dejavnosti na prostem, od opazovanja ptic do kolesarjenja.

Brilej Žana

Žana Brilej zaključuje dodiplomski študij na Fakulteti za Farmacijo v Ljubljani. Tekom študija je razvila zanimanje za biokemijo in začela raziskovati na oddelku za sintezno biologijo in imunologijo na Kemijskem Inštitutu, kjer je raziskovala potencialne prototipe učinkovin za zdravljenje SARS-CoV-2. Kasneje se je priključila še drugim projektom na inštitutu, med drugim preučevanju degradacijskih mehanizmov v sesalskih celicah in regulaciji imunološko aktivnih spojin z obvitimi vijačnicami. Trenutno dela na projektu genske terapije za zdravljenje CTNNB1 sindroma. Poleg raziskovanja svoje znanje rada predaja mlajšim generacijam, kar počne v okviru individualnih inštrukcij in tutorstva na Fakulteti za Farmacijo. Rada ima šport, predvsem ples, hojo v gore, plezanje in surfanje. Skupaj s prijateljico vodi dve plesni skupini za predšolske in šolske otroke. V prostem času se rada druži s prijatelji in potuje. V okviru štipendijskega programa Raziskovanje v tujini ASEF bo opravila raziskovalni obisk v laboratoriju prof. Jerneja Murna v Kaliforniji, kjer bo poglobila svoje znanje RNA biologije in pridobila raziskovalne kompetence, ki ji bodo pomagale pri nadaljevanju svoje akademske kariere v biomedicini.

Dragar Frenk

Frenk Dragar trenutno opravlja magistrski študij umetne inteligence na Univerzi Utrecht na Nizozemskem. Diplomiral je iz računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer je v okviru diplomskega projekta za avtomatizacijo vrednotenja jezikovnih modelov izdelal "SloBench: Slovenian Natural Language Processing Benchmark”. Njegovi interesi in izkušnje na področju umetne inteligence in računalništva vključujejo globoko učenje, obdelavo naravnega jezika, evolucijsko računalništvo in podatkovno inženirstvo. V prostem času se ukvarja z organizacijo dejavnosti študentskega društva, balvanskim plezanjem, tekom, igranjem kitare, kuhanjem in potovanji. Na kalifornijski univerzi Berekeley bo obiskal dr. Gašperja Beguša in imel priložnost raziskovati na području globokega učenja za jezikovne modele.

Gričar Simona

Simona Gričar je doktorska študentka kemijskih znanosti in mlada raziskovalka na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Deluje na področju bioanorganske kemije in se ukvarja s sintezo in vrednotenjem inhibitorjev metaloencimov, ki povzročajo odpornost bakterij proti antibiotikom. V času dodiplomskega in magistrskega študija kemije je na fakulteti raziskovala rutenijeve koordinacijske spojine s potencialno protitumorsko aktivnostjo, raziskovalne izkušnje pa je pridobila tudi na Institutu ˝Jožef Stefan˝ in v okviru Erasmus+ prakse na inštitutu Inserm v Franciji. Po končanem magistrskem študiju je na Fakulteti za farmacijo Univerze v Ljubljani kot raziskovalka sodelovala pri projektu, v okviru katerega so preučevali vlogo imunoproteasoma v imunskem odzivu. Svoje trenutne raziskave za doktorsko disertacijo na metaloencimih želi razširiti na področje strukturne biologije, kar ji bo omogočil ASEF-ov raziskovalni obisk pri prof. Boštjanu Kobetu na Univerzi v Queenslandu v Avstraliji, česar se zelo veseli. Simona v prostem času rada igra družabne igre, potuje in pleše, še posebej kubansko salso.

Horvat Katja

Katja Horvat je študentka magistrskega študija biotehnologije na Biotehniški fakulteti, Univerze v Ljubljani. V sodelovanju s Fakulteto za farmacijo in Medicinsko fakulteto je opravila raziskavo izražanja genov pri bolnikih s koronarno boleznijo srca, katere rezultate so objavili v znanstvenem članku v reviji »Journal of Cardiovascular Davelopment and Disease«. Trenutno opravlja prakso na Univerzi v Turku in je vključena v skupino, ki preučuje osteoporozo. Izkušnje v industrijskem okolju je pridobila tudi v podjetju Lek d.d., Novartis sprva na oddelku regulative nato pa tudi v proizvodnji biofarmacevtike. V prostem času rada uživa v naravi ter se udejstvuje različnih športnih aktivnosti. Včasih tudi rada prostovoljno pomaga na večjih športnih dogodkih.

Logonder Tina

Tina Logonder je magistrska študentka biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani in trenutno v sklopu magistrske naloge opravlja laboratorijsko delo v biotehnološkem podjetju Acies Bio. Delo se osredotoča na pripravo in karakterizacijo sevov kvasovke Yarrowia lipolytica s spremenjenim metabolizmom lipidov. Poleg tega je praktične izkušnje pridobila predvsem z laboratorijskim delom za diplomsko delo, ki je zajemalo pripravo rekombinantnih konstruktov za izražanje proteina EpCAM v sesalskih celičnih linijah. Naravoslovne znanosti jo zanimajo že od osnovne šole in od takrat se je redno uspešno udeleževala različnih tekmovanj. Je prejemnica bronaste medalje na mednarodni olimpijadi iz biologije. Ker se ji zdijo tekmovanja odlična priložnost za poglabljanje znanja, sedaj pomaga pri popravljanju tekmovalnih pol državnih tekmovanj (biologija, logika, naravoslovje). V prostem času rada preživlja čas v naravi, riše, igra šah in pozimi borda. Zelo se veseli raziskovalnega obiska pri prof. dr. Boštjanu Kobetu na Univerzi Queensland v Avstraliji, kjer bo delala na področju strukturne biologije.

Petravić Luka

Luka je študent 6. letnika medicine na Univerzi v Mariboru. Je soustanovitelj projekta SiOHCA, ki uspešno postavlja temelje za sledenje izven-bolnišničnim srčnim zastojem v Sloveniji. Svoj prosti čas namenja vodenju projekta Zdravniki pri Znanstvenem društvu Sledilnik. Veseli ga širok nabor področji, tako raziskuje bakteriofage, prehrano in zdravstveno tehnologijo. Med drugim je leta 2022 je prejel priznanje dr. Uroša Seljaka in leta 2023 prejel priznanje Perlach. Sicer pregleduje tudi članke oddane v reviji the BMJ open ter Epidemiology and Infection.

Samotorčan Leon

Leon je študent drugega letnika magistrskega študija računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Dodiplomski študij je zaključil z zagovorom diplomske naloge, v kateri se je ukvarjal z učinkovitim računanjem izomorfizma podgrafa. V okviru štipendijskega programa Raziskovanje v tujini ASEF bo Leon obiskal prof. Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford. Veseli se novih raziskovalnih izkušenj. Leon je tudi prostovoljec kot tutor na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko. Je prejemnik štipendije MOL za bodoče študente. V prostem času rad potuje, igra kitaro in kuha.

Scasserra José Ignacio

José Ignacio Scasserra je argentinski učitelj filozofije. Magistriral je iz Interdisciplinarnih študij subjektivnosti na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu. Delal je v različnih pedagoških programih z otroki in najstniki iz ranljivih sosesk v Buenos Airesu. Trenutno dela doktorat iz filozofije. Raziskuje na temo etike, izobraževanja, študije spolov in konstrukcije subjektivnosti v današnjem času. Objavlja v akademskih in neakademskih medijih. Leta 2022 je bila njegova zgodba o Sloveniji omenjena na argentinski literarni nagradi. Tekoče govori špansko, angleško in portugalsko. José je bil leta 2020 štipendist ASEF v programu štipendijskem progrmu Obisk Slovenije, kjer je razvil del svojega raziskovalnega dela z mentorjem prof. Vojkom Strahovnikom, študiral slovenski jezik in izvedel dve predavanji na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Sedaj je bil izbran za program Raziskovanje v tujini ASEF, v okviru katerega bo nadaljeval delo s prof. Petrom Verovškom na Univerzi v Groningenu na Nizozemskem. José v prostem času rad piše in bere literaturo, se uči jezike in se rekreira v bazenu ali teče v parku.

Snoj Lara

Lara Snoj je študentka magistrskega študijskega programa laboratoriijska biomedicina na Fakulteti za Farmacijo, Univerze v Ljubljani. Trenutno opravlja delo za magistrsko nalogo na Inštitutu za specialno laboratorijsko diagnostiko, na Pediatrični kliniki v Ljubljani. V okviru magistrske naloge preučuje genetsko ozadje avtosomne dominantne policistične bolezni ledvic, ki jo povzročajo mutacije v genu PKD1 in lahko privede do končne ledvične odpovedi. Tekom študija se je Lara udeležila izmenjave na Malti in tako še nagradila pridobljena znanja in izkušnje, za svoje akademske dosežke pa je dobila tudi pohvalo Fakultete za farmacijo. Raziskovalnega obiska, ki ga bo opravljala pri prof. Klementini Fon Tacer na Tehnološki univerzi v Teksasu, se Lara neizmerno veseli, saj bo tako razširila svoja znanja s področja genetike in razvoja rakavih obolenj. Verjame, da ji bo omenjena izkušnja omogočila rast tako na osebnem, kot tudi profesionalnem področju. Na svoji domači fakulteti deluje tudi kot tutorka, ki mlajšim študentom vedno rada pomaga s svojimi nasveti in izkušnjami. Prosti čas najraje preživlja v naravi, v družbi svojih prijateljev in 2 psov, prav tako pa je vedno za dober izlet v hribe, tek ali katero drugo športno aktivnost.

Vidmar Tim

Tim zaključuje magistrski študij poslovne informatike na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Diplomiral je iz biologije na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Med študijem se je udeležil Erasmus+ izmenjave na Univerzi v Augsburgu v Nemčiji. Trenutno dela v podjetju Deloitte kot svetovalec za IT-tveganja, kjer pomaga zmanjševati tveganja v IT-okolju. V prostem času rad igra nogomet, bere knjige in vodi programsko ekipo pri organizaciji TedxUniversityofLjubljana. Prav tako rad pleše kubansko salso in tekmuje na hackathonih. V sklopu štipendijskega programa Raziskovanje v tujini ASEF bo Tim obiskal prof. dr. Sergejo Slapničar na Univerzi Queensland v Avstraliji, kjer se bo ukvarjal s kvantifikacijo kibernetskega tveganja.

Žabkar Ines

Ines Žabkar je študentka 6. letnika medicine na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Njeno področje zanimanja zajema predvsem nevrodegenerativne bolezni. Med študijem je raziskovala vpliv estrogena na izražanje genov povezanih s Parkinsonovo boleznijo, za kar je prejela fakultetno Prešernovo nagrado. Delo je predstavila na mednarodni ICUR konferenci 2021.  Med študijsko izmenjavo na Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg 2021/22 je v laboratoriju Diem raziskovala začetne spremembe NMDA kanalčkov pri optičnem nevritisu in multipli sklerozi ter se učila novih biokemičnih metod, kot je Calcium-imaging.  Trenutno se na Kliničnem inštitutu za nevrofiziologijo UKC Ljubljana ukvarja z retrospektivno raziskavo bolnikov s kronično vnetno demielinizacijsko polinevropatijo in učinki zdravljenja intravenskih imunoglobulinov. V preteklih letih je bila aktivna članica slovenskega nevroznanstvenega društva SiNAPS-e, dve leti je vodila tudi projekt sodelovanja z Narodno galerijo “Galeristi”, v sklopu katerega so organizirali številna predavanja in okrogle mize s področja nevroestetike za širšo javnost. ASEF ji bo omogočil študijski obisk na Northwestern univerzi pri prof. Dimitriju Kraincu, kjer se želi naučiti novih pristopov odkrivanja in tarčnega zdravljenja ekstrapiramidnih bolezni. V prostem času rada hodi v hribe, bere in piše poezijo. 

Blaž Brina

Brina Blaž (1993) je slikarka, filmska producentka in študentka doktorskega študija humanistike in likovnih ved na Akademiji za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje v Ljubljani. Diplomirala je na ALUO z študijskim obiskom na Akademiji Jana Matejka Krakow in magistrirala na Akademiji za likovno umetnost v Bologni z študijskim obiskom na Akademie der bildende Kunste Munchen. Njena dela so preplet med taktilnostjo, spominom, iluzijo in prezenco ter naravo in prostorom.

Dijak Nuša

Nuša Dijak je magistrska študentka na Pedagoški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer študira poučevanje na področju likovne pedagogike. Tudi diplomirala je na omenjeni fakulteti. Tekom njenega študija je sodelovala v petmesečni Erasmus izmenjavi na Politehniškem inštitutu v Portu na Portugalskem. Njeno raziskovanje do sedaj je temeljilo na iluziji v slikarstvu, kjer je raziskovala vzpostavitev iluzije tridimenzionalnosti v sliki in se poglobila v možnost praktičnega prikaza iluzije dvodimenzionalnosti na tridimenzionalnem objektu. Trenutno se osredotoča na magistrsko nalogo, kjer bo proučevala uporabo barve v umetnosti in njen učinek na opazovalca. Kot del ASEF Junior Fellowship programa bo Nuša obiskala prof. dr. Kajo Antlej na Deakin univerzi v Viktoriji v Avstraliji. V prostem času rada igra ukulele, ustvarja ročno izdelane keramične izdelke in uhane iz školjk. Njena največja strast so potovanja in odkrivanje skritih kotičkov sveta.

Dominko Kobilica Natan

Natan je dodiplomski študent fizike na Fakulteti za Matematiko in Fiziko v Ljubljani. V tem študijskem letu se namesto predavanjem posveča raziskovanju in potovanju. Raziskovalni obisk bo izvedel pri prof. dr. Uroš Seljaku iz UC Berkeley v Kaliforniji. Lotil se bo proučevanja Isingovega modela, znana tema v statistični fiziki. V preteklosti je Natan izkušnje nabral na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan in na Strojni fakulteti v Ljubljani. Veseli se novega izziva, raziskovanja na teoretičnem področju in je počaščen, da je dobil priložnost obiska v Kaliforniji.

Donik Žiga

Žiga je mladi raziskovalec in doktorski študent na Fakulteti za strojništvo Univerze v Mariboru. Deluje na področju konstruiranja celičnih struktur in numeričnih strukturnih analiz trdnin, kjer s pomočjo računalniških simulacij ugotavlja, kako se strukture odzivajo na zunanje obremenitve. V okviru doktorskega študija se ukvarja z razvojem personaliziranih žilnih opornic iz biorazgradljivih materialov, ki bi olajšale okrevanje pacientov ter pripomogle k zmanjšanju zapletov pri kardiovaskularnih posegih. V okviru ASEF Junior Fellowship programa bo imel Žiga priložnost obiskati dr. Luko Pocivavska na Univerzi v Chicagu, kjer bo pridobil dodatno znanje z interdisciplinarnega področja biomehanike. Žiga se profesionalno ukvarja z odbojko, kjer z domačim klubom nastopa na državnih in mednarodnih tekmovanjih, zato večino prostega časa preživi na odbojkarskem igrišču. Uživa tudi v dobri glasbi, kuhanju, potovanjih in planinarjenju.

Jerončič Tadej

Tadej je študent zadnjega letnika veterinarske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. V zadnjih letih ga je raziskovalno začelo zanimati predvsem področje onkologije. V preteklem letu je pričel z raziskovalno nalogo, s katero skuša ugotoviti napovedno vrednost nekaterih tumorskih markerjev pri živalih, zdravljenih z metronomsko kemoterapijo. Hvaležen je za priložnost, da se bo med poletjem lahko pridružil laboratoriju dr. Klementini Fon Tacer na Texas Tech University. Po dolgem dnevu dela svoj prosti čas Tadej najraje preživlja v naravi. Najbolj uživa v odkrivanju novih krajev in v športu; še posebej rad se ukvarja s cestnim kolesarstvom, hojo v hribe in s tekom.

Klemenčič Timotej

Timotej Klemenčič študira robotiko na drugi stopnji Fakultete za elektrotehniko Univerze v Ljubljani. Področja, ki ga najbolj zanimajo, so vodenje robotov, načrtovanje robotskih prijemal in roboti v stiku s človekom. V Laboratoriju za robotiko sodeluje pri organizaciji dogodka Dnevi industrijske robotike in pomaga kot demonstrator na vajah. Na njegov raziskovalnem obisku se odpravlja h profesorju Milošu Žefranu na Univerzo Illinois v Chicagu, kjer bo v sklopu svoje magistrske naloge raziskoval na področju robotov v stiku s človekom. Timotej v prostem času čebelari, rad hodi v hribe in aktivno sodeluje kot prostovoljec na poletnem taboru Biseri. Je tudi ljubiteljski elektronik z velikim zanimanjem za kvadrokopterje in 3D tiskanje.

Kobal Jakob

Jakob je decembra 2021 zaključil interdisciplinarni študij Multimedije na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko ter na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Ljubljani. Študij je zaključil z diplomskim delom z naslovom »Razpoznava osnovnih frekvenc v akordu«. Razvil je preprost lasten algoritem za prepoznavo akordov iz zvočnega posnetka. Že od vedno ga je namreč zanimala povezava med umetnostjo – glasbo in znanostjo. Pred dobrim letom je  z odliko zaključil tudi šolanje na Konservatoriju za glasbo in balet v Ljubljani. Tam je bil njegov glavni predmet klasična harmonika. Poleg harmonike ga zanimajo še ostali teoretični in praktični vidiki glasbe. V januarju 2022 se Jakob odpravlja študirat na Berklee College of Music v Bostonu, ki velja za enega izmed najbolj prestižnih glasbenih kolidžev za sodobno glasbo. Tam upa, da bo lahko poglobil in razširil svoja glasbena obzorja ter morda še nadaljeval z raziskovanjem povezav med znanostjo in glasbo. Poleg glasbe se Jakob v prostem času rad giblje zunaj, uživa ob kakšni dobri knjigi, na koncertu ali pa v zanimivi debati. Hvaležen je za dodeljeno ASEF-ovo pomoč in se neizmerno veseli študija v ZDA.

Kodrič Meta

Meta Kodrič je magistrska študentka Biokemije na ljubljanski Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo, kjer je tudi diplomirala. Navdušuje se nad področjem imunologije, kar je tudi razlog, da je med absolventskim letom izvedla raziskovalno prakso na Univerzi v Helsinkih, kjer se je ukvarjala z imunoterapijo raka z adeno-onkolitičnimi virusi ter s pripravo izboljšanih adenovirusnih cepiv proti COVID-19. Sicer si je Meta praktične izkušnje s področja biokemije pridobivala še na Inštitutu za patološko fiziologijo Medicinske Fakultete v Ljubljani ter z opravljanjem študentskega dela v podjetju Novartis (Lek d.d.) na oddelku za analitsko znanost in tehnologijo. Prosti čas Meta rada preživlja aktivno, v naravi, sploh ljubi športi so ji plezanje, pohodništvo, smučanje in windsurf.  Kot ASEF Junior Fellow generacije 2022 se bo Meta pridružila raziskovalni skupini prof. dr. Boštjana Kobeta na Univerzi Queensland v Avstraliji, kjer se bo ukvarjala s strukturno karakterizacijo proteinov, udeleženih v signalnih poteh naravne imunosti.

Kržmanc Gregor

Gregor je študent fizike na Univerzi v Ljubljani, sodeluje pa tudi z Laboratorijem za umetno inteligenco Instituta Jožef Stefan. Trenutno se ukvarja s strojnim učenjem na grafih. V preteklosti je sodeloval tudi s Kemijskim inštitutom v Ljubljani. V prostem času rad bere knjige, raziskuje naravo, in potuje. Gregor se bo pridružil raziskovalni skupini profesorja Jureta Leskovca in se veseli možnosti, da bo lahko na ta način poglobil svoje znanje.

Lekše Maruša

Maruša Lekše je študentka drugega letnika magistrskega študija matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je zaključila tudi svoj dodiplomski študij. Med študijem je bila tutorka za predmeta Računalništvo 1 in Programiranje 1. Sodelovala je na poletni delavnici o 2-prekrižno kritičnih grafih, po koncu te pa je nadaljevala sodelovanje s soudeleženci in eno izmed mentoric na delavnici. Kot del programa ASEF bo imela priložnost iti na študijski obisk k prof. dr. Mateji Šajna na Univerzo v Ottawi, kjer bo delala na projektih povezanih s teorijo grafov. Maruša se veseli sodelovanja z organizacijo ASEF in priložnosti, da pridobi nova znanja in izkušnje. V svojem prostem času uživa v branju, potapljanju, dolgih sprehodih v naravi in igranju namiznih iger s prijatelji.

Mohorčič Domen

Domen je magistrski študent prvega letnika programa podatkovnih ved na fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral s temo o avtomatski transkripciji glasbe s konvolucijskimi nevronskimi mrežami. Tekom študija je bil dvojni prejemnik nagrade dekanje za najboljših 5% študentov. Na fakulteti je bil Domen član laboratorija za algoritme in podatkovne strukture, kjer je razvil algoritem za optimizacijo proizvodnje linije in naredil sistem za avtomatska mesečna poročila za zunanje podjetje. Prav tako je za drugo privatno podjetje napisal algoritem za reševanje robotov, ki temelji na raziskovanju. Domen je član pihalnega orkestra Ave, kjer je tudi del odbora in moderira njihovo spletno stran. Je tudi prostovoljec pri zavodu Super Glavce, kjer je sodnik za tekmo robotov na tekmovanju FLL. V preteklosti je imel nekaj poletnih šol programiranja, kjer je učil predvsem osnovnošolce. V okviru ASEF Junior Fellowship programa bo Domen obiskal prof. Marinko Žitnik na Univerzi Harvard v ZDA, kjer bo pridobival novo znanje iz področja strojnega učenja v bioinformatiki.

Nabergoj David

David Nabergoj je na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Ljubljani pridobil naziv magister inženir računalništva in podatkovnih ved. Med študijem je sodeloval pri različnih interdisciplinarnih projektih, ki so povezovali računalništvo z zdravstvom, športom, industrijskimi aplikacijami in ostalimi področji. Trenutno se prijavlja na doktorski študij na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Ljubljani. Njegovi glavni raziskovalni interesi so umetna inteligenca in strojno učenje. Sodeluje v raziskovalni skupini Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics, kjer se ukvarja z razvojem in uporabo algoritmov za strojno učenje, predvsem na področjih Bayesove statistike in fizike. Vesel je, da se bo lahko pridružil prof. Urošu Seljaku na Univerzi Kalifornije, Berkeley in imel tam priložnost opravljanja raziskav.

Neumann Matej

Sem magistrski študent matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani, kjer sem tudi diplomiral. V naslednjem akademskem letu bom začel z doktorskem študijem matematike v ZDA. Na FMF-ju sem že od 2. letnika tudi tutor in pomagal mlajšim kolegom pri razumevanju snovi ter reševanju nalog. Tekom magisterija sem kot študent delal na Institutu Jožefa Stefana na oddelku za umetno inteligenco, kjer sem analiziral kavzalnost med indikatorji. V prostem času se veliko ukvarjam s prostovoljstvom pri ZPM. V sklopu programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bom obiskal prof. dr. Bojana Moharja, kjer bova delala na projektu s področja spektralne teorije grafov.

Novljan Jona

Jona je trenutno študent 1. letnika magisterija študija biotehnologije na Biotehniški fakulteti univerze v Ljubljani. Tekom izobraževanja je deloval na področju nevrodegenerativnih bolezni pri doc. dr. Heleni Motaln na Inštitutu Jožef Štefan, kjer je sodeloval pri raziskavah RNA-vezavnih proteinov, njihovih interakcij in lokalizacije znotraj nevronov. Kasneje je svoj študij razširil še na biologijo rastlinsko-mikrobnih interakcij v podjetju AciesBio, kjer je naredil svojo diplomo in kjer še vedno sodeluje kot raziskovalni pomočnik. Preko letošnjega poletja pa se bo pridružil laboratoriju prof. Jernej Murn na Univerzi v Kaliforniji, Riverside, kjer si želi še dodatno poglobil svoje znanje o RNA-vezavnih proteinih in metodah bioinformatske analize podatkov.  Poleg raziskovalnega dela pa Jona deluje tudi v društvu BEST (Board of European Students of Technology), kjer je so-ustanovitelj in glavni organizator dogodka Biofair. Sodeluje pa tudi pri humanitarnih projektih kot so Summerjob in Biseri.

Oblak Sara

Sara trenutno obiskuje prvi letnik magistrskega programa računalništvo in matematika na Univerzi v Ljubljani. V letu 2021 je zaključila svoj dodiplomski študij z zagovorom diplomske naloge, v kateri je z uporabo strojnega učenja razvila detektor zlorab v telekomunikacijskem omrežju z več milijoni naročnikov. Prav tako je med dodiplomskim študijem sodelovala v razvoju rešitve za zakonsko zahtevano razkritje podatkov za mobilni podatkovni promet. Zanimajo jo strojno učenje, kriptografija in uporaba umetne inteligence v medicini in biologiji. V tem letu bo obiskala prof. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford in se veseli priložnosti pridobivanja novih izkušenj v raziskovalnem delu. Na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko je Sara vključena v program tutorstva. Je tudi prejemnica štipendije MOL za nadarjene študente. V prostem času se rada ukvarja s plezanjem in potapljanjem.

Pregeljc Domen

Domen je študent Kemije z molekularno fiziko na Imperial College London. Trenutno piše magistrsko nalogo na področju strojnega učenja na grafih. Njegovi raziskovalni interesi večinoma gradijo na uporabi matematike, fizike in računalništva pri študijah pomembnih bioloških ali medicinskih problemov. Zadnjih 6 let se je s Prof. Janezom Mavrijem na Kemijskem inštitutu osredotočal na centralni živčni sistem in opisoval njegove procese na različnih velikostnih in časovnih razredih. Raziskovalne izkušnje je nabiral tudi na Univerzi v Oxfordu ter na BIA Separations. Želi si poglobiti svoje znanje gradnje modelov za študij pojavov različnih velikostnih razredov. Domen se veseli dela s prof. Andrejem Šalijem med raziskovalnim obiskom kot tudi sodelovanja v številnih ostalih aktivnostih ASEFa v prihodnjih letih.

Rebselj Jure

Jure zaključuje dodiplomski študij biotehnologije na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Svoje prve raziskovalne izkušnje je pridobil z diplomsko nalogo na temo iskanja novih encimov iz morskih mikroorganizmov. Poleg te je na katedri za mikrobiologijo in mikrobno biotehnologijo Biotehniške fakultete opravil tudi individualni raziskovalni projekt. Svoj prosti čas rad preživlja v naravi ali prebere kakšno zanimivo knjigo. Sam vidi velik pomen v nenehnem učenju in deljenju znanja z drugimi. Sodeloval je v študentski organizaciji Projekt LOKUS, v okviru katere je predaval dijakom in pisal prispevke za širšo javnost o gensko spremenjenih organizmih in njihovi uporabi. S sodelovanjem pri evropski študentski organizaciji BEST (Board of European students of technology) je sodeloval pri organizaciji poletne šole, največjega evropskega študentskega inženirskega tekmovanja in drugih dogodkov namenjenim širjenju znanja. Veseli se, da je dobil priložnost postati del organizacije ASEF, kjer bo lahko nadaljeval z organizacijo izobraževalnih dogodkov in projektov. Kot ASEF junior fellow se odpravlja na raziskovalni obisk k dr. Jerneju Uletu v London, kjer se bo pridružil raziskavam o RNA omrežjih v živčnih celicah. Zanj bo to izjemna priložnost, da lahko poglobil svoje znanje o bioinformacijskih orodjih in analizah.

Rihtaršič Martin

Martin je magistrski študent kemije na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Tekom študija se je navdušil nad organsko kemijo in želi postati raziskovalec. Raziskovalne izkušnje je nabiral v skupini profesorja Jerneja Iskre na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Sodeloval je na Študentskem projektu za družbeno korist (ŠIPK), kjer so razvili 3D natiskan molekulski set. Je tudi mentor priprav za mednarodno kemijsko olimpijado na Gimnaziji Škofja Loka in Gimnaziji Kranj. ASEF mu je omogočil raziskovalni obisk skupine profesorja Davida Šarlaha v Illinoisu, kjer se bo ukvarjal s totalno organsko sintezo. Obiska in članstva v ASEF društvu se zelo veseli. Prepričan je, da mu bo ASEF dal pomembe izkušnje in odlično priložnost graditi znanje. V prostem času rad smuča, pleza in igra odbojko na mivki. Rad tudi potuje in poskuša nenavadne jedi.

Savarin Arjana

Arjana je diplomirala na dvopredmetnem univerzitetnem študijskem programu Pedagogika in sociologija na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru. Trenutno zaključuje svoj študij na interdisciplinarnem doktorskem študijskem program Humanistika in družboslovje, s področja etnologije, kulturne in socialne antropologije na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Njena raziskava temelji na severnoameriških staroselskih in spolnih študijah. V študijskem letu 2018-19 je bila gostujoča Fulbrightova raziskovalka na Fakulteti za književnost, umetnost in družbene vede Univerze v Idahu, kjer je opravljala etnografsko terensko delo med severno-ameriškmi staroselskimi skupnostmi. Jedro njenega etnografskega raziskovanja je razumevanju vlog in poslanstva severnoameriške staroselske kulturne tradicije o mnogoterih družbeno-spolnih identifikacijah oz. današnjega gibanja »Two Spirit«. Navdušena in počaščena je, da bo lahko sodelovala s prof. Petrom J. Verovškom na Univerzi v Sheffieldu, VB, in si v okviru projekta o Jürgenu Habermasu – »Filozof kot javni intelektualec« izpopolnila svoje znanje iz političnih znanosti. V delala je na različnih socialnih, izobraževalnih in družbeno preventivnih programih. Obožuje potovanja, učenje o novih kulturah in živalskem svetu. Rada obiskuje tudi različne glasbene in kulturne prireditve. Sebe opisuje kot resnično »filmofilko«, saj ob gledanju filmov rada analizira različne kulturne reprezentacije. Poleg preživljanja prostega časa s prijatelji in družino, sledi tudi številnim družbenim iniciativam in gibanjem (kot sta »Progressive International, DiEM25). Njeno življenjsko filozofijo najbolje poosebljajo Mahatma Gandhijeve besede: »Bodi sprememba, ki si jo želiš videti v svetu«.

Škerlep Matej

Matej je trenutno magistrski študent financ na London School of Economics (LSE). Pred tem je diplomiral iz finančne matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Poleg formalnega izobraževanja, je Matej napisal tudi tri znanstvene članke, objavljene v Bančnem vestniku in matematični reviji Matrika. Leta 2020 je z ekipo zmagal na tekmovanju Innovative All-nighter. Praktične izkušnje je kot kvantitativni analitik pridobival pri Generali Investments Slovenija. V prostem času je zelo športno aktiven in rad igra tenis, odbojko na mivki, smuča, pleše in jadra. V okviru programa ASEF Junior Fellows bo raziskoval s Prof. Dawn Song na Univerzi v Kaliforniji, Berkeley.

Štepihar Denis

Denis Štepihar trenutno študira na programu Molekulska in Funkcionalna Biologija, Univerze v Ljubljani. Po končanem dodiplomskem študiju na Fakulteti za naravoslovje in matematioko v Mariboru, se je osredotočil na medicinsko stran biologije, zaradi česar je usmeril svojo kariero v nevroznanost in genetiko. V njegovih raziskavah, ki so trenutno osredotočene na fiziološko vlogo MAGE proteinov pri Prader-Willi in Schaaf-Yang sindromih, poskuša združiti klasične metode nevroznanosti in genetike, z njegovo ljubeznijo do modeliranja z nevronskimi mrežami in filogenetskimi analizami. V prostem času je prostovoljni gasilec in certificiran bolničar. Izredno je vesel, da mu je bila dana ta priložnost in komaj čaka, da spozna svojo mentorico, dr. Fon Tacer v Amarillu v Teksasu.

Stojanov Konda Jakob Timotej

Sem študent petega letnika splošne medicine na univerzi v Ljubljani in se v sklopu ASEF raziskovalnega obiska odpravljam k prof. dr. Dimitriju Kraincu na univerzo Northwestern v ZDA, kjer bom raziskoval na področju ekstrapiramidnih bolezni, kot sta Parkinsonova in Huntingtonova bolezen. Med svojim študijem sem bil aktivno vključen v dva raziskovalna projekta, od katerih je eden preučeval pojavnost stranskih učinkov obsevanja pri raku dojke, drugi pa vpliv adrenalina in inzulina na molekulo AMPK v skeletnomišičnih celicah. Obe nastali raziskovalni nalogi sta prejeli fakultetno Prešernovo nagrado medicinske fakultete, za prvo pa sem prejel tudi Krkino priznanje ter dosegel številne objave v znanstvenih revijah in konferencah. Poleg študijskih uspehov sem zelo aktiven pri Erasmus+ programu naše fakultete, posebno pri pomoči tujim študentom pri nas, trenutno pa sem tudi sam na enoletni Erasmus+ izmenjavi na medicinski fakulteti univerze v Heidelbergu v Nemčiji. Prav tako sodelujem pri dveh študentskih projektih, eden izmed katerih se ukvarja s predstavljanjem dejavnikov tveganja in metod preprečevanja srčnožilnih bolezni širši javnosti, pri drugem pa vodim ustvarjanje podcastov, ki vključujejo pogovore s strokovnjaki o različnih medicinskih oz. zdravstvenih temah. V prostem času se rad ukvarjam s športom, posebno s kolesarjenjem in fitnesom, ter družim s prijatelji. Poleg medicine me zelo zanima zgodovina, zato nemalokrat posežem tudi po kakšni zanimivi knjigi s tega področja.

Strgar Beti

Beti Strgar je igralka, pevka, pianistka in bodoča producentka in komponistka, ki je z januarjem 2022 pričela svoj študij na priznani fakulteti Berklee College of Music v Bostonu. Od nekdaj jo zanimajo prepletanja različnih umetniški smeri. V otroštvu je začela z glasbo, nadaljevala s študijem filmske režije, kasneje je svoje raziskovanje nadaljevala v svetu igre, iz katere je leta 2019 pod mentorstvom Nataše Barbare Gračner in Sebastjana Horvata na AGRFT-ju diplomirala. Leta 2020 je imela svojo magistrsko predstavo z naslovom Pišem pismo, tebi – smer gledališko petje. Med letoma 2019 in 2021 je bila članica igralskega ansambla v Slovenskem ljudskem gledališču v Celju, pojavljala se je v številnih serijah in filmih, sedaj pa se s priložnostjo za študij na Berklee College of Music spet vrača med šolske klopi in h glasbi. V prihodnosti si želi združevati vsa svoja interesna polja ter imeti svoje avtorske projekte. Želi si tudi pomagati nadarjenim posameznikom pri uresničitvi svojih sanj. Želi si prepotovati cel svet, želi si zajemati življenje s polno žlico, želi si neskončno dolgih sprehodov v naravi in zimskih skokov v morje, želi si predajati svoje znanje na mlajše generacije. Predvsem pa si želi, da bi ljudje začeli graditi lepši svet in bili prijazni drug do drugega, v kar kot prava utopistka, resnično verjame.  Zelo je počaščena, da je med prejemniki ASEF-ove štipendije, ki ji bo pomagala pri študiju v Ameriki in se veseli novih izkušenj in znanj.

Šurina Anja

Anja je magistrska študentka strojnega učenja in nevroznanosti na univerzah ETH Zurich in UZH. Tekom študija je opravila več raziskovalnih projektov, vključno z implementiranjem algoritma za učenje nevronskih mrež na "neuromorphic" čipu v IBM Research laboratoriju v Zurichu. Dodiplomski študij elektrotehnike je dokončala na Univerzi v Ljubljani. V sklopu ASEF raziskovalnega obiska bo obiskala prof. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford. V prostem času rada potuje in se ukvarja s športom, predvsem z jazz baletom, tekom in smučanjem.

Tacer Lucija

Lucija Tacer je študentka 4. letnika na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Aktivna je tudi kot predsednica Evropskega združenja študentov prava (ELSA) Slovenija in koordinatorka mentorjev na Pravni fakulteti. Pred študijem prava je končala študij ekonomije in politologije na univerzi Vanderbilt. Zanima jo raziskovanje na področju človekovih pravic in primerjalnega prava, predvsem na temo enakosti spolov. V prihodnjem letu se bo Lucija pridružila raziskovalni skupini dr. Fikfaka in prispevala k projektu Human Rights Nudge

Turkanović Nastja

Nastja je študentka dodiplomskega študija biologije na biotehniški fakulteti, Univerze v Ljubljani. Trenutno obiskuje tretji letnik študija. V zadnjem letu dodiplomskega študija bo pomagala na katedri za biokemijo. Delo raziskovalne skupine za biokemijo je osredotočeno na strukturo in delovanje beljakovin ali drugih snovi, ki se vežejo na biološke in umetne lipidne membrane ali določene receptorje v membranah, jih preoblikujejo in tvorijo transmembranske pore v lipidni plasti. V povezavi s temi procesi preučujejo potencialno uporabo teh beljakovin (ali drugih snovi) v biomedicini, farmaciji in drugod. Je članica društva študentov biologije. Je humanitarna oseba, saj je v svojem domačem kraju (Celje) sodelovala v dobrodelnem dogodku “Biti ženska”, kjer so zbirali denar za pomoč družini v stiski. Nastja se veseli novega znanja in izkušenj, ki jih bo pridobila s pomočjo mentorja prof. dr. Dimitrija Krainca na Univerzi Northwestern v Chicagu. Poleg raziskovalnega dela uživa v plesu, branju, preživljanju časa v naravi in v družbi živali.

Zdovc Anja

Anja je študentka četrtega letnika matematike in računalništva na Univerzi v Oxfordu v Veliki Britaniji. Od nekdaj jo je prav tako zanimala lingvistika in med študijem je odkrila, da lahko svoja zanimanja združi in se osredotoči na področje obdelave naravnih jezikov. Trenutno dela na dodiplomskem projektu na temo strojnega prevajanja. Anja se želi še več naučiti o različnih temah s tega področja, prav tako pa bi rada pridobila več raziskovalnih spretnosti. Zato se zelo veseli sodelovanja s profesorjem Gašperjem Begušem na Univerzi Berkeley. Anja v prostem času rada pleše, igra namizni tenis in potuje.

Barbič Špela

Špela is currently a final-year student of Laboratory biomedicine at the University of Ljubljana. Before she continues studying Biomedicine at the graduate level, she wishes to obtain more research experiences. She had her first taste of research in the summer of 2019, when she worked at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy. She then joined a project aiming to determine the role of secondary DNA structures (G4 quadruplex) in the promotor region of a specific gene. In the coming year, Špela is going to join the laboratory of prof. Jernej Murn in California, gaining research experience in the field of RNA biology. She is excited about the research visit and appreciative for the opportunity provided by the ASEF organisation.

Špela has volunteered at Slovene Philanthropy and helped with rapid antigen testing of healthcare workers during the epidemic. She is also a recipient of the MOL (City of Ljubljana) scholarship for prospective students. She enjoys running and hiking in the mountains.

Barbič Špela

Špela trenutno zaključuje zadnji letnik dodiplomskega študija Laboratorijske biomedicine na Fakulteti za farmacijo. Preden nadaljuje z magistrskim študijem iz biomedicine, želi pridobiti več raziskovalnih izkušenj. Z raziskovalnim delom se je prvič spoznala na Katedri za klinično biokemijo v poletnih mesecih 2019, kjer je kmalu zatem začela raziskovati vpliv sekundarnih DNA struktur (G4 kvadrupleksov) v promotorski regiji določenega gena. V naslednjem letu se bo pridružila laboratoriju prof. Jerneja Murna v Kaliforniji, kjer bo dobila raziskovalne izkušnje iz področja biologije RNA. Raziskovalnega obiska se zelo veseli in ceni priložnost, ki jo je dobila preko ASEF-a.

Špela svoj čas izven študija namenja tudi prostovoljnemu delu; prostovoljka je bila pri Slovenski filantropiji, v času epidemije pa je sodelovala pri hitrem testiranju zdravstvenih delavcev. Je tudi prejemnica MOL-ove štipendije za nadarjene študente. V prostem času najraje teče in hodi v gore.

Cundrič Larsen

Larsen is an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science (FRI), University of Ljubljana and is currently working on his bachelor thesis in the field of Machine Learning. Before his research visit, he is finishing his last bachelor’s semester at the Faculty of Engineering, South Denmark University, as an Erasmus exchange student. During his studies, Larsen has been working in the Laboratory of Algorithms and Data Structures. He is designing different optimization algorithms and machine learning models for the industry. Because of his passion for entrepreneurship, he also founded a natural honey cosmetics company, called Beesmetic, and wants to found a tech company in the near future. During his free time, he likes to work out and play board games with his friends and family. He also loves to learn and teach others about computer science and mathematics. That is why he also went to The Gambia, Africa, as a volunteer and helped organize summer camp workshops for kids, where he taught them Mathematics and English through different games and exercises.

Larsen is truly excited to be this year’s ASEF Junior Fellow. He can’t wait to gain new knowledge related to Artificial Intelligence under the mentorship of prof. Mateja Jamnik at Cambridge University.

Cundrič Larsen

Larsen je dodiplomski študent na Fakulteti za Računalništvo in Informatiko (FRI), Univerza v Ljubljani, in trenutno piše diplomsko nalogo iz področja strojnega učenja. Preden se bo udeležil raziskovalnega obiska, bo zaključil svoj dodiplomski študij na Facutly of Engineering, South Denmark University, kot erasmus študent. Tekom svojega študija dela v laboratoriju za algoritme in podatkovne strukture. Ustvarja razne optimizacijske algoritme in modele strojnega učenja za proizvodnjo. Zaradi svoje strasti do podjetništva, je ustanovil svoje podjetje z naravno medeno kozmetiko Beesmetic in želi v bližnji prihodnosti ustanoviti tudi tehnološko podjetje. V svojem prostem času rad telovadi in igra družabne igre s prijatelji in družino. Prav tako se rad uči in poučuje druge o računalništvu in matematiki. Zato je tudi kot prostovoljec obiskal Gambijo, kjer je pomagal organizirati poletne delavnice za otroke in jih preko različnih vaj in iger učil matematiko in angleščino.

Larsen je navdušen, da je letošnji ASEF štipendist in komaj čaka, da bo pridobil novo znanje iz področja umetne inteligence pod mentorstvom prof. Mateje Jamnik na Univerzi Cambridge.

Gorišek Maruša

Maruša Gorišek is a MA of Political Science and a PhD student of Sociology at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica. She is working as a young researcher at the Institute for developmental and strategic analyses in Ljubljana, where she is a member of a research program titled Socio-cultural and organizational aspects of knowledge and technology transfer. Her research currently focuses on the concept of meritocracy and the role of experts, knowledge and science in societies. She gained practical experiences working at the field of public relations and as a Schumann trainee at the European parliament liaison office. Already during her undergraduate studies, she participated in two international exchanges at the Masaryk University in Brno and the University of Helsinki. As a part of ASEF Junior Fellowship, she is going on a study visit to prof. Peter J. Verovšek to the University of Sheffield.

In her free time, she is mainly involved in curling, where she is also a multiple-time national champion and a member of the Slovenian national team.

SLOVENIAN
Maruša Gorišek je magistrica politologije in doktorska študentka sociologije na Fakulteti za uporabne družbene študije v Novi Gorici. Kot mlada raziskovalka je zaposlena na Inštitutu za razvojne in strateške analize, kjer je članica programske skupine Sociokulturni in organizacijski vidiki prenosa znanja in tehnologije. Trenutno se raziskovalno ukvarja predvsem s konceptom meritokracije ter vprašanjem vloge ekspertov, znanja in znanosti v družbi. Praktične izkušnje si je med drugim nabirala tudi z delom na področju odnosov z javnostmi ter v pisarni Evropskega parlamenta v okviru programa Schumannove prakse. Že tekom dodiplomskega in magistrskega študija se je udeležila dveh izmenjav na Masarykovi univerzi v Brnu ter na Univerzi v Helsinkih, v okviru ASEF Junior Fellowship pa se podaja na študijski obisk k prof. Petru J. Verovšku na Univerzo v Sheffieldu.

V prostem času se ukvarja predvsem s curlingom, kjer je tudi večkratna državna prvakinja in slovenska reprezentantka.

Gorišek Maruša

Maruša Gorišek is a MA of Political Science and a PhD student of Sociology at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica. She is working as a young researcher at the Institute for developmental and strategic analyses in Ljubljana, where she is a member of a research program titled Socio-cultural and organizational aspects of knowledge and technology transfer. Her research currently focuses on the concept of meritocracy and the role of experts, knowledge and science in societies. She gained practical experiences working at the field of public relations and as a Schumann trainee at the European parliament liaison office. Already during her undergraduate studies, she participated in two international exchanges at the Masaryk University in Brno and the University of Helsinki. As a part of ASEF Junior Fellowship, she is going on a study visit to prof. Peter J. Verovšek to the University of Sheffield.

In her free time, she is mainly involved in curling, where she is also a multiple-time national champion and a member of the Slovenian national team.

SLOVENIAN
Maruša Gorišek je magistrica politologije in doktorska študentka sociologije na Fakulteti za uporabne družbene študije v Novi Gorici. Kot mlada raziskovalka je zaposlena na Inštitutu za razvojne in strateške analize, kjer je članica programske skupine Sociokulturni in organizacijski vidiki prenosa znanja in tehnologije. Trenutno se raziskovalno ukvarja predvsem s konceptom meritokracije ter vprašanjem vloge ekspertov, znanja in znanosti v družbi. Praktične izkušnje si je med drugim nabirala tudi z delom na področju odnosov z javnostmi ter v pisarni Evropskega parlamenta v okviru programa Schumannove prakse. Že tekom dodiplomskega in magistrskega študija se je udeležila dveh izmenjav na Masarykovi univerzi v Brnu ter na Univerzi v Helsinkih, v okviru ASEF Junior Fellowship pa se podaja na študijski obisk k prof. Petru J. Verovšku na Univerzo v Sheffieldu.

V prostem času se ukvarja predvsem s curlingom, kjer je tudi večkratna državna prvakinja in slovenska reprezentantka.

Grad Gašper

Gašper Grad is a Master’s student at University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business where he also obtained his bachelor’s degree. During his studies he has participated in study exchanges at Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Spain) and Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mexico). At his home university, he carries out seminars of human resources management for undergraduate students. Furthemore, he is an active member of student’s society TopEF and a co-founder of the business hackathon Innovative all-nighter. His main field of research interest is organisational psychology. Thanks to ASEF he will join forces with prof. Tina Saksida on his research visit in Canada. His favorite spare time activities are sports, dancing and socializing.

SLOVENIAN
Gašper Grad je magistrski študent na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Tekom študija se je udeležil izmenjav na Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Španija) in na Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mehika). Na domači fakulteti vodi seminarje za dodiplomske študente pri predmetu Ravnanje z ljudmi pri delu. Poleg tega je aktiven član študentskega društva TopEF in soustanovitelj poslovnega hekatona Innovative all-nighter. Področje, ki ga z raziskovalnega vidika najbolj privlači, je organizacijska psihologija. S pomočjo ASEF bo na svojem raziskovalnem obisku v Kanadi združil moči s prof. Tino Saksida. Njegove najljubše prostočasne aktivnosti so šport, ples in druženje.

Grad Gašper

Gašper Grad is a Master’s student at University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business where he also obtained his bachelor’s degree. During his studies he has participated in study exchanges at Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Spain) and Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mexico). At his home university, he carries out seminars of human resources management for undergraduate students. Furthemore, he is an active member of student’s society TopEF and a co-founder of the business hackathon Innovative all-nighter. His main field of research interest is organisational psychology. Thanks to ASEF he will join forces with prof. Tina Saksida on his research visit in Canada. His favorite spare time activities are sports, dancing and socializing.

SLOVENIAN
Gašper Grad je magistrski študent na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Tekom študija se je udeležil izmenjav na Universidad de Deusto (San Sebastian, Španija) in na Tecnologico de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mehika). Na domači fakulteti vodi seminarje za dodiplomske študente pri predmetu Ravnanje z ljudmi pri delu. Poleg tega je aktiven član študentskega društva TopEF in soustanovitelj poslovnega hekatona Innovative all-nighter. Področje, ki ga z raziskovalnega vidika najbolj privlači, je organizacijska psihologija. S pomočjo ASEF bo na svojem raziskovalnem obisku v Kanadi združil moči s prof. Tino Saksida. Njegove najljubše prostočasne aktivnosti so šport, ples in druženje.

Jazbec Metod

Metod recently graduated from the Masters in Data Science program at ETH Zurich. Before that, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Financial Mathematics at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. Throughout his Masters, he worked on various research projects, ranging from developing privacy-preserving Machine Learning algorithms to analyzing the dynamics of financial markets based on the news sentiment. In his thesis work, Metod focused on the area of deep probabilistic modelling, namely on improving the scaling properties of such models. Outside of studies and work, Metod enjoys travelling and all kinds of sports (basketball, skiing, tennis). He is excited to join the ASEF Junior Fellows program and ASEF’s mission to strengthen academic ties between Slovenian researchers back home and abroad. As part of the program, he will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University.

SLOVENIAN
Metod je pred kratkim zaključil magistrski študij na področju Data Science na univerzi ETH v Zürichu. Pred tem je diplomiral iz finančne matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani. Tekom magisterija je delal na različnih Machine Learning raziskovalnih projektih: od razvoja algoritmov, ki slonijo na ohranitvi zasebnosti podatkov do analize dinamike finančnih trgov na podlagi sentimenta iz novic. V svoji magistrski nalogi se je osredotočil na področje globokih probabilističnih modelov. V prostem času Metod uživa v potovanjih in je športni navdušenec (košarka, smučanje, tenis). V okviru programa ASEF bo obiskal profesorja Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford in se veseli, da bo lahko prispeval k krepitvi akademskih vezi med slovenskimi raziskovalci doma in v tujini.

Jazbec Metod

Metod recently graduated from the Masters in Data Science program at ETH Zurich. Before that, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Financial Mathematics at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. Throughout his Masters, he worked on various research projects, ranging from developing privacy-preserving Machine Learning algorithms to analyzing the dynamics of financial markets based on the news sentiment. In his thesis work, Metod focused on the area of deep probabilistic modelling, namely on improving the scaling properties of such models. Outside of studies and work, Metod enjoys travelling and all kinds of sports (basketball, skiing, tennis). He is excited to join the ASEF Junior Fellows program and ASEF’s mission to strengthen academic ties between Slovenian researchers back home and abroad. As part of the program, he will visit Prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University.

SLOVENIAN
Metod je pred kratkim zaključil magistrski študij na področju Data Science na univerzi ETH v Zürichu. Pred tem je diplomiral iz finančne matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani. Tekom magisterija je delal na različnih Machine Learning raziskovalnih projektih: od razvoja algoritmov, ki slonijo na ohranitvi zasebnosti podatkov do analize dinamike finančnih trgov na podlagi sentimenta iz novic. V svoji magistrski nalogi se je osredotočil na področje globokih probabilističnih modelov. V prostem času Metod uživa v potovanjih in je športni navdušenec (košarka, smučanje, tenis). V okviru programa ASEF bo obiskal profesorja Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford in se veseli, da bo lahko prispeval k krepitvi akademskih vezi med slovenskimi raziskovalci doma in v tujini.

Keršič Vid

Vid Keršič is a Computer Science Master's student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, where he also obtained his bachelor's degree in Computer Science. In the year 2020, he was selected as the 2nd best student at the University of Maribor. During his bachelor's degree studies, he started working at the Blockchain Lab:UM at the faculty, researching blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, data privacy, and self-sovereign identity. He is also researching and developing machine learning models for learning representation of entities in graph-structured data (e.g., Wikipedia graph). As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Vid will visit prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University, to work on artificial intelligence-related projects. He is very excited about the research visit, which will surely help him learn many new skills for his future projects.

During his spare time, Vid likes to travel, play tennis, read science fiction books, and watch movies and documentaries.

SLOVENIAN
Vid Keršič je študent magistrskega študija Računalništva in informacijskih tehnologij na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Mariboru, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Leta 2020 je bil izbran za drugega najboljšega študenta Univerze v Mariboru. Tekom diplomskega študija je na fakulteti začel sodelovati v skupini Blockchain Lab:UM, v sklopu katere raziskuje tehnologijo veriženja blokov, zasebnost podatkov in upravljanje digitalnih identitet. Aktiven je tudi pri razvoju in raziskovanju modelov strojnega učenja za učenje predstavitve entitet v podatkih v obliki grafa (na primer graf Wikipedije). V sklopu programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo Vid obiskal prof. dr. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford, kjer bo delal na projektih s področja umetne inteligence. Raziskovalnega obiska se zelo veseli, saj mu bo gotovo pomagal pridobiti nove veščine, ki mu bodo pomagale pri bodočih projektih.

V prostem času rad potuje, igra tenis, bere znanstveno-fantastične knjige in gleda filme ter dokumentarce.

Keršič Vid

Vid Keršič is a Computer Science Master's student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, where he also obtained his bachelor's degree in Computer Science. In the year 2020, he was selected as the 2nd best student at the University of Maribor. During his bachelor's degree studies, he started working at the Blockchain Lab:UM at the faculty, researching blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, data privacy, and self-sovereign identity. He is also researching and developing machine learning models for learning representation of entities in graph-structured data (e.g., Wikipedia graph). As part of the ASEF Junior Fellowship program, Vid will visit prof. Jure Leskovec at Stanford University, to work on artificial intelligence-related projects. He is very excited about the research visit, which will surely help him learn many new skills for his future projects.

During his spare time, Vid likes to travel, play tennis, read science fiction books, and watch movies and documentaries.

SLOVENIAN
Vid Keršič je študent magistrskega študija Računalništva in informacijskih tehnologij na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, računalništvo in informatiko Univerze v Mariboru, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Leta 2020 je bil izbran za drugega najboljšega študenta Univerze v Mariboru. Tekom diplomskega študija je na fakulteti začel sodelovati v skupini Blockchain Lab:UM, v sklopu katere raziskuje tehnologijo veriženja blokov, zasebnost podatkov in upravljanje digitalnih identitet. Aktiven je tudi pri razvoju in raziskovanju modelov strojnega učenja za učenje predstavitve entitet v podatkih v obliki grafa (na primer graf Wikipedije). V sklopu programa ASEF Junior Fellowship bo Vid obiskal prof. dr. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford, kjer bo delal na projektih s področja umetne inteligence. Raziskovalnega obiska se zelo veseli, saj mu bo gotovo pomagal pridobiti nove veščine, ki mu bodo pomagale pri bodočih projektih.

V prostem času rad potuje, igra tenis, bere znanstveno-fantastične knjige in gleda filme ter dokumentarce.

Klanšek Rhea

A Slovenian raised in the US, Rhea is pursuing a Masters of Business Informatics at the School of Economics and Business (SEB) University of Ljubljana. As the Project Manager at BLCKB Applied Neuroscience, she primarily focuses on the product development of Whitebox, a cloud platform for processing EEG as well as BRNoutID, a system for fatigue detection. Her research on neuromarketing data made her a finalist for the science breakthrough of 2020 at the Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week Conference. She joined BLCKB after COVID19 interrupted her work developing AI movie trailers performance predictions in Dublin’s startup Picasso Analytics founded in collaboration with her colleagues from Prague Film School. Her interest in neuroscience started with her volunteer work in Epilep.si where she was part of the team that achieved the top 5 NASA Space Challenge in 2015 and IEEE Brain hackathon award for the most humanitarian startup in 2016. As an ASEF fellow, Rhea will research at the University of Wyoming, on projects pertaining to biomedical signal processing, sensor fusion and virtual reality, under the mentorship of prof. Domen Novak.

In her spare time, Rhea is an avid fan of comic books and has successfully self-published a History of American comics on Kickstarter. She also edits films and loves going to film festivals.

SLOVENIAN
Rhea – Slovenka, ki je odraščala v ZDA – opravlja magisterij iz poslovne informatike na Ekonomski Fakulteti (SEB) Univerze v Ljubljani. Kot vodja projekta pri aplikativnem nevroznanstvenem startupu BLCKB, se Rhea osredotoča na razvoj projektov Whitebox, oblačne platforme za obdelavo EEG-jev, ter BRNoutID, sistema za odkrivanje utrujenosti. Njene raziskave na nevromarketinških meritvah so jo pripeljale med finaliste znanstvenega preboja leta 2020 na konferenci Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week. Startupu BLCKB se je pridružila potem, ko je COVID-19 prekinil njeno delo v dublinskem startupu Picasso Analytics, ustanovljenem v sodelovanju z njenimi kolegi iz praške filmske šole. V Dublinu se je osredotočala na razvoj napovedovanja uspešnosti filmskih trailerjev z AI. Njeno zanimanje za nevroznanost se je začelo s prostovoljnim delom v Epilep.si, kjer je bila del ekipe, ki je leta 2015 dosegla top 5 NASA Space Challenge in IEEE Brain hackathon Award za najbolj humanitarni startup v letu 2016. Kot ASEF fellow bo Rhea pod mentorstvom prof. Domna Novaka raziskovala na Univerzi v Wyomingu biomedicinsko obdelavo signalov, fuzijo senzorjev in navidezno resničnost.

V prostem času je Rhea ljubiteljica stripov in je na Kickstarterju uspešno izdala Zgodovino ameriških animacij. Ureja tudi filme in rada hodi na filmske festivale.

Klanšek Rhea

A Slovenian raised in the US, Rhea is pursuing a Masters of Business Informatics at the School of Economics and Business (SEB) University of Ljubljana. As the Project Manager at BLCKB Applied Neuroscience, she primarily focuses on the product development of Whitebox, a cloud platform for processing EEG as well as BRNoutID, a system for fatigue detection. Her research on neuromarketing data made her a finalist for the science breakthrough of 2020 at the Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week Conference. She joined BLCKB after COVID19 interrupted her work developing AI movie trailers performance predictions in Dublin’s startup Picasso Analytics founded in collaboration with her colleagues from Prague Film School. Her interest in neuroscience started with her volunteer work in Epilep.si where she was part of the team that achieved the top 5 NASA Space Challenge in 2015 and IEEE Brain hackathon award for the most humanitarian startup in 2016. As an ASEF fellow, Rhea will research at the University of Wyoming, on projects pertaining to biomedical signal processing, sensor fusion and virtual reality, under the mentorship of prof. Domen Novak.

In her spare time, Rhea is an avid fan of comic books and has successfully self-published a History of American comics on Kickstarter. She also edits films and loves going to film festivals.

SLOVENIAN
Rhea – Slovenka, ki je odraščala v ZDA – opravlja magisterij iz poslovne informatike na Ekonomski Fakulteti (SEB) Univerze v Ljubljani. Kot vodja projekta pri aplikativnem nevroznanstvenem startupu BLCKB, se Rhea osredotoča na razvoj projektov Whitebox, oblačne platforme za obdelavo EEG-jev, ter BRNoutID, sistema za odkrivanje utrujenosti. Njene raziskave na nevromarketinških meritvah so jo pripeljale med finaliste znanstvenega preboja leta 2020 na konferenci Falling Walls & Berlin Science Week. Startupu BLCKB se je pridružila potem, ko je COVID-19 prekinil njeno delo v dublinskem startupu Picasso Analytics, ustanovljenem v sodelovanju z njenimi kolegi iz praške filmske šole. V Dublinu se je osredotočala na razvoj napovedovanja uspešnosti filmskih trailerjev z AI. Njeno zanimanje za nevroznanost se je začelo s prostovoljnim delom v Epilep.si, kjer je bila del ekipe, ki je leta 2015 dosegla top 5 NASA Space Challenge in IEEE Brain hackathon Award za najbolj humanitarni startup v letu 2016. Kot ASEF fellow bo Rhea pod mentorstvom prof. Domna Novaka raziskovala na Univerzi v Wyomingu biomedicinsko obdelavo signalov, fuzijo senzorjev in navidezno resničnost.

V prostem času je Rhea ljubiteljica stripov in je na Kickstarterju uspešno izdala Zgodovino ameriških animacij. Ureja tudi filme in rada hodi na filmske festivale.

Knez Lea

Lea Knez is a Biochemistry Master’s student at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. During her Bachelor’s studies, she worked at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where her research was focused on uncovering the molecular mechanism of a rare genetic disease – the Prader-Willi syndrome. In the last year of her studies in Ljubljana, she was selected to participate in the TRANS-GLIOMA project at the Faculty of Medicine to develop nanobodies that target novel glioblastoma stem cell markers. This summer Lea will have the amazing opportunity to join the research group of Prof. Jernej Ule at The Francis Crick Institute in London, where she will explore the dynamic world of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins and their involvement in neurodegenerative diseases. She is a strong believer that real growth begins at the end of one's comfort zone. That is why she welcomes the set of challenges that come with this opportunity, as she sees them as key components to her personal and scientific growth.

When Lea is not pipetting in the lab, she transfers her experiments into the kitchen, where she likes to try out new dishes and combinations of flavours. She also enjoys reading good books, travelling, discovering new cultures and exploring art.

SLOVENIAN
Lea Knez je magistrska študentka biokemije na Univerzi Ludwiga Maximiliana v Münchnu. Tekom dodiplomskega študija biokemije je na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan raziskovala molekularno ozadje redke genetske bolezni – Prader-Willijevega sindroma. V zadnjem letu študija v Ljubljani je bila izbrana za sodelovanje v projektu TRANS-GLIOMA na Medicinski Fakulteti, v sklopu katerega je razvijala nanotelesa, ki specifično prepoznajo markerje glioblastomskih matičnih celic. Letošnje leto pa se je Lei ponudila izjemna priložnost, saj bo v okviru ASEFA obiskala prof. Jerneja Uleta na Inštitutu Francis Crick v Londonu, kjer bo raziskovala dinamični svet RNA in RNA-vezavnih proteinov ter njihovo vpletenost v nevrodegenerativne bolezni. Ker verjame, da se resnična rast začne, ko izstopiš iz cone udobja, je ni strah izzvov, ki prihajajo skupaj s ponujeno priložnostjo, saj jih vidi kot ključne komponente svoje osebne in znanstvene rasti.

Ko Lea ne pipetira v laboratoriju, svoje eksperimentiranje preseli v kuhinjo, kjer rada odkriva nove jedi in kombinacije okusov. Poleg tega rada bere dobre knjige, potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter odkriva umetnost.

Knez Lea

Lea Knez is a Biochemistry Master’s student at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. During her Bachelor’s studies, she worked at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where her research was focused on uncovering the molecular mechanism of a rare genetic disease – the Prader-Willi syndrome. In the last year of her studies in Ljubljana, she was selected to participate in the TRANS-GLIOMA project at the Faculty of Medicine to develop nanobodies that target novel glioblastoma stem cell markers. This summer Lea will have the amazing opportunity to join the research group of Prof. Jernej Ule at The Francis Crick Institute in London, where she will explore the dynamic world of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins and their involvement in neurodegenerative diseases. She is a strong believer that real growth begins at the end of one's comfort zone. That is why she welcomes the set of challenges that come with this opportunity, as she sees them as key components to her personal and scientific growth.

When Lea is not pipetting in the lab, she transfers her experiments into the kitchen, where she likes to try out new dishes and combinations of flavours. She also enjoys reading good books, travelling, discovering new cultures and exploring art.

SLOVENIAN
Lea Knez je magistrska študentka biokemije na Univerzi Ludwiga Maximiliana v Münchnu. Tekom dodiplomskega študija biokemije je na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan raziskovala molekularno ozadje redke genetske bolezni – Prader-Willijevega sindroma. V zadnjem letu študija v Ljubljani je bila izbrana za sodelovanje v projektu TRANS-GLIOMA na Medicinski Fakulteti, v sklopu katerega je razvijala nanotelesa, ki specifično prepoznajo markerje glioblastomskih matičnih celic. Letošnje leto pa se je Lei ponudila izjemna priložnost, saj bo v okviru ASEFA obiskala prof. Jerneja Uleta na Inštitutu Francis Crick v Londonu, kjer bo raziskovala dinamični svet RNA in RNA-vezavnih proteinov ter njihovo vpletenost v nevrodegenerativne bolezni. Ker verjame, da se resnična rast začne, ko izstopiš iz cone udobja, je ni strah izzvov, ki prihajajo skupaj s ponujeno priložnostjo, saj jih vidi kot ključne komponente svoje osebne in znanstvene rasti.

Ko Lea ne pipetira v laboratoriju, svoje eksperimentiranje preseli v kuhinjo, kjer rada odkriva nove jedi in kombinacije okusov. Poleg tega rada bere dobre knjige, potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter odkriva umetnost.

Knez Špela

Špela is a second-year PhD student of Biosciences, University of Ljubljana. During her master's study of Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana, she worked as a student intern in Novartis company- Lek, d.d., in a Bioprocess laboratory, developing high yielding bioprocesses. She finished her master's degree as a part of Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Natural resources and Life sciences, Vienna, working on a metabolic model of CHO cells. After that, she spent a semester in Max-Delbrück centre for molecular medicine, Berlin, where she enthusiastically joined a project that aims to develop an autonomous cell-engineering approach for B cells.

Now, Špela focuses on innate immunity, especially on Toll-like receptor 10. She feels honoured to be accepted to prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where she will be working on crystal domains of TLR10. She's a big enthusiast of nature and outdoor sport, and spends her spare time alpine climbing, hiking the mountains or backcountry skiing.

SLOVENIAN
Špela je študentka drugega letnika doktorskega študija Bioznanosti, Univerza v Ljubljani. Med magistrskim študijem Biotehnologije, Univerza v Ljubljani je kot študentka delala v podjetju Novartis -Lek, d.d., v bioprocesnem laboratoriju in razvijala visoko donosne procese. Magistrirala je v okviru izmenjave Erasmus+ na Univerzi za naravne vire in znanosti o življenju na Dunaju, kjer razvijala metabolični model celic CHO. Po tem je preživela semester v centru za molekularno medicino Max-Delbrück v Berlinu, kjer se je navdušeno pridružila projektu, katerega cilj je razviti avtonomni celični inženiring za celice B.

Zdaj se Špela osredotoča na prirojeno imunost, zlasti na cestninsko podoben receptor 10. Počaščena je, da je bila sprejeta v laboratorij prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe na Univerzi Queensland v Brisbane, kjer bo delala na kristalnih domenah TLR10. Je velika navdušenka nad naravo in športom na prostem, v prostem času se ukvarja z alpinizmom, pohodništvom in turnim smučanjem.

Knez Špela

Špela is a second-year PhD student of Biosciences, University of Ljubljana. During her master's study of Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana, she worked as a student intern in Novartis company- Lek, d.d., in a Bioprocess laboratory, developing high yielding bioprocesses. She finished her master's degree as a part of Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Natural resources and Life sciences, Vienna, working on a metabolic model of CHO cells. After that, she spent a semester in Max-Delbrück centre for molecular medicine, Berlin, where she enthusiastically joined a project that aims to develop an autonomous cell-engineering approach for B cells.

Now, Špela focuses on innate immunity, especially on Toll-like receptor 10. She feels honoured to be accepted to prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where she will be working on crystal domains of TLR10. She's a big enthusiast of nature and outdoor sport, and spends her spare time alpine climbing, hiking the mountains or backcountry skiing.

SLOVENIAN
Špela je študentka drugega letnika doktorskega študija Bioznanosti, Univerza v Ljubljani. Med magistrskim študijem Biotehnologije, Univerza v Ljubljani je kot študentka delala v podjetju Novartis -Lek, d.d., v bioprocesnem laboratoriju in razvijala visoko donosne procese. Magistrirala je v okviru izmenjave Erasmus+ na Univerzi za naravne vire in znanosti o življenju na Dunaju, kjer razvijala metabolični model celic CHO. Po tem je preživela semester v centru za molekularno medicino Max-Delbrück v Berlinu, kjer se je navdušeno pridružila projektu, katerega cilj je razviti avtonomni celični inženiring za celice B.

Zdaj se Špela osredotoča na prirojeno imunost, zlasti na cestninsko podoben receptor 10. Počaščena je, da je bila sprejeta v laboratorij prof. dr. Boštjan Kobe na Univerzi Queensland v Brisbane, kjer bo delala na kristalnih domenah TLR10. Je velika navdušenka nad naravo in športom na prostem, v prostem času se ukvarja z alpinizmom, pohodništvom in turnim smučanjem.

Krišelj Ajda

Ajda Krišelj recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a 1st class honours MA degree in Cognitive Science (Humanities). For her honours dissertation, she explored the differences in mental representations between Slovenian and English native speakers, specifically how the dual grammatical number affects them. She spent the third year of her undergraduate degree in New Zealand studying at the University of Auckland, where she actively engaged with the Slovenian community. Currently, she is working as an Academic Mentor in a primary school in London, where she is doing interventions in primary numeracy and trying to tackle the gaps in pupil’s knowledge caused by the school closures. She is hoping to pursue a master's degree in Speech and Language Science at UCL later.

She is very honoured for the opportunity to explore linguistic intricacies further by visiting prof. Gašper Beguš at UC Berkeley as an ASEF Junior Fellow. She is excited to contribute to research about how language works in the brain and applying that to clinical practice. In her free time, she enjoys playing the harp, singing in a choir, climbing, and mountaineering. She likes to travel and meet new people as well.

SLOVENIAN
Ajda Krišelj je pred kratkim z odliko diplomirala iz kognitivne znanosti na Univerzi v Edinburghu. Za diplomsko nalogo je raziskovala, kako se mentalne reprezentacije razlikujejo med maternimi govorci slovenščine in angleščine, bolj natančno, kako na njih vpliva dvojina. Tretji letnik je preživela na Novi Zelandiji, kjer je študirala na Univerzi v Aucklandu. Aktivno se je vključila v tamkajšnjo slovensko skupnost. Trenutno dela kot akademska mentorica na osnovni šoli v Londonu, kjer pomaga učencem, ki so zaradi zaprtja šol ostali za svojimi vrstniki. Upa, da bo naslednje leto nadaljevala študij jezikoslovja in logopedije na magistrski stopnji v Londonu.

Zelo je počaščena, da bo lahko nadaljevala svoje lingvistično raziskovanje med obiskom pri prof. Gašperju Begušu na univerzi Berkeley v Kaliforniji. V prostem času rada igra harfo, poje v zboru, pleza in hodi v gore. Rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove ljudi.

Krišelj Ajda

Ajda Krišelj recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a 1st class honours MA degree in Cognitive Science (Humanities). For her honours dissertation, she explored the differences in mental representations between Slovenian and English native speakers, specifically how the dual grammatical number affects them. She spent the third year of her undergraduate degree in New Zealand studying at the University of Auckland, where she actively engaged with the Slovenian community. Currently, she is working as an Academic Mentor in a primary school in London, where she is doing interventions in primary numeracy and trying to tackle the gaps in pupil’s knowledge caused by the school closures. She is hoping to pursue a master's degree in Speech and Language Science at UCL later.

She is very honoured for the opportunity to explore linguistic intricacies further by visiting prof. Gašper Beguš at UC Berkeley as an ASEF Junior Fellow. She is excited to contribute to research about how language works in the brain and applying that to clinical practice. In her free time, she enjoys playing the harp, singing in a choir, climbing, and mountaineering. She likes to travel and meet new people as well.

SLOVENIAN
Ajda Krišelj je pred kratkim z odliko diplomirala iz kognitivne znanosti na Univerzi v Edinburghu. Za diplomsko nalogo je raziskovala, kako se mentalne reprezentacije razlikujejo med maternimi govorci slovenščine in angleščine, bolj natančno, kako na njih vpliva dvojina. Tretji letnik je preživela na Novi Zelandiji, kjer je študirala na Univerzi v Aucklandu. Aktivno se je vključila v tamkajšnjo slovensko skupnost. Trenutno dela kot akademska mentorica na osnovni šoli v Londonu, kjer pomaga učencem, ki so zaradi zaprtja šol ostali za svojimi vrstniki. Upa, da bo naslednje leto nadaljevala študij jezikoslovja in logopedije na magistrski stopnji v Londonu.

Zelo je počaščena, da bo lahko nadaljevala svoje lingvistično raziskovanje med obiskom pri prof. Gašperju Begušu na univerzi Berkeley v Kaliforniji. V prostem času rada igra harfo, poje v zboru, pleza in hodi v gore. Rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove ljudi.

Krivec Tadej

Tadej Krivec is pursuing a Ph.D. at Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Systems and Control. He graduated from college with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He aims to bridge the gap between engineering and recent developments in probabilistic machine learning, mostly using Gaussian Processes for learning dynamical systems. Frustrated by the uncertainty in the world, he prefers a probabilistic approach to model from data. He will be visiting professor Gregor Verbič at the Centre for Future Energy Networks, University of Sydney, where he will try to contribute to solving the sustainable energy supply puzzle which holds the key to the prosperity of humankind.

Tadej’s free time is consumed with sports, from his favorite cycling to running, swimming, hiking, skiing, and lately also free climbing. Only the list of his injuries is longer than the list of sports he participates in.

SLOVENIAN
Tadej Krivec je mladi raziskovalec na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, Oddelek za sisteme in vodenje. Diplomiral in magistriral je na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani. Njegov cilj je premostiti vrzel med inženiringom in aktualnim razvojem verjetnostnega strojnega učenja, večinoma z uporabo gaussovskih procesov za modeliranje dinamičnih sistemov. Zaradi pristotnosti negotovosti v svetu preferira verjetnostni pristop za modeliranje iz podatkov. Obiskal bo profesorja Gregorja Verbiča v Centru za prihodnost energetskih omrežij na Univerzi v Sydneyju, kjer bo poskušal prispevati k reševanju uganke o trajnostni oskrbi z energijo, ki bo ključna za blaginjo človeštva v prihodnosti.

Tadejev prosti čas je zapolnjen s športom, od njemu najljubšega kolesarjenja do teka, plavanja, pohodništva, smučanja, v zadnjem času pa tudi plezanja. Le seznam njegovih poškodb je daljši od seznama športov s katerimi se ukvarja.

Krivec Tadej

Tadej Krivec is pursuing a Ph.D. at Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Systems and Control. He graduated from college with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He aims to bridge the gap between engineering and recent developments in probabilistic machine learning, mostly using Gaussian Processes for learning dynamical systems. Frustrated by the uncertainty in the world, he prefers a probabilistic approach to model from data. He will be visiting professor Gregor Verbič at the Centre for Future Energy Networks, University of Sydney, where he will try to contribute to solving the sustainable energy supply puzzle which holds the key to the prosperity of humankind.

Tadej’s free time is consumed with sports, from his favorite cycling to running, swimming, hiking, skiing, and lately also free climbing. Only the list of his injuries is longer than the list of sports he participates in.

SLOVENIAN
Tadej Krivec je mladi raziskovalec na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, Oddelek za sisteme in vodenje. Diplomiral in magistriral je na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani. Njegov cilj je premostiti vrzel med inženiringom in aktualnim razvojem verjetnostnega strojnega učenja, večinoma z uporabo gaussovskih procesov za modeliranje dinamičnih sistemov. Zaradi pristotnosti negotovosti v svetu preferira verjetnostni pristop za modeliranje iz podatkov. Obiskal bo profesorja Gregorja Verbiča v Centru za prihodnost energetskih omrežij na Univerzi v Sydneyju, kjer bo poskušal prispevati k reševanju uganke o trajnostni oskrbi z energijo, ki bo ključna za blaginjo človeštva v prihodnosti.

Tadejev prosti čas je zapolnjen s športom, od njemu najljubšega kolesarjenja do teka, plavanja, pohodništva, smučanja, v zadnjem času pa tudi plezanja. Le seznam njegovih poškodb je daljši od seznama športov s katerimi se ukvarja.

Kropivnik Luka

Luka Kropivnik has a degree in Russian Studies and Slovene Studies. He completed his studies at the first level with a diploma thesis Mayakovsky in Contemporary Slovene Poetry, where he dealt with the influences of the Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky on contemporary Slovene poets. Between 2017 and 2019, he held the position of student vice-dean at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Luka Kropivnik is currently completing the study program Slovene Studies and History, and at the same time he is studying ethnology and cultural anthropology and comparative literature and literary theory at the master's level. He mostly focuses on issues of contemporary Slovene literature, contemporary Slovene history and didactics of literature.

As part of ASEF, Luka Kropivnik will visit dr. Kaja Antlej at the Deakin University in Australia, where he will deal with contemporary museum presentations and the Slovenian community in Australia.

SLOVENIAN
Luka Kropivnik je diplomirani rusist in slovenist. Študij na prvi stopnji je zaključil z diplomsko nalogo Majakovski v sodobni slovenski poeziji, kjer se je ukvarjal z vplivi ruskega pesnika Vladimirja Majakovskega na sodobne slovenske pesnike. Med leti 2017 in 2019 je opravljal funkcijo prodekana študenta na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Luka Kropivnik trenutno zaključuje študijski program slovenistika in zgodovina, vzporedno pa na magistrski stopnji študira še etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo in primerjalno književnost in literarno teorijo. Večinoma se posveča vprašanjem sodobne slovenske književnosti, sodobne slovenske zgodovine in didaktike književnosti.

V okviru ASEF bo Luka Kropivnik gostoval na Univerzi Deakin v Avstraliji pri dr. Kaji Antlej, kjer se bo ukvarjal s sodobnimi muzejskimi prezenatcijami in slovensko skupnostjo v Avstraliji.

Kropivnik Luka

Luka Kropivnik has a degree in Russian Studies and Slovene Studies. He completed his studies at the first level with a diploma thesis Mayakovsky in Contemporary Slovene Poetry, where he dealt with the influences of the Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky on contemporary Slovene poets. Between 2017 and 2019, he held the position of student vice-dean at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Luka Kropivnik is currently completing the study program Slovene Studies and History, and at the same time he is studying ethnology and cultural anthropology and comparative literature and literary theory at the master's level. He mostly focuses on issues of contemporary Slovene literature, contemporary Slovene history and didactics of literature.

As part of ASEF, Luka Kropivnik will visit dr. Kaja Antlej at the Deakin University in Australia, where he will deal with contemporary museum presentations and the Slovenian community in Australia.

SLOVENIAN
Luka Kropivnik je diplomirani rusist in slovenist. Študij na prvi stopnji je zaključil z diplomsko nalogo Majakovski v sodobni slovenski poeziji, kjer se je ukvarjal z vplivi ruskega pesnika Vladimirja Majakovskega na sodobne slovenske pesnike. Med leti 2017 in 2019 je opravljal funkcijo prodekana študenta na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Luka Kropivnik trenutno zaključuje študijski program slovenistika in zgodovina, vzporedno pa na magistrski stopnji študira še etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo in primerjalno književnost in literarno teorijo. Večinoma se posveča vprašanjem sodobne slovenske književnosti, sodobne slovenske zgodovine in didaktike književnosti.

V okviru ASEF bo Luka Kropivnik gostoval na Univerzi Deakin v Avstraliji pri dr. Kaji Antlej, kjer se bo ukvarjal s sodobnimi muzejskimi prezenatcijami in slovensko skupnostjo v Avstraliji.

Mlakar Tjaša

Tjaša Mlakar graduated from Laboratory biomedicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. After graduation, she went to Ireland, where she completed a four-month Erasmus+ trainee program working with flow cytometry at Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Due to her great experience, she decided to stay in Ireland and pursue an MSc in Molecular medicine at Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin. She graduated with awarded distinction and continued her studies in Ljubljana where she is currently a first-year student of the master's program in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical technology. In her free time, she loves to go horse riding as she has been an equestrian for many years. She also loves to travel and experience new cultures and meet new people.

ASEF fellowship enabled her to collaborate with professor Jernej Murn at the University of California, Riverside, whose research group focuses on researching biology of RNA molecules. She is really excited about the collaboration as it is a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and practical experiences.

SLOVENIAN
Tjaša Mlakar je diplomirala iz laboratorijske biomedicine na Fakulteti za farmacijo v Ljubljani. Po končanem študiju je na Irskem opravila štirimesečno Erasmus+ praktično usposabljanje iz pretočne citometrije na Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Zaradi dobre izkušnje na Irskem je ostala v Dublinu in opravila magisterij iz molekularne medicine na Trinity College Dublin, Univerza v Dublinu. Po zaključenem magisteriju nadaljuje študij še v Ljubljani, kjer je trenutno prvi letnik magistrskega študija biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo. V prostem času se že vrsto let ukvarja s konjeništvom, rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter ljudi.

V okviru ASEF-a bo sodelovala s profesorjem Jernejem Murnom iz Univerze v Kaliforniji, Riverside, ki se ukvarja predvsem z raziskovanjem biologije RNA. Sodelovanja se že zelo veseli, saj je to odlična priložnost, ki ji bo omogočila nadgraditi znanje in pridobiti dragocene praktične izkušnje.

Mlakar Tjaša

Tjaša Mlakar graduated from Laboratory biomedicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. After graduation, she went to Ireland, where she completed a four-month Erasmus+ trainee program working with flow cytometry at Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Due to her great experience, she decided to stay in Ireland and pursue an MSc in Molecular medicine at Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin. She graduated with awarded distinction and continued her studies in Ljubljana where she is currently a first-year student of the master's program in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical technology. In her free time, she loves to go horse riding as she has been an equestrian for many years. She also loves to travel and experience new cultures and meet new people.

ASEF fellowship enabled her to collaborate with professor Jernej Murn at the University of California, Riverside, whose research group focuses on researching biology of RNA molecules. She is really excited about the collaboration as it is a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and practical experiences.

SLOVENIAN
Tjaša Mlakar je diplomirala iz laboratorijske biomedicine na Fakulteti za farmacijo v Ljubljani. Po končanem študiju je na Irskem opravila štirimesečno Erasmus+ praktično usposabljanje iz pretočne citometrije na Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin. Zaradi dobre izkušnje na Irskem je ostala v Dublinu in opravila magisterij iz molekularne medicine na Trinity College Dublin, Univerza v Dublinu. Po zaključenem magisteriju nadaljuje študij še v Ljubljani, kjer je trenutno prvi letnik magistrskega študija biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo. V prostem času se že vrsto let ukvarja s konjeništvom, rada tudi potuje in spoznava nove kulture ter ljudi.

V okviru ASEF-a bo sodelovala s profesorjem Jernejem Murnom iz Univerze v Kaliforniji, Riverside, ki se ukvarja predvsem z raziskovanjem biologije RNA. Sodelovanja se že zelo veseli, saj je to odlična priložnost, ki ji bo omogočila nadgraditi znanje in pridobiti dragocene praktične izkušnje.

Nared Dagmar

Dagmar Nared is currently a master’s student of sociology at the University of Oxford. She has an avid interest for social networks and connectedness, with an emphasis on public health and pro-environmental behaviour and attitudes. This interest grew from her high school years onwards, when she was a health and environmental activist at No Excuse Slovenia. After that, she participated in research projects regarding health and environment at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, and the Institute of Health and Environment. Dagmar is incredibly excited to work with dr. Teja Pristavec at the University of Virginia and to find out more on how to gather data and use it for public good.

Besides research, Dagmar believes there is nothing better than an early morning workout and an evening TV-show while crocheting. Or laughing at ridiculous jokes with friends and family.

SLOVENIAN
Dagmar Nared je trenutno magistrska študentka sociologije na univerzi na Oxfordu. Zainteresirana je v socialne mreže in povezanost, s poudarkom na javno zdravje ter okoljsko vedenje ter prepričanja. Tovrstno zanimanje se je razvilo že v srednješolskih letih, ko je bila aktivistka na področju zdravja in okolja pri organizaciji Brez izgovora. Pozneje je sodelovala pri raziskovalnih projektih, ki se tičejo javnega zdravja in okolja, na Fakulteti za družbene vede v univerzi v Ljubljani in Inštitutu za okolje in zdravje. Dagmar se veseli sodelovanja z dr. Tejo Pristavec iz univerze v Virginiji in učenja novih kvantitativnih metod za javno dobro.

Poleg raziskovanja, Dagmar veseli še šport, kvačkanje, narava in serije, predvsem pa druženje s svojo družino in prijatelji.

Nared Dagmar

Dagmar Nared is currently a master’s student of sociology at the University of Oxford. She has an avid interest for social networks and connectedness, with an emphasis on public health and pro-environmental behaviour and attitudes. This interest grew from her high school years onwards, when she was a health and environmental activist at No Excuse Slovenia. After that, she participated in research projects regarding health and environment at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, and the Institute of Health and Environment. Dagmar is incredibly excited to work with dr. Teja Pristavec at the University of Virginia and to find out more on how to gather data and use it for public good.

Besides research, Dagmar believes there is nothing better than an early morning workout and an evening TV-show while crocheting. Or laughing at ridiculous jokes with friends and family.

SLOVENIAN
Dagmar Nared je trenutno magistrska študentka sociologije na univerzi na Oxfordu. Zainteresirana je v socialne mreže in povezanost, s poudarkom na javno zdravje ter okoljsko vedenje ter prepričanja. Tovrstno zanimanje se je razvilo že v srednješolskih letih, ko je bila aktivistka na področju zdravja in okolja pri organizaciji Brez izgovora. Pozneje je sodelovala pri raziskovalnih projektih, ki se tičejo javnega zdravja in okolja, na Fakulteti za družbene vede v univerzi v Ljubljani in Inštitutu za okolje in zdravje. Dagmar se veseli sodelovanja z dr. Tejo Pristavec iz univerze v Virginiji in učenja novih kvantitativnih metod za javno dobro.

Poleg raziskovanja, Dagmar veseli še šport, kvačkanje, narava in serije, predvsem pa druženje s svojo družino in prijatelji.

Prijon Tijan

Tijan Prijon is an undergraduate student of physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. The ASEF Scholarship Program is a tremendous opportunity for him, allowing him to spend the summer at Princeton University, where he will gain new knowledge and important research experience. Tijan will participate in the research of phase separation in multicomponent systems with Professor Andrej Košmrlj and his research group. Last year he also worked at the Jozef Stefan Institute, in the department of artificial intelligence, where he focused on data analysis with the Python programming language.

Tijan likes to spend his free time outside, in the company of friends, preferably playing basketball. He also enjoys reading books.

Prijon Tijan

Tijan Prijon je dodiplomski študent fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko, Univerza v Ljubljani. ASEF štipendijski program je zanj izjemna priložnost, ki mu omogoča, da bo poletje preživel na Univerzi Princeton, kjer bo pridobival nova znanja ter pomembne raziskovalne izkušnje. Pri profesorju Andreju Košmrlju ter njegovi raziskovalni skupini bo sodeloval pri raziskovanja fazne separacije večkomponentnih raztopin. Zadnje leto sicer tudi dela na Inštitutu Jozef Stefan, na odseku za umetno inteligenco, kjer se posveča analizi podatkov v programskem jeziku Python.

Prosti čas najraje preživlja zunaj, v družbi prijateljev, po možnosti ob igranju košarke. Uživa tudi ob branju knjig.

Šavorič Tjaša

Tjaša Šavorič is a PhD student for art history at the University of Leipzig in Germany. She lives in London and as an enthusiastic art history lover attends art history workshops and international conferences, visits numerous exhibitions and participates as a junior curator at art exhibitions in Slovenia. Tjaša dedicates time to work on her thesis and to do individual research on Slovenian artist and art historian Marijan Tršar (1922-2010). Tršar captivated her with his creativity so much that in 2017 she wrote a Master's thesis about his early art and diary entries, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Barbara Murovec at the Faculty of Arts, the University of Maribor. Tjaša enhanced her thesis by curating the exhibition I paint, therefore, I write, which celebrated Tršar’s 95th anniversary of birth. It was curated in collaboration with the France Stele Institute of Art History, Ljubljana.

Tjaša wishes to strengthen the classical art-historical methodology used in her PhD thesis, by adopting the benefits of digital art history. She sees the ASEF study exchange under the supervision of Dr. Kaja Antlej from Deakin University in Australia, as an exceptional opportunity to deepen her understanding in the field of virtual museums and immersive VR experiences and to learn about new interdisciplinary ways of raising the profile of cultural heritage.
Tjaša enjoys travelling and visiting art exhibitions. In her free time, she loves to read and cycle.

Šavorič Tjaša

Tjaša Šavorič je doktorska študentka umetnostne zgodovine na univerzi v Leipzigu, Nemčija. Živi v Londonu in kot velika ljubiteljica umetnostne zgodovine sodeluje na številnih umetnostnozgodovinskih delavnicah in mednarodnih konferencah. Rada obiskuje galerije in kot mlada kuratorica pripravlja umetniške razstave v Sloveniji. Večino svojega časa posveča pisanju doktorske naloge in raziskovanju slovenskega umetnika in umetnostnega zgodovinarja Marijana Tršarja (1922-2010). Tršar jo je s svojo ustvarjalnostjo tako navdušil, da je o njegovem zgodnjem likovnem delu in dnevniškemu pisanju, leta 2017 zagovarjala magistrsko nalogo, pod mentorstvom Prof. Dr. Barbare Murovec na Filozofski fakulteti, Maribor. Nalogo je nadgradila z umetniško razstavo Slikam, torej pišem, ob umetnikovi 95. obletnici rojstva, ki je nastala v sodelovanju z umetnostnozgodovinskim inštitutom ZRC SAZU Franceta Steleta, Ljubljana.

Tjaša želi nadgraditi svoj klasični umetnostnozgodovinski pristop z metodami digitalne humanistike. V ASEF študijski izmenjavi, pod mentorstvom Dr. Kaje Antlej iz Deakin univerze v Avstraliji, vidi izjemno priložnost za poglobitev razumevanja virtualnih muzejev in možnosti, ki jih ponujajo VR tehnologije. Zanimajo jo novi interdisciplinarni načini komuniciranja kulturne dediščine.
Tjaša uživa v potovanjih in obiskih umetniških razstav. V svojem prostem času rada bere in kolesari.

Šteger Tine

Tine Šteger is a Master's student at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business. He completed his Bachelor's degree in the field of political science at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. He is particularly interested in the field of community based local and regional development, which takes into account ethical, environmental, and other relevant dilemmas. In the past few years, he has deepened his understanding of the functioning of the modern world through different internships and study visits. He completed his internship at the Institute for Political Management (IPM) in Ljubljana as well as at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Additionally, he participated in various international educational and humanitarian activities abroad, such as Youth Leadership Program with Central Europe in the United States or project named Never Lose Your Sould in Uganda.

This summer Tine will visit prof. Sara Dolničar at the University of Queensland, Australia, and work in her research group in the field of sustainable tourism.

Šteger Tine

Tine Šteger je magistrski študent ekonomskih in poslovnih ved na Ekonomsko-poslovni fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru. Dodiplomski študij je dokončal na področju politologije na Fakulteti za družbene vede Univerze v Ljubljani. Zanimajo ga različna področja, najbolj pa se osredotoča na področje lokalnega in regionalnega razvoja, ki sloni na vključevanju ljudi in upošteva okoljske, etične in druge dileme. Izkušnje in znanja je v preteklosti pridobival skozi prakso na Inštitutu za politični management v Ljubljani in Stalnem predstavništvu Republike Slovenije pri Svetu Evrope v Strasbourgu. Udeležil se je različnih programov v tujini, kot je Program za mlade voditelje iz srednje Evrope v ZDA, kakor različnih humanitarnih projektov, kot je bil projekt Never Lose Your Soul v Ugandi.

Letos bo Tine obiskal profesorico Saro Dolničar na Univerzi v Queenslandu v Avstraliji, kjer bo sodeloval v njeni raziskovalni skupini na področju trajnostnega turizma.

Stojanovič Blaž

Blaž Stojanovič is a graduate student at the University of Cambridge, reading for an MPhil in Scientific Computing. He completed his undergraduate degree in Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana. While studying, he worked part-time in the Parallel and Distributed systems Laboratory, Jozef Stefan Institute, under the supervision of dr. Gregor Kosec, where he helped develop an open-source library for solving partial differential equations. His interests lie at the intersection of Machine Learning and the natural sciences, hoping to better understand deep learning using methods from statistical physics. He is grateful for the opportunity to work with prof. Jure Leskovec, at Stanford University.

His free time is spent windsurfing, hiking, and backcountry skiing, as well as reading and adding books onto his already too long reading list.

Stojanovič Blaž

Blaž Stojanovič je magistrski študent na Univerzi v Cambridgeu, kjer študira uporabo numeričnih metod v naravoslovju. Pred tem je končal dodiplomski študij fizike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Kot dodiplomski študent je pod mentorstvom dr. Gregorja Kosca delal v laboratoriju za vzporedno in porazdeljeno računanje na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, kjer je pomagal pri razvoju odprtokodne knjižnice za reševanje parcialnih differencialnih enačb. Zanima ga področje, kjer se srečajo naravoslovne znanosti in metode strojnega učenja, trenutno se ukvarja z razumevanjem globokega učenja s pomočjo metod iz statistične fizike. Hvaležen je za priložnost, da se na raziskovalnem obisku pridruži skupini prof. Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford.

Poleg branja in dodajanja knjig na njegov že predolg seznam branja, se v prostem času ukvarja z jadranjem na deski, hojo v hribe in turnim smučanjem.

Uhan Sara

Sara completed her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana. After her undergraduate internship at the Umeå University in Sweden (Nordic EMBL), she continued with a master’s program in Biochemistry as a DAAD scholar at the University of Bonn, Germany. At present she is working on her master’s thesis in the field of mucosal immunology at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden. She is passionate about cancer biology and aspires to continue with her research work in a translational setting. Sara will join Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer’s research group at the Texas Tech University, where she will work towards uncovering novel mechanisms that evolved to protect mammalian germ cells against stress and further defining their role in cancer.

Sara likes to battle the frustration caused by occasional failed experiments known to every molecular biologist with evening runs by the Elbe and large amounts of tea. She strives to challenge her “status quo” by learning foreign languages, choosing travel destinations, reading non-fiction and discovering hidden street art.

Uhan Sara

Sara je svojo dodiplomsko izobrazbo iz biotehnologije zaključila na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Po dokončanem pripravništvu na Umeå Univerzi na Švedskem (Nordski EMBL) je kot DAAD štipendistka nadaljevala z magistrskim programom iz biokemije na Univerzi v Bonnu v Nemčiji. Trenutno dokončuje svojo magistrsko nalogo na področju mukozne imunosti na Centru za Regenerativne Terapije v Dresdnu. Svoje delo usmerja predvsem v raziskovanje biologije raka ter si želi nadaljevati z delom na področju translacijskih raziskav. Sara se bo pridružila raziskovalni skupini Dr. Klementine Fon Tacer na Texas Tech Univerzi, kjer bo sodelovala pri projektu odkrivanja celičnih mehanizmov za zaščito sesalskih zarodnih celic pred stresom ter njihove vloge pri raku.

Sara se z razočaranjem zaradi občasnih neuspelih eksperimentov, ki je znano slehernemu molekularnemu biologu, spopada z večernimi teki ob reki ter velikimi količinami čaja. Svoj “status quo” pogosto rada izzove z učenjem tujih jezikov, izbiranjem destinacij za potovanja, branjem ter odkrivanjem skrite ulične umetnosti.

Urbančič Jana Maria

Jana Maria Urbancic je trenutno vpisana kot študentka zadnjega letnika mednarodne trgovine na Univerzi La Matanza v Buenos Airesu. Že kot majhna punčka sta jo vedno zanimala ekonomija in posel, zato se je odločila za študij mednarodne trgovine.
Rojena v Buenos Airesu v družini z globoko zakoreninjeno slovensko dediščino je bila vedno zelo strastna in predana svoji kulturi, svojim idealom, interesom in hobijem. V otroštvu in mladosti je skoraj vsako popoldne preživela v slovenskem klubu San Justo. Tam se je učila in izpopolnjevala slovenskega jezika, trenirala in tekmovala s svojo odbojkarsko reprezentanco, plesala slovensko folkloro in se vsako nedeljo zjutraj udeležila svete maše v slovenskem jeziku.
Jana se ima za mlado žensko, polno energije, ki išče nove izkušnje in dogodivščine, ki prispevajo k njenemu razvoju. Nenehno daje prednost svoji osebni in poklicni rasti, vedno si želi gojiti nove veščine in se vsakodnevno učiti iz situacij, ki se pojavljajo. Zato se je odločila, da se prijavi za štipendijo ASEF, saj meni, da je to čudovita priložnost, da izkusi domovino svojih starih staršev. Imela bo tudi priložnost spoznati, kako deluje mednarodna trgovina v kontekstu slovenskega gospodarstva. Jana je Slovenijo obiskala že dvakrat, verjame pa, da bo tokrat edinstven, saj bo domovino doživela s povsem druge perspektive.
Letos bo obiskala Slovenijo kot del skupnosti ASEF. Njen mentor in mentor bo dr. Denis Mancevič, direktor podjetja Herman & partners. Tam bo razvijala svoje strokovne in medosebne veščine, usmerjene v mednarodno trgovino, in vsak dan spoznavala več o slovenskih trgovskih praksah.

Vezonik Uroš

Uroš Vezonik is a Master's student at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. The first research project he was involved in was a PKP project Development of Water-based Dispersion Coatings with Improved Rheological Properties in his second year. He is the most interested in the field of organic chemistry, which is why he was working on the synthesis of new ligands for the transition metals under the supervision of prof. dr. Janez Košmrlj for his Bachelor's degree. As an ASEF fellow, he got the opportunity to join prof. Šalah's research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this summer, where he will work on the synthesis of complex and biologically active natural products. Uroš is a big sports fan. His favorite is basketball, which he used to play. Besides following sports, he enjoys walking his dog and watching suspenseful movies.

Vezonik Uroš

Uroš Vezonik is a Master's student at the Faculty of CheUroš Vezonik je študent magistrskega študija kemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo (FKKT) Univerze v Ljubljani. Z raziskovalnim delom se je prvič srečal v 2. letniku študija, ko je sodeloval na PKP projektu Razvoj vodnih disperzijskih premazov z izboljšanimi reološkimi lastnostmi. Njegova zanimanja segajo predvsem na področje organske kemije, diplomsko delo pa je opravil pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Janeza Košmrlja, kjer se je ukvarjal s sintezo novih ligandov za kovine prehoda. Poleti se odpravlja na University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, kjer bo kot ASEF fellow imel priložnost raziskovati v skupini prof. Davida Šarlaha in pridobiti izkušnje na področju totalne sinteze kompleksnih in biološko aktivnih naravnih produktov. Uroš je velik športni navdušenec in še posebej zavzeto spremlja košarko, s katero se je v preteklosti aktivno ukvarjal. Poleg športa mu prosti čas krajšajo tudi sprehodi s psom in gledanje napetih filmov.

Zeman Marko

Marko Zeman is a PhD student of Computer and Information Science at the University of Ljubljana, where he researches the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. For the last four years, he has focused his study of computer science mainly on the challenges of machine learning, both engineering and research. In the second stage of his studies, he began his international career. First, he was on a study exchange in Denmark, where, in addition to full-time study, he also worked on the European research project Plan4Act, where he was developing deep learning models. A year later, on an exchange of research type with a mentor in Sweden, he developed new approaches to learning neural networks, which also motivated him to continue his research path. In addition to his studies, he also gained experience in industry, where he worked as a developer in the team for artificial intelligence. Marko became a member of ASEF Junior Fellows in 2021 and will visit prof. Marinka Žitnik at Harvard University in the USA, where he will be developing new methods in machine learning under her mentorship. In his free time, Marko likes to play football, enjoy nature and laugh in the company of his friends.

Zeman Marko

Marko Zeman je doktorski študent računalništva in informatike na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer raziskuje področje umetne inteligence in algoritme strojnega učenja. Zadnja štiri leta je svoj študij računalništva usmeril predvsem v izzive strojnega učenja, tako inženirske kot tudi raziskovalne. Na drugi stopnji študija je začel z mednarodnim udejstvovanjem. Najprej je bil na študijski izmenjavi na Danskem, kjer je poleg rednega študija delal tudi na evropskem raziskovalnem projektu Plan4Act, kjer je razvijal modele globokega učenja. Leto pozneje je na izmenjavi raziskovalnega tipa z mentorjem na Švedskem razvijal nove pristope učenja nevronskih mrež, kar ga je tudi motiviralo za nadaljevanje raziskovalne poti. Poleg študija si je nabiral izkušnje tudi v industriji, kjer je delal kot razvijalec v ekipi za umetno inteligenco. Marko je postal član ASEF Junior Fellows v letu 2021 in bo raziskovalno obiskal prof. Marinko Žitnik na Univerzi Harvard v ZDA, kjer bo pod njenim mentorstvom razvijal nove metode v strojnem učenju. V prostem času Marko najraje igra nogomet, uživa v naravi in se smeji v družbi prijateljev.

Žunič Gregor

Gregor is a 2nd-year undergraduate Physics student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. During his studies, he worked at Jožef Stefan Institute at the Department for Artificial Intelligence. He has been focusing on areas related to natural language processing. He is also working on mobile applications and web platforms. This summer, Gregor will work with professor Dawn Song at the University of California, Berkeley on projects related to Artificial Intelligence. Gregor is excited to expand his knowledge in Machine Learning at one of the top universities in the world.

During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball and all kind of sports. He also likes to travel.

Žunič Gregor

Gregor je študent 2. letnika dodiplomskega študija fizike na Fakulteti za Matematiko in Fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Med študijem raziskuje na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, na oddelku za umetno inteligenco. Osredotočil se je na področja, povezana z obdelavo naravnega jezika. Ustvarja tudi mobilne aplikacije in spletne platforme. Letos poleti bo Gregor sodeloval s profesorico Dawn Song na University California, Berkeley, pri projektih, povezanih z umetno inteligenco. Gregor je navdušen nad razširitvijo svojih znanj iz strojnega učenja na eni najboljših univerz na svetu.

V prostem času igra košarko, uživa pa tudi v večino ostalih športih. Zelo rad potuje v oddaljene države.

Corn Matej

Matej Corn je študent dodiplomskega študija kemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo (FKKT) Univerze v Ljubljani in trenutno uživa v absolventskem letu po opravljenih izpitih. Tekom študija se je udeležil Študentskega inovativnega projekta za družbeno korist z naslovom Pomen okoljskih dejavnikov pri ohranjanju pisne kulturne dediščine. Leto in pol je opravljal študentsko delo in praktično usposabljanje v podjetju Lek d.d., družbe Novartis na oddelku zagotavljanja kontrole kakovosti aseptičnim izdelkom. V okviru diplomskega dela se je pod mentorstvom izr. prof. dr. Jernej Iskra, FKKT, ukvarjal z razvojem metode za selektivno oksidacijo z uporabo t.i. zelenih reagentov. Matej je v okviru ASEF-a dobil priložnost obiskati univerzo University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, kjer bo sodeloval na projektu totalne sinteze kompleksnih in biološko aktivnih produktov pod mentorstvom prof. Davida Šarlaha. Po dnevu dela v laboratoriju rad sprosti svoje misli ob igri odbojke, taroka ali kitare, včasih pa tudi samo ob gledanju filmov in serij.

Dobravc Škof Karin

Karin prihaja iz Maribora, kjer je zaključila dodiplomski študij fizike, na Fakulteti za naravoslovje in matematiko. Nato je študij nadaljevala na magisteriju v Ljubljani, na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko. Zanima jo raziskovanje na področju astrofizike in biofizike. Odločila se je obiskati prof. Gregorja Gorjanca na Univerzi v Edinburghu na Škotskem, kjer bo sodelovala na projektu iz genomike. Želi si pridobiti izkušnjo znanstvenega dela v interdisciplinarni skupini znanstvenikov, kjer bo lahko uporabila svoje fizikalno znanje, hkrati pa pridobila nova znanja iz ostalih področij. V preteklosti je delala na PKP projektu, sodelovana na Dnevih fizike v Tehniškem muzeju Bistra, ter kot prostovoljka nudila učno pomoč iz naravoslovnih predmetov.

V svojem prostem času je članica slovenskega društva za nevroznanost, SiNAPSA, pozimi uživa v smučanju, poleti pa v branju knjig. Prav tako igra klarinet v pihalnih orkestrih. Trenutno pa predstavlja aktualno vinsko kraljico Bizeljskega, kjer se trudi promovirati lokalna vina in vinogradništvo približati mlajšim generacijam.

Ermenc Sara

Sara Ermenc je študentka magistrskega študija Pravne fakultete, Univerze v Ljubljani. Njeno področje raziskovanja in zanimanja je gospodarsko pravo vključujoč vse podpanoge. Tekom študija je zavzeto nabirala mednarodne izkušnje – študij v tujini je izkusila na Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität v Münchnu, prav tako se je udeležila številnih pravnih tekmovanj, znanstvenih konferenc, praks ter drugih izobraževanj. Teoretično znanje rada nadgradi z reševanjem konkretnih pravnih problemov. Tako se je s pravnim raziskovanjem srečevala v okviru tekmovanj, akademskega sodelovanja z Ekonomsko fakulteto, Univerze v Ljubljani in nenazadnje v okviru dela v praksi, saj trenutno praktično znanje pridobiva v mednarodni odvetniški pisarni.

V zadovoljstvo in čast ji je, da bo pod pokroviteljstvom fundacije ASEF obiskala prof. Urško Velikonja na Univerzi Georgetown v Washingtonu, kjer bo raziskovala področje korporativnega upravljanja v bančnem sektorju, pri čemer se želi osredotočiti na primerjalnopravno analizo slovenskega (kontinentalnega) ter ameriškega (common-law) pravnega sistema.

Fijavž Tina

Tina je študentka šestega letnika medicine na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Tekom študija so njeno veliko zanimanje postale očesne bolezni. Klinično znanje je nadgrajevala na očesni kliniki v Freiburgu, poletje pa bo preživela s pridobivanjem raziskovalnih izkušenj v laboratoriju priznanega raziskovalca s področja oftalmologije, profesorja Davida Križaja v Utahu. Za priložnost je neizmerno hvaležna in prepričana, da jo bo ta obogatila z dragocenimi izkušnjami na njeni prihodnji poklicni poti.

Poleg zanimanja za očesne bolezni so ji v veliko veselje športi v naravi; od pohodništva, plezanja pa do smučanja in teka na smučeh.

Klobučar Tajda

Sem absolventka magistrskega študija Biotehnologije na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Čeprav že zadnjih 7 let študiram v Sloveniji, sem v tem času opravila več raziskovalnih usposabljanj v Nemčiji, na Švedskem in na Portugalskem. Sem dvakratna prejemnica štipendije Univerzitetne ustanove inženirja Lenarčič Milana in prejemnica Svečane listine za študente Univerze v Ljubljani za najboljše študijske dosežke (2018). Obštudijsko raziskovalno delo me je popeljalo v fascinanten svet matičnih celic. Ali so ravno te rešiteljice vseh težav sodobnega človeka – zaenkrat si še ne drznem odgovoriti. Vsekakor pa se izjemno veselim poletnega obiska pri prof. dr. Jerneju Uletu v Londonu, kjer bom lahko na matične celice in njihovo diferenciacijo pogledala še z vidika molekule RNA in RNA-vezavnih proteinov.

Večino prostega časa zapolnim z glasbo, saj igram violino pri več različnih zasedbah. Kadar sem v tujini, najraje raziskujem majhne, lokalne prostore z živo glasbo in se trudim spoznati navade in tempo življenja domačinov.

Košenina Sara

Sara Košenina je študentka drugega letnika doktorskega študija na Univerzi v Stockholmu, Oddelek za biokemijo in biofiziko. Preučuje botulinske nevrotoksine z različnimi metodami, vključno z rentgensko kristalografijo in krio EM, da bi razumela osnovni mehanizem toksinov in izboljšala njihove terapevtske lastnosti. Preden je začela doktorirati, je magistrirala iz biokemije na Univerzi v Stockholmu. Kot strastna strukturna biologinja se veseli, da bo svoje znanje razširila z raziskovalnim projektom s prof. Boštjan Kobe na Univerzi v Queenslandu to poletje, kjer se bo ukvarjala s strukturnimi študijami beljakovin, pomembnih pri okužbi v imunskem sistemu. Sara v prostem času rada preživlja čas na prostem, pohodi, smuča in odkriva naravo.

Marko Dafne

Dafne Marko je podiplomska študentka Kognitivne znanosti na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Leta 2015 je zaključila dodiplomski študij prevajanja (slovenščina-angleščina-nemščina) na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Med študijem se je začela zanimati za korpusno jezikoslovje, obdelavo naravnega jezika in jezikovne tehnologije. Sodelovala je na različnih nacionalnih projektih, povezanih s korpusnim jezikoslovjem in jezikovnimi viri, kjer je bila zadolžena za ročno označevanje, gradnjo podatkovnih baz in evalvacijo orodij za avtomatično označevanje. Leta 2015 se je priključila bilateralnemu projektu “Označevanje semantičnih vlog v slovenščini in hrvaščini” z glavnim ciljem razviti korpus z oznakami semantičnih vlog, ki ga bo mogoče uporabiti kot učno množico v sistemih nadzorovanega strojnega učenja. Dafne je soavtorica številnih znanstvenih člankov, prav tako pa je obiskovala različne poletne šole, seminarje in konference, da bi pridobila izkušnje in poglobila znanje. Letos bo obiksala prof. Gašperja Beguša na Univerzi v Washingtonu, kjer bo sodelovala na projektih, povezanih z računalniškim jezikoslovjem, fonologijo in računalniškim modeliranjem. Poleg ljubezni do obdelave naravnega jezika je tudi športna navdušenka, ki rada smuča, kolesari in trenira borilne veščine.

Pintar Ana

V letu 2018 je na Fakulteti za upravo diplomirala z odliko in za diplomsko delo prejela Prešernovo nagrado. Trenutno nadaljuje z izobraževanjem na magistrskem programu Poslovna informatika (EF UL), kjer je opravila tudi študijsko izmenjavo na Švedskem. Tekom študija je bila vseskozi aktivna na številnih obštudijskih področjih in s študentskim delom pridobila veliko praktične izkušenj. Vodenje Študentske organizacije FU UL, članstvo v Študentskem svetu FU UL, poslanski mandat v Študentskem parlamentu ŠOU LJ, tutorstvo in ostale prostovoljna udejstvovanja, so bila velika odskočna deska v njenem osebnem in poslovnem razvoju. Prav tako tudi študentka dela, od teh jo je najbolj zaznamovalo obdobje v mednarodni korporaciji Bisnode, kjer je izkušnje pridobivala na oddelku digitalnega marketinga. Radovednost, predanost in pozitivna naravnanost so lastnosti, ki najbolj odražajo njeno osebnost. Pri ljudeh najbolj ceni kritično presojanje, modro razmišljanje in zmožnost podajanja konstruktivne kritike. Osrečujejo jo dobre knjige, nenehno učenje, nove priložnosti in povezovanje z isto-mislečimi. Rada preživlja čas v naravi in obožuje hojo v hribe. Njena zanimanja segajo na področja podjetniških funkcij v korporacijah, inovacij, korporativnih modelov sodelovanja z zagonskimi podjetji in digitalizacije poslovnih modelov, zato bo raziskovalni obisk opravila v Kanadi na Queen's University, pri prof. Nuši Fain, ki je specializirana na področju podjetništva in management inovacij.

Podobnik Gašper

Gašper je študent drugega letnika magistrskega študija Biomedicinska tehnika na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Med magistrskim študijem Gašper aktivno sodeluje v Laboratoriju za slikovne tehnologije, kjer s pomočjo orodij strojnega učenja razvija modele za avtomatsko razvrščanje modalitet magnetnoresonančnih slik. Poleg tega raziskuje možnosti za napovedovanje razvoja bolezni potencialnih bolnikov z Alzheimerjevo boleznijo na podlagi analize MR slik.

Tekom poletja bo obiskal prof. Matejo Jamnik na Univerzi v Cambridgeu v Združenem Kraljestvu, kjer se bo ukvarjal s projektom, povezanim z umetno inteligenco. Pridobljene izkušnje in znanje želi uporabiti v svojem nadaljnjem delu na področju analize medicinskih slik.

Poleg sodelovanja v Študentskem svetu, v prostem času uživa v igranju košarke, kolesarjenju, in drugih športnih aktivnosti. Z veseljem hodi v gledališče ter raziskuje mesta z bogato zgodovino in naravne lepote po svetu.

Poličar Pavlin

Pavlin Poličar je doktorski študent računalništva in informatike na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer se ukvarja s področjem umetne inteligence in strojnega učenja. Zadnji dve leti je posvetil razvoju in uporabi novih pristopov strojnega učenja na področju biomedicine. Za njegovo delo v sklopu magistrske naloge je prejel Prešernovo nagrado Univerze v Ljubljani, njegovo rešitev uporablja na tisoče uporabnikov po celem svetu. Poleg tega sodeluje z znanstveniki doma in v tujini, med drugimi na Univerzi na Floridi, Univerzi v Padovi ter Baylor College of Medicine v Houstonu.

Jeseni bo Pavlin obiskal prof. Marinko Žitnik na oddelku za biomedicinsko informatiko na Univerzi Harvard v Bostonu. Tam bo razvijal nove metode strojnega učenja ter jih uporabljal za analizo velikih bioloških podatkov, s posebnim poudarkom na robustnih statističnih modelih in novih pristopih za razlago napovedi.

Kljub tehnični naravi njegovih raziskav se Pavlin ne omejuje na aktivnosti na svojem ozkem področju, pač pa so mu blizu tudi humanistične vede. Rad se udeležuje kulturnih prireditev, zanimajo ga različne kulture in veselijo ga potovanja po svetu. Uživa v igranju različnih športov, rad bere knjige in je vedno odprt za nova doživetja.

Poštuvan Tim

Tim Poštuvan je dodiplomski študent Računalništva in matematike na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko. Trenutno raziskuje v laboratoriju za bioinformatiko na fakulteti, kjer razvija učinkovit algoritem za boljšo predstavitev podatkov. Prav tako sodeluje na biokemijskem projektu z raziskovalno ekipo z inštituta za biokemijo na Medicinski fakulteti v Ljubljani. Odgovoren je za načrtovanje in implementacijo pristopov za curve fitting Lambert W - funkcije na podatkih o absorbanci encimov. Cilj raziskave je dobiti dober približek za srednje dele krivulj, ki so slabo opisani s trenutnimi modeli. Njegova največja strast je raziskovanje, zato je ASEF fellowship odlična priložnost, da izpopolni svoje raziskovalne sposobnosti. Poleti bo obiskal prof. Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford, kjer bosta skupaj delala na projektu s področja umetne inteligence. V prostem času rad igra odbojko in gleda dobre filme. Poleg tega izredno rad potuje.

Prezelj Tim

Tim Prezelj je diplomirani mikrobiolog (UN), ki trenutno zaključuje magistrski študij molekulske in funkcionalne biologije na BF UL. Vzporedno je študiral tudi kognitivne znanosti, veliko pa se je izobraževal tudi v tujini – predvsem v Nemčiji in Italiji. Raziskovalno se je dolgo posvečal molekularni biologiji, imunologiji in evoluciji raka. Zadnja leta se bolj intenzivno spogleduje z evolucijsko psihologijo, biologijo in nevrologijo spola in spolne identitete, religije ter jezika. Zanima se tudi za umetnostno zgodovino ter se trudi povezovati naravoslovne znanosti s humanizmom. Pri tem mu poseben izziv predstavljajo nova interdisciplinarna področja. V prostem času Tim rad bere, obiskuje različne kulturne in modne dogodke, razstave ter koncerte.

Pod okriljem združenja ASEF bo dobra dva meseca preživel na Dunaju pri prof. dr. Mihaeli Pavličev, kjer se bo izpopolnjeval predvsem na področju evolucijske biologije. Priložnost, ki mu je bila dana zelo ceni in jo namerava plodovito izkoristiti.

Ribnikar Domen

Domen Ribnikar je zdravnik, specialist internistične onkologije, zaposlen na Onkološkem inštitutu v Ljubljani, ki se ukvarja s sistemskim zdravljenjem bolnic z rakom dojke. Trenutno je študent zadnjega, tretjega letnika podiplomskega študija Biomedicina na Medicinski fakulteti v Ljubljani. Že kot študent medicine je pričel z raziskovalnim delom na področju raka dojke in z delom intenzivno nadaljeval tudi med specializacijo. V letu 2016 je odšel na dvoletni t.i. klinično-raziskovalni fellowship v Toronto, Kanado, kjer je pod mentorstvom prof.dr. Eitana Amirja nadaljeval s svojim kliničnim in raziskovalnim delom. Večina rezultatov raziskovalnega dela je že bila objavljena v uglednih strokovnih onkoloških revijah, nekatera so še v fazi pisanja.

ASEF štipendijski program je zanj izjemna priložnost za pridobitev dodatnih znanj in raziskovalno delo pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Roberta Jeraja, na Univerzi v Wisconsinu, kjer bo vključen v delo na področju heterogenosti invazivnega lobularnega karcinoma dojke, kar je tudi tema njegove doktorske disertacije. Domen se ves čas dodatno izobražuje na različnih slovenskih in mednarodnih delavnicah in kongresih, kjer tudi aktivno sodeluje kot vabljen predavatelj.

Entuziazem in močno voljo za nadaljnje raziskovanje v onkologiji mu dajejo žena Nina in dve mali deklici, petletna Julija in triletna Lana Mae, na katere je še posebej ponosen. V prostem času se ukvarja s športom, kot je tek, hoja v hribe, izvaja pa tudi transcedentalno meditacijo.

Rožanec Mariana

Mariana Rožanec se je rodila v Argentini, kjer je diplomirala kot Pooblaščena javna revizorka na Fakulteti za ekonomske vede na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu, nato pa je delala kot zunanja revizorka.

Mariana ima slovenske korenine in se je leta 2015 preselila v Slovenijo, kjer je nadaljevala z delom na področju zunanje revizije, kasneje pa tudi na področju finančnega kontrolinga in notranje revizije. Poleg dela opravlja magistrski študij Poslovnih ved na Fakulteti za pravo in poslovne vede Katoliškega inštituta v Ljubljani. Trenutno dela na magistrski nalogi s področja medkulturnega managementa. V povezavi s to raziskavo in v okviru štipendijskega programa ASEF bo Mariana obiskala prof. Dr. Matevža Raškoviča na Victoria University of Wellington na Novi Zelandiji.

Prosti čas rada preživlja v naravi, predvsem uživa v teku, pohodništvu in kolesarjenju.

Satler Tadej

Tadej Satler je dokončal tako dodiplomski kot tudi magistrski študij Biokemije na Fakulteti za Kemijo in Kemijsko Tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani, svojo študijsko pot pa želi nadaljevati z doktoratom. Tekom dosedanjega študija je večino raziskovalnih izkušenj nabral na Kemijskem inštitutu v laboratoriju za sintezno biologijo in imunologijo, kjer je tudi opravil magistrsko delo pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Romana Jerale. Ukvarjal se je s pripravo in karakterizacijo modularnih proteinskih nanostruktur iz obvitih vijačnic. Dodatna znanja je Tadej pridobil na Univerzi v Stockholmu, kjer je gostoval v sklopu izmenjave ter raziskoval regulacijo fiksacije dušika v bakterijah. Trenutno je na usposabljanju na Univerzi v Bristolu, kjer v laboratoriju za proteinski dizajn pridobiva računalniške in eksperimentalne spretnosti tega področja.

Tadej bo v okviru organizacije ASEF imel priložnost obiskati Univerzo v Kaliforniji San Francisco ter sodelovati v raziskovalni skupini prof. Andreja Šalija, kjer želi poglobiti znanje iz področja računalniške in strukturne biologije.

Skok Krištof

Krištof Skok je magistrski študent fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Svoj študij usmerja v astrofiziko – področje, ki ga veseli od malih nalog. Trenutno svoje interese usmerja v kataklizmične spremenljivke in zvezdne pulzacije. Že v srednji šoli je sodeloval na Mednarodnih olimpijadah iz astronomije in astrofizike, kjer je dosegel srebrno medaljo in dve pohvali. Zdaj nadaljuje poslanstvo kot mentor novim slovenskim olimpijskim ekipam, katere je že trikrat peljal na olimpijade po svetu.

Poleti bo kot ASEF Junior Fellow raziskoval pri prof. dr. Andreju Prši na Villanova University v Filadelfiji, ZDA. Tam se bo izpopolnjeval v numerilnem modeliranju zvezdne strukture, zvezdnih pulzacij in razvoju dvojnih sistemov. Tako bo pridobil bogate izkušnje in imel vpogled v sodobne tematike raziskovanja v astrofiziki.

V svojem prostem času je aktiven član dveh astronomskih društev v okviru katerih s kolegi širi in promovira zanimanje za astronomijo s predavanji in opazovanji. Sicer se ob lepih dnevih odpravi v gore občudovati lepoto na Zemlji in ob lepih nočeh na observatorij občudovati lepoto v vesolju.

Školč Luka

Luka Školč je študent drugega letnika Fizike dodiplomske stopnje na fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze Ljubljana. Prvega je zaključil s povprečno oceno 10,0. V poletju leta 2019 je pod mentorstvom dr. Luke Snoja na odseku za reaktorsko fiziko inštituta Jožef Stefan raziskoval odziv reaktorja na periodične spremembe reaktivnosti. Ker je še na začetku svoje raziskovalne poti in bi rad pred specializacijo spoznal čim širše področje fizike, poleg tega pa ga zelo privlačita termodinamika in statistična fizika, bo letos poleti na univerzi Princeton, ZDA, v skupini profesorja Andreja Košmrlja v okviru programa ASEF raziskoval fazno separacijo večkomponentnih raztopin.

V prostem času se Luka najraje sprošča s preživljanjem časa v naravi in s športom, predvsem kolesarstvom in hojo v gore. S kolesom tudi potuje, njegova najljubša pot do sedaj je bila zahodna obala Irske. Zaključil je deset let nižje glasbene šole, usmeritev klavir. Poleg tega rad bere prozo, piše kratke zgodbe, kipari, in izdeluje pustne maske.

Škrlj Blaž

Diplomiral sem iz biotehnologije, magisterij pa sem zaključil iz informacijskih tehnologij. Trenutno sem študent drugega letnika doktorskega študija informacijskih tehnologij pod mentorstvom prof. Nade Lavrač. Zanimajo me kompleksna omrežja ter učenje na le-teh, kot tudi aplikacije tovrstne metodologije na realnih bioloških problemih, kjer so podatki pogosto relacijski in heterogeni. V prostem času rad plezam ter se ukvarjam s pohodništvom.

Starič Tine

Tine je magistrski študent računovodstva in revizije na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je na istem področju tudi diplomiral. Že ves čas šolanja poskuša izbrano področje računovodstva prepletati z informatiko in avtomatizacijo poslovnih procesov. Trenutno deluje kot razvijalec ERP sistemov, na fakulteti pa izvaja seminarje na področju informatike in statistike. Poletje bo preživel pri prof. Sergeji Slapničar na univerzi v Queenslandu kjer bo raziskoval področje upravljanja tveganj kibernetske varnosti.

Med obveznostmi prosti čas vlaga v razvoj svoje pivovarne StarReach, kar ostane, pa ga najraje preživi na odbojkarskem igrišču ali s teniškim loparjem v roki. Poletne mesece najraje nameni festivalom za katere pa vedno trdi, da jih je premalo.

Urankar Nejc

Nejc Urankar je študent prvega letnika doktorskega študija Pravne fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je obenem zaposlen kot mladi raziskovalec. Na širšem področju teorije in sociologije prava se v okviru raziskovalnega dela osredotoča predvsem na preučevanje pravnega pojava v njegovem širšem družbenem kontekstu. Trenutno se ukvarja z raziskovanjem vloge prava kot dejavnika družbenih sprememb v spopadanju z nekaterimi perečimi izzivi sodobnih družb, ob tem pa naslavlja zlasti področja družbene vključenosti, diskriminacije in človekovih pravic.

Zahvaljujoč štipendijskemu programu ASEF bo Nejc letošnjo jesen obiskal Michigan State University, kjer bo sodeloval s prof. Ano Bračič. Veseli se raziskovalnega dela v novem okolju ter odkrivanja novih pristopov k raziskovanju, ki jih bo nato z največjim veseljem prenesel v svoje nadaljnje delo na področju sociologije prava.

Van Midden Vesna Marija

Vesna je mlada zdravnica in študentka prvega letnika doktorskega študija Nevroznanost na Medicinski fakulteti. Po opravljenem pripravništvu na UKC Ljubljana, se bo aprila 2020 zaposlila kot mlada raziskovalka na Nevrološki kliniki v Ljubljani. Raziskovanje jo je že tekom študija veselilo, ASEF Junior Fellowship program pa ji bo omogočil izobraževanje na Univerzi Northwestern pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Dimitri Krainca. Obisk bo namenjen učenju izvajanja kliničnih raziskav na področju motenj gibanja in sodelovanju z njihovo ekipo, ki se ukvarja z vagusno stimulacijo. Med študijem je bila aktivna članica Slovenske nevroznanstvene združenja – sodelovala je pri organizaciji predavanj in drugih dogodkov na temo nevrozonanosti in različnih bolezni možganov. Je zagovornica jasne in odprte komunikacije znanosti in se zaveda njene naraščajoče pomembnosti. Bila je sovodja organizacijske ekipe Tedna možganov 2019, ko je dogodek prejel tudi častno pokroviteljstvo predsednika države Boruta Pahorja. Kljub temu da jo iz področja nevroznanosti zanima marsikaj, je njeno pozornost najbolj pritegnila povezava med črevesno mikrobioto in potekom Parkinsonove bolezni. V svojem doktoratu bo preučevala vlogo stimulacije vagusnega živca pri bolnikih s Parkinsonovo boleznijo. V veliko veselje so ji potovanja, umetniško ustvarjanje in risanje, v primeru lepega vremena pa se najraje odpravi na izlet v gore ali na sprehod po gozdu z njenim malim kužkom.

Zupančič Nina

Nina Zupančič je mlada zdravnica in zaključuje pripravništvo v Splošni bolnišnici Novo mesto. Diplomirala je na Medicinski fakulteti v Ljubljani. Tekom študija se je udeležila številnih izmenjav v Evropi in izven nje, da bi pridobila čim širši vpogled tudi v tuj zdravstveni sistem. Prakse je opravljala na različnih področjih, kot so ginekologija, nevrologija, pediatrija, otroška in srčna kirurgija. Najbolj jo je izpopolnil polleten študij na Humboldtovi univerzi v Berlinu v okviru Erazmus programa. V četrtem letniku je dobila Prešernovo priznanje za raziskovalno nalogo iz področja neonatalogije, z naslovom Zrak v portalnem sistemu jeter novorojenčka: etiologija in pomen. Je tik pred odločitvijo za smer specializacije, pred tem pa se želi bolje seznati z znanstvenim delom in pridobiti izkušnje, ki ji bodo kasneje koristile pri raziskovanju ob kliničnem delu. Nadvse se veseli letošnjega sodelovanja z dr. Mihaelo Pavličev na Dunajski univerzi.

Da je vsaka minuta dobro izkoriščena poskrbi njena želja po risanju in zanimanje za umetnost. Je večna ljubiteljica domišljije in Roalda Dahla. Rada potuje ter odkriva nove kraje in kulture. Športne aktivnosti se pogosto pojavijo na njenem urniku, je tudi vaditeljica skupinskih vadb za vse, ki imajo težave s hrbtenico.

Aljaž Suhadolnik

Aljaž Suhadolnik je podiplomski študent Managementa na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Diplomiral je iz poslovnih in ekonomskih ved na smeri Podjetništvo. Z namenom pridobitve dodatnega znanja je dodatno opravil še izpite iz Logistike, Financ, Strateškega managementa in Poslovnega komuniciranja.

Aljaž Suhadolnik ima obsežne mednarodne izkušnje iz akademskih sistemov s celotnega sveta. V času dodiplomskega študija je opravil tri semestre v tujini kot gostujoči študent. Kot študent Managementa je bil tako vpisan na Hochschule Worms v Nemčiji. Na Hongkong Polytechnic University je bil vpisan na Faculty of Business, Logistics and Maritime Studies. V Italiji na univerzi Sapienza Università di Roma je obiskoval Facoltà di Economia, oddelek za Management. Poleg tega je kot obetajoči študent prejel štipendijo s strani Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) za obisk Universität Bremen v Nemčiji, kjer je izboljšal svoje znanje nemškega jezika.

V okviru svojega podiplomskega študija, Aljaž Suhadolnik trenutno kot gostujoči študent študira na Global MBA programu, ki je del Yonsei University Graduate School of Business v Seulu, Južni Koreji. Pred kratkim je bil na razpisu Univerze v Ljubljani izbran, da bo svojo univerzo kot gostujoči študent zastopal v Avstraliji na University of Wollongong, Sydney Business School. V primeru, da ne bo že predčasno zaključil študija pa se bo odpravil še na zadnjo potrjeno mednarodno izkušnjo, na Kitajskem, v Šanghaj na Tongji University, School of Economics and Management.

Aljaž ima dve leti delovnih izkušenj iz položaja direktorja v družinskem podjetju. Pred tem se je preizkusil še na drugih položajih, povezanih s podjetništvom.

Ko je v Sloveniji, se Aljaž kot ponosen Slovenec ljubiteljsko ukvarja z gorništvom, pohodništvom in smučanjem v Slovenskih Alpah. Obožuje slovenske jedi in hkrati trdi, da je slovenska kulinarika najboljša na svetu. Aljaž je navdušenec nad stvarmi, ki so povezane z ekologijo in zeleno energijo. Iz tematike ima tudi nekaj praktičnih izkušenj, ki se navezujejo na področje strojništva. Kadarkoli najde dodaten prosti čas se poskuša poglobiti v raziskovanje evropske in slovenske zgodovine ter zgodovine svojih prednikov. To je poleg ekonomije njegova druga strast.

Aljaž bo ASEF poletje preživel na Novi Zelandiji, kjer bo magistrsko nalogo pisal pri prof. dr. Matevžu Raškoviču na Victoria University of Wellington.

Andraž Oštrek

Andraž Oštrek je magistrski študent kemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo (FKKT) Univerze v Ljubljani. Kot dijak se je udeležil Mednarodne kemijske olimpijade (IChO). Med študijem je opravil praktično usposabljanje na področju fluoro-kemije (dr. Matic Lozinšek, Inštitut Jožef Stefan), zaključil diplomsko delo na področju organske kemije (doc. dr. Krištof Kranjc, FKKT) in sodeloval pri raziskovalnem delu na področju potencialnih bioaktivnih heterocikličnih spojin (prof. dr. Jurij Svete, FKKT).

Trenutno je na študijski izmenjavi v Nemčiji na univerzi Freie Universität Berlin. Po koncu študijske izmenjave bo imel priložnost obiskati univerzo University of Illinois in sodelovati v raziskovalni skupini prof. Davida Šarlaha, ki se ukvarja s sintezo strukturno kompleksnih in biološko aktivnih naravnih produktov. Ko se Andraž ne ukvarja s skrivnostmi kemije, uživa v ostalih ugankah vseh vrst, kar vključuje tudi knjige in poezijo, in jim ne more ubežati niti z rekreativnim tekom.

Anja Tušar

Anja Tušar trenutno končuje magistrski študij Biotehnologije na Univerzi v Ljubljani po dodiplomskem študiju Mikrobiologije. Praktično delo v laboratoriju je opravila na Kemijskem inštitutu pod mentorstvom prof. dr. Romana Jerale, kjer je pridobila veliko znanja in izkušenj na področju produkcije rekombinantnih proteinov. Predhodne izkušnje iz sintezne biologije je pridobivala na Max-Planck inštitutu v Marburgu in Danski tehniški univerzi v Kopenhagnu. Anja se veseli poletja, ko bo pri prof. dr. Boštjanu Kobeju na Univerzi v Queensland-u razširila svoje znanje o proteinskih strukturah in raziskovala funkcionalnost proteinov vključenih v signalno pot TLR receptorjev. Poleg raziskovalnega dela je Anja hvaležna za možnost potovanja v Avstralijo in spoznavanja tamkajšnje kulture.

Anžej Hladnik

Anžej je študent petega letnika Medicinske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. Zanimajo ga tako predklinične znanosti kot tudi klinična medicina, nekoč pa želi delati na področju translacijske medicine. Poletni obisk dr. Matije B. Peterlina na Univerzi Kalifornije, San Francisco, bo zato nedvomno pomembna izkušnja na njegovi poti strokovne in osebne rasti.

Tekom obiska bo predvidoma nadaljeval svoje delo na mikro RNA in mikroveziklih ter njihovemu biooznačevalskemu potencialu za rezervoarje latentne okužbe s HIV-1 v človeškem telesu. Omenjeno delo je bilo nagrajeno s fakultetno Prešernovo nagrado leta 2017 in Krkino nagrado leta 2018.

Del prostega časa Anžej nameni opravljanju zadolžitev, ki jih ima kot odgovorni urednik četrtletne medicinske revije Medicinski razgledi, ki jo vodijo študenti medicine. Ob nalogah vsakdana vseeno najde čas zase, prijatelje, in družino, uživa v hribolazenju in popotovanju ter branju, predvsem s področja zgodovine.

Benjamin Fele

Benjamin je diplomiral na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko na Univerzi v Ljubljani, trenutno pa obiskuje drugi letnik magistrskega programa Kognitivna znanost. Trenutno je kot študent zaposlen za Inštitutu Jožef Štefan, v Galeriji Kapelica pa za potrebe prihajajoče ekshibicije sodeluje pri razvoju umetno-inteligentnega sistema. Njegovo najbolj aktualno zanimanje je meta-kognitivni nadzor učenja in aplikacija človeških učnih strategij na učenje umetne inteligence. To področje je neposredno povezano s področjem avtomatskega strojnega učenja, ki je tudi eno od zanimanj prof. Dawn Song iz UC Berkeley, kjer bo Benjamin preživel del letošnjega leta. Poleg interesov na področjih kognitivne znanosti in strojnega učenja, Benjamina zanima tudi razvoj računalniških iger. S svojimi prijatelji rad ustvarja glasbo in se občasno ukvarja s športom, da si zbistri misli.

Damjan Panić

Damjan Panić je diplomiral iz sistemov vodenja na Fakulteti za elektrotehniko Univerze v Ljubljani. Zdaj je podiplomski študent robotike na isti fakulteti. Zanima ga predvsem področje interakcije človek-robot. V času študija je sodeloval pri nekaj projektih s tega področja znanosti.

Od junija 2016 kot študent dela na Slovenskem inštitutu za kakovost in meroslovje (SIQ). Je član EMC laboratorija, kjer izvaja meritve in testiranja po EMC direktivi. Razvija tudi programe in aplikacije za optimizacijo meritev.

Damjan bo sodeloval s profesorjem Domnom Novakom na Univerzi v Wyomingu, kjer bo izpopolnjeval svoje znanje na področju interakcije med človekom in robotom.

Domen Kanduti

Domen Kanduti je mladi zobozdravnik pripravnik in študent prvega letnika podiplomskega študijskega programa na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. ASEF štipendijski program je zanj izjemna priložnost za pridobitev novih znanj in raziskovalno delo pod mentorstvom izr. prof. dr. Janine Golob Deeb, dr. dent. med na Univerzi v Virginiji. Z raziskovalnim delom se je Domen srečal že tekom dodiplomskega izobraževanja na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kot soavtor nekaj znanstvenih publikacij na področju javnega zdravja in s sodelovanjem v raziskovalnem projektu na področju stomatološke protetike. Zelo aktiven je bil tudi v slovenskem in evropskem društvu študentov dentalne medicine ter kot vodja študentskega projekta preventive v zobozdravstvu. Domen se dodatno izobražuje na različnih slovenskih in mednarodnih delavnicah in kongresih. Vse te izkušnje in novo znanje mu nenehno odpirajo nova obzorja in ga dodatno motivirajo.

Kljub delu in predanosti poklicu, Domen uživa v naravi, v različnih športih, kot so pohodništvo, smučanje, tek in cestno kolesarjenje. Ukvarja se tudi s fotografiranjem in slikanjem. Kljub temu da nekateri mislijo, da umetnost in naravoslovna znanost ne gresta povsem z roko v roki, je dentalna medicina odlična kombinacija obojega, zato komaj čaka, da se lahko dodobra izrazi.

Jakob Murko

Jakob je magistrski študent fizike na Univerzi v Mariboru, kjer je tudi zaključil prvo stopnjo študija. Trenutno zaključuje magistrsko nalogo v sodelovanju z Inštitutom za fiziologijo na Medicinski fakulteti, kjer raziskuje funkcionalno povezanost pankreasnih celic beta. Raziskovalno ga zanimajo predvsem kompleksne mreže, strojno učenje in biofizika. V času študija je sodeloval pri različnih projektih v povezavi s strojnim učenjem, semantično analizo besedila, analizo signalov in sociofiziko.

To poletje bo raziskoval na univerzi v Stanfordu pri profesorju Juretu Leskovcu in njegovi raziskovalni skupini, kjer bo sodeloval pri trenutnih projektih in pridobival pomembne raziskovalne izkušnje.

V prostem času je zavzet skavtski voditelj, rad pa tudi hodi in kolesari v naravi in se druži s prijatelji.

Jana Obšteter

Jana Obšteter je trenutno zaposlena na Kmetijskem inštitutu Slovenije in doktorira na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Diplomirala je iz biotehnologije na Univerzi v Ljubljani in magistrirala iz kvantitativne genetike in analize genoma na Univerzi v Edinburghu. Medtem ko se je njeno prejšnje delo osredotočalo na človeško genetiko, so njeni trenutni raziskovalni interesi uporaba kvantitativnih genetskih tehnologij v vzreji živali. V svoji doktorski disertaciji raziskuje, kako učinkovito uporabiti genomske informacije za maksimiranje genetskega dobička za minimalne naložbe v govedorejo. To je še posebej pomembno za majhne države, kot je Slovenija in številne druge države v svetu v razvoju, kjer so naložbe v genomske podatke močno omejene, vendar je genetska izboljšava nujno potrebna, da bi nahranili vedno večje število ljudi z vse manjše viri.

Jana bo sodelovala pri prof. Gregor Gorjanc na Univerzi v Edinburghu. Navdušena je nad nadgradnjo svojega doktorskega raziskovanja, medtem ko sodeluje z vodilnimi svetovnimi raziskovalci za raziskave na živalih. Ko ne dela, Jana uživa v petju in preživljanju časa na prostem – bodisi tek, pohodništvo ali preprosto odkrivanje narave.

Jaš Benša

Rodil sem se v Gorici, v Italiji. Od leta 2010 do 2015 sem obiskoval znanstevni licej Simon Gregorčič s slovenskim učnim jezikom v Gorici. Licej sem zaključil s končno oceno 94/100. Leta 2015 sem se vpisal na univerzitetni študijski program prve stopnje, smer fizika, na fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani. Študij sem zaključil leta 2018. V šolskem letu 2017/2018 sem bil dobitnik Dekanovega priznanja za dosežen odličen uspeh v tretjem letniku študija. Trenutno obiskujem prvi letnik magistrskega programa Matematična fizika na fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko v Ljubljani.

V prostem času se zanimam za dinamične sisteme in razne perturbacijske metode za reševanje neintegrabilnih sistemov. V poletnih mesecih sem več let študiral ruščino in hrvaščino.

Juš Kosmač

Juš je magistrski študent matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko, Univerze v Ljubljani. Trenutno se ukvarja predvsem s svojim magistrskim delom, katerega tema je vztrajna homologija in njena uporaba. Njegovi najljubši področji matematike sta topologija in algebra, ampak ni omejen samo na njiju. Pretekli semester je preživel v Bonnu na Erasmus študijski izmenjavi. Med poletjem bo imel izredno priložnost obiskati prof. Jerneja Barbiča z University of Southern California, kjer bo spoznaval računalniško grafiko s topološkega vidika. Raziskoval bo predvsem modeliranje samopresečnih mnogoterosti.

V prostem času se Juš najraje ukvarja s športnimi aktivnostmi kot so tek, smučanje ali pohodništvo, saj posebej uživa ob lepem razgledu. Poleg tega pa si občasno privošči tudi ogled zanimivega filma ali dobre TV serije. Včasih si tudi zaigra kakšno klavirsko skladbo, predvsem zato, da povsem ne pozabi občutka klavirskih tipk.

Klemen Drnovšek

Klemen Drnovšek je doktorski študent na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru. Univerzitetni študijski program »Pravo« je zaključil s povprečno oceno 9,77. Za najboljše študijske uspehe študentov je prejel Rektorjevo nagrado in GRAWE Excellence Award za najboljšega študenta generacije. Diplomiral je na temo Ekskulpacija poslovne odškodninske odgovornosti po Obligacijskem zakoniku in Dunajski konvenciji (CISG). Trenutno je zaposlen kot asistent na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru, kjer deluje na področju pogodbenega prava, delovnega prava in obligacijskega prava. Na pravni fakulteti sodeluje pri različnih projektih, med drugim tudi na projektih, ki se nanašajo na okoljsko pravo in varstvo okolja.

Poleg dela na fakulteti Klemen aktivno sodeluje pri različnih organizacijah. Med drugim je sekretar pihalnega orkestra in podpredsednik Pravniškega društva v Mariboru. V okviru štipendijskega programa ASEF bo Klemen sodeloval s prof. Nives Dolšak, ki deluje na University of Washington v Seattlu.

Lara Dular

Lara Dular je študentka prvega letnika doktorskega študija fakultete za elektrotehniko Univerze v Ljubljani. Magistrirala je iz finančne matematike na fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Danes kot mlada raziskovalka sodeluje v Laboratoriju za slikovne tehnologije, kjer razvija postopke obdelave in analize medicinskih slik. Ukvarja se z razvojem orodij za analizo MRI slik možganov s pomočjo modelov strojnega učenja, za namen zaznavanja in proučevanja strukturnih sprememb možganov bolnikov z nevrodegenerativnimi boleznimi.

Tekom poletja bo obiskala prof. Sanjo Fidler na Univerzi v Torontu, kjer bo poglobila svoje znanje na področju globokega učenja in ideje uporabila na podatkovnih množicah medicinskih slik.

V prostem času uživa tako v iskanju skritih kotičkov živahnih mest, kot tudi raziskovanju narave, teku, pohodništvu in drugih športnih aktivnostih.

Lara Jerman

Lara Jerman je magistrska študentka računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Diplomirala je iz biokemije na isti univerzi, najbolj pa jo zanimajo interdisciplinarna področja na preseku biologije in računalništva. Doslej je že opravila poletni raziskovalni obisk na Evropskem inštitutu za bioinformatiko (EMBL-EBI), kjer se je ukvarjala s časovnim določanjem sekundarnih pridobitev kromosomov v tumorjih na podlagi mutacijskih podatkov. To poletje bo izvajala projekt na področju umetne inteligence pri prof. Mateji Jamnik na Univerzi v Cambridgeu v Združenem Kraljestvu.

Poleg študija Lara sodeluje pri sestavljanju nalog za državno tekmovanje iz logike, na delavnicah pa učence in dijake tudi pripravlja. Kot bivša tekmovalka sodeluje pri izboru in pripravi ekipe za mednarodno lingvistično olimpijado. Za oddajo Male Sive Celice piše eksperimentalna vprašanja, pri tabornikih pa kot prostovoljka dela z otroki in prevzema različne vodstvene vloge. V prostem času jo veselijo knjige, tek, gledališče in potovanja.

Lenart Škrjanc

Lenart Škrjanc je študent 6. letnika dentalne medicine na Medicinski fakulteti v Ljubljani. Od nekdaj je navdušen nad delovanjem človeškega telesa, naravoslovnimi znanostmi, ročnim in tehničnim delom, estetiko in delom z ljudmi, kar vse prinaša, s svojimi vsakodnevnimi izzivi, poklic zobozdravnika.

Trenutno je vključen v raziskovalno študijo na Katedri za čeljustno in zobno ortopedijo, katere tema je povečana dlesen pri pacientih med čeljustno-ortopedsko obravnavo.

Do sedaj se je udeležil večjih mednarodnih kongresov in delavnic za študente dentalne medicine ter v letu 2018 klinične prakse na Haddassah Hebrew University v Jeruzalemu, Izrael.

Lenart bo v okviru ASEF gostoval pri profesorici Janini Golob Deeb na Virginia Commonwealth University, kjer želi tekom raziskovalnega dela poglobiti svoje znanje na področju paradotontologije in implantologije.

V ZDA se želi seznaniti s potencialnimi različnimi kliničnimi tehnikami in metodami na področju dentalne medicine. Obenem ga interesira drugačen sistem organizacije zobozdravstvene oskrbe in individualni pristop do pacienta.

Mariša Cvitanič

Mariša je študentka 3. letnika naravoslovja na smeri Molekularna celična biologija in sintetična organska kemija na University College London. Med dodiplomskim izobraževanjem je raziskala svoje interese na področju sintetične in celične biologije, tako da je sodelovala v dveh projektih iGEM in opravila poletno prakso s poudarkom na učinkih amnijske membrane proti raku. Njen literarni projekt v 3. letniku se je osredotočil na aplikacije celičnega računanja za teranostiko raka v celicah sesalcev.

Mariša se bo letos poleti pridružila raziskovalni skupini prof. Jerneja Uleta na The Francis Crick Institute, kjer se bo ukvarjala z razvojem novih metod za analizo mreže interakcij protein-RNA za razjasnitev dinamike subnuklearnih struktur.

Prihaja iz Kamnika, majhnega mesteca tik pod Alpami, njeni najljubši prosti čas pa je preživljanje časa v naravi, predvsem pohodništvo in deskanje na snegu. Ko je od doma, rada preživlja čas na potovanjih in raziskovanju umetnosti.

Marko Drobnjak

Marko Drobnjak je mladi raziskovalec na Inštitutu za kriminologijo pri Pravni fakulteti v Ljubljani in doktorski študent Pravne fakultete v Ljubljani. Njegova osrednja raziskovalna področja so: jezik (diskurz) in pravo, profiliranje avtorjev besedil (skozi perspektivo jezikovne forenzike – predvsem fonetična, fonološka in stilistična področja), mediji in kriminologija ter tudi preučevanje psiholoških mehanizmov v kazenskem pravosodju in penologija. Zahvaljujoč ASEF štipendiji bo letošnje leto v sodelovanju s prof. Gašperjem Begušem z Univerze v Washingtonu (University of Washnington) preučeval, kako dialektološke in fonetično-fonološke značilnosti vplivajo na sodno odločanje in nenazadnje na dolžino kazni. Marko je velik pristaš novih metodoloških pristopov, kot je npr. procesiranje naravnih jezikov, in pred doktorskim študijem je bil privržen igralec videoiger.

Nejc Kosanič

Prihajam iz Maribora. Svoj diplomski študij fizike sem zaključil na Fakulteti za naravoslovje in matematiko na Univerz v Mariboru, sedaj pa študij fizike nadaljujem na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Zadnji dve leti sem kot študent delal na jedrskem reaktorju Inštituta Jozefa Štefana TRIGA, kjer sem pomagal sestavljati eksperiment na temo hidrotermodinamike (raziskovanje kritičnega toplotnega pretoka v dvofaznem toku hladilne tekočine R134a pod različnimi pogoji). Hkrati sem v tem času za dva meseca pomagal tudi na oddelku F5, kjer sem umerjal eksperiment z hladno plazmo - sinteza amonijaka ob stiku plazem vodika in dušika na površini različnih materialov.

V času absolventa sem bil na Erasmus izmenjavi v Zagrebu, kjer sem se lahko posvetil astrofiziki. Že od malega me zanimajo zvezde in galaksije, zaradi tega sem se na ASEF prijavil, da bi lahko sodeloval pri astrofizikalnem raziskovanju, kar bom tudi delal pod vodstvom prof. Andreja Prše na Univerzi v Villanovi.

V prostem času se ukvarjam z imaginarnimi startup projekti, ki vključujejo vse od prenosnih hladilnih naprav, do majhnih samoregulacijskih fermentatorjev. V izjemno groovy funkalističnem bendu igram glavno (edino) kitaro, navdušujem se nad čili rastlinami in omakami, obožujem pa tudi craft hmeljste zvarke.

Pia Marija Oblak

Pia Marija Oblak je študentka zadnjega letnika dodiplomskega študija mikrobiologije na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Po končani dodiplomski stopnji bo študij mikrobiologije nadaljevala na podiplomski stopnji. Med študijem jo je najbolj navdušila molekularna biologija in nasploh procesi, ki se odvijajo na prostim očem prikritem nivoju.

Pia se bo poleti pridružila raziskovalcem v laboratoriju prof. Jerneja Murna na Univerzi v Kaliforniji, Riverside. Tam bo nadgradila in pridobila novo znanje ter praktične izkušnje iz področja biologije RNA, ki je tudi glavni predmet raziskav v laboratoriju prof. Murna. Pia je zelo hvaležna za priložnost, ki jo je dobila preko organizacije ASEF in se že zelo veseli poletne prakse.

V prostem času rada potuje in odkriva nove kotičke sveta ter si s tem širi obzorja. Navdušuje jo igranje orgel, klavirja in violine, poleg glasbe pa obožuje tudi šport. Rada teče, pleše in hodi v gore.

Primož Kocbek

Primož Kocbek je raziskovalni asistent na Univerzi v Mariboru, Fakulteti za zdravstvene vede in doktorski študent biostatistike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Njegov raziskovalni interes vključuje statistično modeliranje in tehnike strojnega učenja z aplikacijami v zdravstvu. Trenutno je osredotočen na modele strojnega učenja z vključitvijo časovne odvisnosti podatkov iz elektronskih zdravstvenih zapisov in njihovo interpretabilnostjo, kar bo del njegove doktorske disertacije. Sodeloval je tudi v več nacionalnih in mednarodnih raziskovalnih projektih povezanih s strojnim učenjem v zdravstvu.

To poletje bo obiskal prof. Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford in je počaščen za to priložnost razširitve njegovega znanja. V prostem času uživa v branju kakšne dobre knjige ali gledanju dobrega filma ter rad potuje in spoznava tuje kulture.

Sabina Veršič

Sabina Veršič je doktorska študentka ekonomskih in poslovnih ved na Ekonomsko-poslovni fakulteti, Univerze v Mariboru, raziskuje področje strateškega managementa in politike podjetja. Njeno glavno raziskovalno področje je področje strateškega managementa, natančneje raziskuje vpliv zaznanih sprememb večdimenzionalnega ekosistema (zunanjega) okolja podjetja na strateško poslovno osredotočenost in uspešnost podjetja. Magistrirala je iz področja projektnega in strateškega managementa in diplomirala iz področja management na Ekonomsko-poslovni fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru.

To poletje bo Sabina obiskala dr. Tino Saksina na University of Prince Edward Island in dr. Nušo Fain na Queen’s University, kjer bo merila vpliv digitalizacije na poslovne strategije, zaposlene in njihove spretnosti. Drugače pa Sabina rada potuje in raziskuje nove kulture kakor tudi preživlja čas s psom, prijatelji in družino.

Taja Ložar

Taja Ložar je študentka Medicinske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. Področja, ki jo zanimajo, so onkologija in tumorska biologija, modeliranje bioloških sistemov, epidemiologija in preprečevanje raka, paliativna medicina in ginekologija. Zadnji dve leti je kot študentka zaposlena pri državnem programu zgodnjega odkrivanja predrakavih sprememb na materničnem vratu ZORA. Sodeluje pri različnih raziskovalnih projektih, ki potekajo na Onkološkem inštitutu v Ljubljani, med katerimi je trenutno najbolj aktualna izolacija cirkulirajočih tumorskih celic in implementacija metode v klinično prakso.

Taja bo preživela svoje poletje pri prof. Robertu Jeraju na Univerzi Wisconsin-Madison. Glavni temi njenega obiska bosta preučevanje raka in načrtovanje kliničnih študij. Veseli se odkrivanja novih načinov optimizacije onkološkega zdravljenja z namenom izboljšanja kakovosti pacientovega življenja in spoznavanja matematičnih konceptov, ki bi lahko bili v pomoč pri doseganju tega cilja.

Tanja Janko

Sem dodiplomska študentka Kemijske tehnologije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo v Ljubljani. Trenutno delam na Inštitutu Jožefa Štefana na oddelku za nanostrukturne materiale, kjer se ukvarjam z razvijanjem nanodelcev, ki se uporabljajo za medicinske namene. V preteklosti sem delala na podobnem projektu na Farmakološkem Inštitutu v Milanu, pred tem pa kot prostovoljka tudi nekaj časa preživela v bolnišničnem laboratoriju v Gambiji. Učenje in potovanje sta dve izmed mojih največjih strasti in sem zelo vesela, če dobim priložnost, kjer ju lahko združim. ASEF fellowship mi ponuja ravno to. Z obiskom dr. Dimitrija Krainca na Northwestern University v Chicago sem dobila priložnost, da spoznam in se naučim čim več o nevrodegenerativnih boleznih. Prepričana sem, da mi bo ta izkušnja veliko doprinesla k akademski in osebnostni rasti, ter bo pomagala pri oblikovanju moje nadaljnje kariere v raziskovanju. V svojem prostem času pa uživam v sprehajanju, branju, ter druženju z družino in prijatelji.

Uroš Prešern

Uroš Prešern je študent zadnjega letnika univerzitetnega dodiplomskega študija biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko inženirstvo, Univerza v Ljubljani. Trenutno se raziskovalno ukvarja s preučevanjem interakcije med transmembranskima proteinoma EGFR in EpCAM, ki sta pretirano izražena v karcinomih. Zelo je hvaležen fundaciji ASEF, ki mu bo omogočila, da bo poletje preživel pri prof. Andreju Šaliju na Univerzi Kalifornije, San Francisco, kjer bo pridobil znanje o generiranju strukturnih modelov proteinov in proteinskih kompleksov z uporabo programske opreme, ki so jo razvili v laboratoriju prof. Šalija. Uroš verjame, da bo ta izkušnja ogromno pripomogla pri njegovih nadaljnjih raziskavah, hkrati pa bo pridobil novo in pomembno zanje na področju strukturne biokemije.

Poleg študija in raziskovalnega dela Uroš posveča svoj čas fotografiranju, kuhanju in potovanjem. Prosti čas rad preživi na svežem zraku, kjer teče, pohajkuje ali preprosto uživa v naravi. Čeprav pa drži, da se mu po napornem dnevu najbolj prileže ogled kakšne dobre serije, ob kateri si privošči čips ali čokolado.

Urša Uršič

Urša Uršič je sveže diplomirana študentka fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko na Univerzi v Ljubljani. V letošnjem študijskem letu je vpisana v absolventako leto, kar ji omogoča opravljanje dlje trajajočih raziskovalnih izmenjav. Šest mesečno prakso na temo tekočih kristalov je opravljala v Lukemburgu, junija pa odhaja v Avstralijo na univerzo v Queenslandu k prof. Boštjanu Kobetu na deset tedensko raziskovanje funkcionalnosti proteinov. Oktobra bo z magisterijem na področju biofizike nadaljevala svojo izobraževalno pot.

Urška Matjašec

Urška Matjašec zaključuje magistrski interdisciplinarni študij računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Navdušuje se nad big data in raznovrstnimi možnostmi, ki jih ponuja področje umetne inteligence. Z različnimi interdisciplinarnimi projekti vseskozi išče nove izzive in poskuša najti logiko v vsem. Svoj prosti čas rada preživlja v naravi, teče in hodi v hribe. Prav tako zelo rada potuje in odkriva nove kulture, najraje od vsega pa bere knjige. Letošnje poletje bo preživela s profesorico Matejo Jamnik in njeno ekipo na Univerzi Cambridge v Veliki Britaniji. Organizaciji ASEF je hvaležna za to priložnost.

Dežan Lucija

Lucija Dežan je trenutno končuje drugo leto na Univerzi v Mariboru, Filozofska fakulteta. Diplomirala je iz sociologije in angleškega jezika in književnosti. V času dodiplomskega in podiplomskega študija, Lucija sodelovala pri več raziskovalnih skupin, ki se ukvarjajo z vedenjem mladih, neformalnih praks in taktično manevriranje v balkanskih družbah, in kolesarske kulture med lokalnimi študenti. Kot njen mag naloga se osredotoča na neformalnih praks, ki pomagajo mladi do prve zaposlitve, bo ona preživela padec s prof. Ana Bračič, strokovnjak za sodelovanje v skupnosti, da sodelujejo z njo na univerzi v Oklahomi. ASEF Fellowship ji je ponudil možnost, da bi z izhod ankete intervjujev med volitvami v jeseni v Oklahoma Cityju. Lucija je hvaležen, da je treba dati priložnost in je prepričan, da bo ASEF Fellowship dovolijo, da bi razširil svoje raziskave in bo predstavljal pomemben korak na svoji poklicni poti. Lucija je tudi zelo strastno o enakih možnostih in zunaj njenih akademskih udejstvovanje; rada potovanja, ona je mentor delavnice, kjer se otroci združujejo robotike in LEGO kock in ljubi svet iger.

Gubeljak Lara

Lara je študentka drugega letnika medicine na Univerzi RWTH Aachen. Navdušuje se nad molekularno medicino in bo sodelovala s prof. Križaja na Univerzi v Utahu o bolečinah v roženici in mehanosensingu z molekularne in fiziološke perspektive. To je njen prvi večji raziskovalni projekt, zato je za to priložnost še posebej hvaležna. V prostem času rada igra klavir, pleše in se potepa. Ima šibko točko za koncerte v dnevni sobi in torte.

Ikica Barbara

Barbara je doktorska študentka matematike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani, ki deluje na področju evolucijske teorije iger, ki se uporablja za razvijanje grafov. Po raziskovalnem obisku na ETH Zürich, kjer se je osredotočila na modeliranje širjenja novic, je zelo navdušena nad priložnostjo obiskati prof. Jureta Leskovca na univerzi Stanford. Poleg raziskovanja uživa v izzivih učenja tujih jezikov, raziskovanja novih krajev na svojem kolesu in preživljanja časa s prijatelji in družino.

Janež Petra

Petra Janež je pred kratkim končala doktorat iz ekonomije. Med svojim doktorskim študijem je raziskovala obiskala Booth School of Business na Univerzi v Chicagu in McCombs School of Business na Univerzi v Teksasu v Austinu. Magistrirala in diplomirala iz ekonomije na Univerzi v Ljubljani. V doktorski disertaciji je z empiričnim modeliranjem preučila vpliv davčne politike na nepremičnine na migracije na lokalni in regionalni ravni v Sloveniji. Nadaljuje z raziskovanjem, kako v državo pritegniti nova podjetja, kapital in ljudi in po drugi strani, kako jih zadržati. Trenutno svoje znanje izpopolnjuje na Slovenskem inštitutu za revizijo. Urško Velikonja bo obiskala prof. Urško Velikonjo, kjer bo sodelovala z njo na Univerzi Georgetown, Washington DC in počaščena je, da ima to priložnost. V prostem času se ukvarja s športi, kot so smučanje, igranje tenisa, kolesarjenje, pohodništvo in druge aktivnosti.

Janežič Erik

Erik Janežič je diplomiral iz biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo v Ljubljani. Vedno so ga navdušili človeški možgani in mehanizmi, ki upravljajo našo inteligenco. To se odraža v njegovi diplomski nalogi, kjer je raziskoval subcelično lokalizacijo na novo odkritih organelov, lipidnih kapljic, v astrocitih podgan. Med študijem so se njegova zanimanja iz biologije razširila na bolj abstraktne teoretične poglede na inteligenco, za nadaljnjo poklicno pot pa se je odločil združiti zanimanja biologije z računalništvom tako, da se vpiše na magistrski študij računalništva na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko. Znanost v Ljubljani. Zdaj končuje prvi letnik magistrskega študija, ki se osredotoča predvsem na umetno inteligenco in strojno učenje. Navdušuje ga teorija hierarhičnega časovnega spomina in namerava v to smer usmeriti svoje raziskave in magistrsko nalogo.

To poletje bo imel priložnost sodelovati s prof. Sanja Fidler na Univerzi v Torontu, kjer bo razširil svoje znanje s področja računalniškega vida in obdelave naravnega jezika.

Prihaja iz majhnega mesta pod Alpami, seveda rad alpinizem in smuča. Poleti si poišče občasno potapljanje nekje ob hrvaški obali. Ko je časa malo, se sprosti tako, da gre ven na tek in s prijatelji igra košarko ali računalniške igrice.

Kmecl Peter

Peter Kmecl je študent dodiplomskega študija Elektrotehnike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Njegovi posebni interesi so robotika, avtomatizacija in vgrajeni sistemi. Potem ko je kot hobi razvil enostavnejše naloge pri izdelavi in programiranju naprav, že kot študent dela v Laboratoriju za meroslovje in kakovost Fakultete, kjer sodeluje pri številnih projektih, predvsem pri izdelavi optičnih magnetometrov za Institut Jožef Stefan.

Peter bo to poletje preživel v sodelovanju s profesorjem Domenom Novakom na Univerzi v Wyomingu, kjer bo spoznaval metode dela v naprednem raziskovalnem okolju in spoznaval najsodobnejšo tehnologijo v rehabilitacijski robotiki. Peter je navdušen jadralec in smučar. Poleg tega rad kuha in – očitno – v prostem času gradi in programira različne elektronske naprave.

Kukanja Petra

Petra Kukanja je študentka prvega letnika podiplomskega študija na univerzi Uppsala. Po diplomi iz biotehnologije na Univerzi v Ljubljani se je v Barboričevem laboratoriju na Univerzi v Helsinkih seznanila s temeljnimi transkripcijskimi mehanizmi metazojev. Tam je dobila priložnost sodelovati v projektu, ki je preiskoval pomen sproščanja promotorja RNA polimeraze II proksimalne pavze pri transkripcijskem odzivu na genotoksični stres. Trenutno je vpisana v magistrski program medicinskih raziskav s poudarkom na molekularni medicini. Njeni raziskovalni interesi so odprti za raziskovanje možnih diagnostičnih, prognostičnih in zdravilnih možnosti z razumevanjem in manipuliranjem različnih mehanizmov, ki povzročajo bolezni. Petra bo poletje preživela v prof. Laboratorij Matije Peterlina na UCSF. Navdušena je, da bo poglobila svoje znanje na področju genske regulacije in izvedela več o izražanju in latenci genov HIV. Petra je v prostem času prostovoljka pri Zvezi tabornikov Slovenije. Predana glasbi je končala tudi študij violine na Konservatoriju za glasbo in balet Ljubljana. Končno se ne more pritoževati nad zamenjavo hladnih nordijskih zim za neskončna kalifornijska poletja.

Lapajne Luka

oftalmologijo in postati očesni kirurg. Njegove trenutne raziskave so osredotočene na bolezni roženice. V sodelovanju z Institutom Jožef Stefan želi odkriti nove funkcionalne in morfološke vidike teh bolezni ter prispevati k boljšemu razumevanju patologij in na koncu novih možnosti zdravljenja. Je tudi del interdisciplinarnega tima, ki v Očesni bolnišnici Ljubljana uvaja novo terapijo z matičnimi celicami. V času bivanja v ZDA bo sodeloval s prof. David Križaj, ki je svetovno priznan raziskovalec na področju oftalmologije. Hvaležen, da je dobil to priložnost, jo želi kar najbolje izkoristiti in je prepričan, da mu bo ta obisk prinesel pomembno akademsko rast, ki bi lahko oblikovala njegovo prihodnjo raziskovalno kariero. V prostem času se Luka rad ukvarja z različnimi športi. Navdušuje se nad smučanjem in si ne predstavlja zime brez tedna na pravem alpskem smučišču.

Leban Blaž

Blaž Leban je študent drugega letnika podiplomskega študija fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. To poletje se bo pridružil prof. Raziskovalna skupina Andreja Prše na Univerzi Villanova v Philadelphiji, ki se osredotoča predvsem na računalniško astrofiziko. Za študij fizike se je odločil v srednji šoli, ko so ga popularne znanstvene knjige o vesolju in kozmologiji popolnoma osupnile, a so ga pozneje preusmerili na fiziko delcev. Trenutno pripravlja magistrsko nalogo o fiziki nevtrinov in mehanizmu gugalnice. Ker za prihodnost ni vezan na določeno področje, bi rad poglobil svoje znanje o obnašanju zvezdnih sistemov in poskušal zgraditi njihove realistične računalniške modele. V prostem času skuša čim več časa preživeti v bližini prostora v naravi, kjer rad teče, hodi, igra nogomet, odbojko in se ukvarja z drugimi športi. Je tudi ljubitelj relija in je navdušen nad ultimativnim frizbijem. Je urejena in dobro organizirana oseba. Za to štipendijo je zelo hvaležen ASEF-u.

Marinčič Matevž

Matevž Marinčič je študent druge stopnje fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Njegovo glavno raziskovalno zanimanje je fizika mehke snovi, zlasti aktivne snovi, fotonski kristali in metamateriali. Delal je pri raziskovalnem projektu o holesteričnih mikrolaserjih s tekočimi kristali. Svoje navdušenje nad fiziko rad deli tudi z drugimi z mentorstvom, sodelovanjem na naravoslovnih tekmovanjih in drugih projektih. Trenutno se ukvarja z aktivno nematiko, ki je glavna tema njegove magistrske naloge.

To poletje bo Matevž na obisku pri prof. Andreja Košmrlja na univerzi Princeton, kjer bo delal na periodičnih elastičnih materialih. Na podlagi svoje geometrije ti materiali prenašajo ali odražajo posebne vibracijske načine, zaradi česar so uporabni kot akustični metamateriali.

Matevž je že od svojega 10. leta aktiven član domačega skavtskega društva. To sovpada z njegovo ljubeznijo do narave in zunaj – rad hodi, se ukvarja s pohodi, alpinizem, plezanje, smučanje ali samo piknik. Te dejavnosti združuje tudi s svojo strastjo do potovanj in raziskovanja novih kultur.

Mrzelj Nina

Nina Mrzelj je magistrska študentka računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani in trenutno opravlja Erasmus izmenjavo na Tehnološki univerzi na Dunaju.

Kar je Nini najbolj všeč na svojem študijskem področju, je njena interdisciplinarnost in neskončne možnosti uporabe pridobljenega znanja. Zanima jo reševanje resničnih problemov z uporabo matematike in algoritmov. Njeni raziskovalni interesi vključujejo strojno učenje, znanost o podatkih in analizo omrežij. V preteklosti je delala na različnih projektih: napovedovala prihodnje trende oglaševalskih kampanj, razvrščala zaporedja bakterijske DNK v taksonomske range, uporabljala podatke za izboljšanje uporabniške izkušnje…

To poletje bo Nina sodelovala s prof. Jure Leskovec na univerzi Stanford. Štipendija ASEF ji bo omogočila sodelovanje s svetovnimi znanstveniki, obenem pa izkusila novo kulturo. V prostem času Nina rada potuje in preživlja čas na prostem – pohodi, pleza ali pa le preizkuša kakšno novo dejavnost. Verjame, da se življenje začne na koncu cone udobja in zato vedno išče izzive in dogodivščine, tako v poklicnem kot osebnem življenju.

Nemac Kristjan

Kristjan Nemac je mladi raziskovalec v Znanstveno-raziskovalnem centru Koper in dr. študent Univerze na Primorskem. Diplomiral in magistriral je iz sociologije kulture na Univerzi v Ljubljani. V svojem dr. diplomske naloge preučuje učinke globalizacije na lokalne skupnosti, s poudarkom na vključevanju pristanišča v globalno konkurenco in lokalno okolje. To poletje bo preživel pri prof. Nives Dolšak na Univerzi Washington, Seattle. Obisk mu bo omogočil analizo in primerjavo dveh različnih kulturnih in političnih realnosti ter odzivov pristanišč Koper in Seattle na globalizacijske procese.

Aktivno je sodeloval v različnih organizacijah, v katerih je kritično analiziral sodobno družbo in iskal rešitve za družbene spremembe. Sodelovanje z raziskovalno skupino na področju okoljske politike mu bo omogočilo boljše razumevanje strategij trajnostnega razvoja, ki zagovarjajo celostni družbeni razvoj lokalnih skupnosti.

Razpotnik Rok

Rok Razpotnik je dr. študentka Biomedicine na Biokemijskem inštitutu Medicinske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. Njegova raziskava se osredotoča na raziskovanje vloge nekodirajočih RNA, zlasti krožnih RNA, pri hepatocelularnem karcinomu. Diplomiral in magisterij iz biokemije je zaključil na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je prejel tudi priznanje za znanstvene dosežke in Prešernovo nagrado fakultete za magistrsko nalogo. Z obiskovanjem programa Erasmus+ na Univerzi v Gentu v Belgiji ter drugih tečajev in akademskih projektov je svoje znanje še izboljšal. Rok se veseli, da bo poletje preživel v laboratoriju prof. dr. Jerneja Murna na kalifornijski univerzi Riverside, kjer bo pridobival nova znanja in izkušnje s področja biologije RNA. Verjame, da bo ta izkušnja dvignila njegovo nadaljnje raziskovalno delo in ga postavila na novo raven. Rok je zelo navdušen nad potovanji, odkrivanjem novih kultur in rad preživlja prosti čas na prostem, kolesari, pohodi in teče. Vendar po dolgem dnevu ne uživa nič drugega kot to, da pije pijačo in se dobro smeje s prijatelji ali gleda odličen alternativni film. Je počaščen in zelo hvaležen ASEF-u za to priložnost.

Reberc Ana

Ana Reberc je diplomirala iz psihologije na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Trenutno opravlja dvojni magisterij iz sociologije kulture in psihologije. Je asistentka na oddelku za socialno psihologijo in študentka knjižničarka v psihološki knjižnici. Njene znanstvene raziskave se osredotočajo na epistemologijo psihologije, kritično psihologijo in kognitivno sociologijo. Zanimata jo tudi primatologija in afristika. Poleg študija je aktivna novinarka, avtorica psihološke radijske oddaje Psihoteka in soavtorica feministične radijske oddaje Sektor F na Radiu Študent. V njeni eklektični knjižnici je veliko knjig njene vzornice Angele Y. Davis ter najljubših avtorjev Amosa Tutuole in Vladimirja Bartola. Ima študentsko službo v Slovenski kinoteki in je navdušenka nad televizijskimi serijami. Poleti 2018 bo s profesorjem Petrom Verovškom na Univerzi v Sheffieldu raziskovala tranzicijsko pravičnost.

Robnik Jakob

Jakob je študent drugega letnika dodiplomskega študija fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. V srednji šoli je prejel bronaste medalje na mednarodni olimpijadi iz astronomije in astrofizike ter mednarodni olimpijadi iz fizike. Še posebej želi izvedeti čim več o nelinearni dinamiki, kozmologiji in topologiji. Njegove trenutne raziskave so osredotočene na prenos toplote v enodimenzionalnih rešetkah. Poletje bo preživel pri profesorju Seljaku na UC Berkeley, kjer bo delal na numeričnih simulacijah v kozmologiji. Ko ne razmišlja o abstraktnih prostorih ali branju fantazije, se posveti drugim strastem, alpinizmu, plezanju, smučanju, nogometu in kateremu koli drugemu športu.

Rus Marko

Marko je dodiplomski študent računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Njegovi raziskovalni interesi so algoritmi, podatkovne strukture in globoko učenje. To poletje bo sodeloval s prof. Dawn Song na kalifornijski univerzi Berkeley.

Marko v prostem času dela v Laboratoriju za umetno inteligenco na Institutu Jožef Stefan. Marko je bil v preteklosti del projekta PKP Solar Power Forecasting, sodeloval je v Evropski študijski skupini z industrijo, prejel dekanovo pohvalo za akademsko odličnost in prejel številne nagrade s programskih tekmovanj. Poleg vsega tega Marko najde dovolj časa za druge aktivnosti, igra nogomet, veliko bere, rad se vozi s kajakom in zelo rad igra trobento.

Smolkovič Aleks

Aleks Smolkovič je doma iz Lendave. Diplomiral in magistriral iz fizike je na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Med študijem se je razvil izredno zanimanje za področje fizike visokih energij. Znanje, pridobljeno na fakulteti, je dopolnil s poletno prakso na Oddelku za teoretično fiziko Instituta Jožef Stefan ter z obiskovanjem specializiranih šol in konferenc tako v Sloveniji kot v tujini.

Pred kratkim se je kot doktorski študent pridružil Oddelku za teoretično fiziko. Raziskuje različne fenomenološke posledice fizike onkraj Standardnega modela, povezane z razpadi B mezonov in interakcijami med top kvarkom in Higgsovim bozonom. Ob podpori ASEF-a, za kar mu je zelo hvaležen, bo obiskal profesorja Jureta Zupana na Univerzi v Cincinnatiju.

Besides doing research Aleks also enjoys being a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. When not at the office he likes to spend his time with friends and family, especially enjoying good movies at the cinema, traveling and exploring new places.

Sotosek Anja

Anja dela kot asistentka na Katedri za protetično stomatologijo na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. V času študija je sodelovala pri raziskovalni nalogi iz parodontologije, ki ji je prinesla Prešernovo nagrado Medicinske fakultete za raziskovalne dosežke ter se udeležila različnih mednarodnih kongresov in delavnic. Po diplomi iz stomatologije in opravljenem pripravništvu je praktične izkušnje pridobivala kot splošna zobozdravnica leto in pol.

Anja bo v okviru štipendijskega programa ASEF gostovala pri prof. Janina Golob Deeb na univerzi Virginia Commonwealth, z namenom razširiti svoje znanje. S to raziskovalno priložnostjo želi sprejeti izziv in upa, da bo pozitivno prispevala k prof. Ekipa Goloba Deeba. V prostem času rada kuha, potuje na sončne kraje in bere vohunske romane.

Zavodnik Jan

Jan Zavodnik je podiplomski študent Fakultete za strojništvo Univerze v Ljubljani. V preteklosti je delal na projektu modeliranja in napovedovanja odziva termično aktiviranih umetnih mišic iz metamaterialov. Razvil je model, ki opisuje odziv na krčenje zvitega zvitega najlonskega žarka, kar omogoča temeljito razumevanje procesa. Za diplomsko delo je prejel Prešernovo nagrado za izjemne mlade raziskovalce.

Letošnje poletje bo preživel na Princetonu v sodelovanju s profesorjem Andrejem Košmrljem pri projektu razvoja pljuč s stališča mehanike. Poskušal bo razviti model, ki bi pomagal bolje razumeti, kako se v človeškem ali živalskem telesu razvijajo pljuča in drugi organi. Jan poleg univerzitetnega in projektnega dela uživa v znanosti o podatkih, letenju modelov letal, pohodništvu in plavanju. Prosti čas rad preživlja zunaj v naravi in se s punco na romantičnih sprehodih.

Žust Lojze

Lojze Žust je dodiplomski študent Računalništva in informatike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Navdušen je nad strojnim učenjem in računalniškim vidom in trenutno končuje diplomsko nalogo o analizi slik z uporabo globokega učenja.

Lojze je sodeloval pri več raziskovalnih projektih umetne inteligence na univerzi in v oddelku za raziskave in razvoj zdravstvenega podjetja Marand. Navdušen je nad širitvijo svojega znanja na druga zanimiva področja umetne inteligence. Letos poleti se veseli obiska pri prof. Jureta Leskovca in se pridružil njegovi raziskovalni skupini na Univerzi Stanford.

V prostem času Lojze rad pleza, preživlja čas na prostem, igra svoje najljubše pesmi na kitaro in se druži s prijatelji.

Čibej Gorazd

Gorazd je odvetnik, ki dela v zavarovalništvu. Po diplomi iz evropskega prava na Univerzi v Lundu (Švedska) in pravosodnem izpitu se je specializiral predvsem za zavarovalno pravo. Kot močan privrženec alternativnega reševanja sporov je kasneje pridobil certifikat, ki mu je omogočil delo mediatorja in svoje znanje še poglobil z udeležbo na tečajih o mediaciji doma in v tujini (Univerza v Novi Mehiki, Srednjeevropska univerza). Vse to je imelo za posledico izgradnjo klinike za brezplačno pravno pomoč, ki je posebej namenjena ponujanju brezplačnih pravnih nasvetov in izvajanju storitev mediacije tistim, ki jih potrebujejo. Izjemno zadovoljen in počaščen je, ko vidi, da je Ambulanta brezplačne pravne pomoči zaradi strasti in dela prerasla v eno najbolj prepoznavnih tovrstnih organizacij v državi.

Gorazd trenutno opravlja doktorat na Univerzi v Ljubljani in pripravlja doktorsko nalogo o vplivu zavarovalne odgovornosti na odškodninsko pravo. Poleg pravne smeri je vpisan tudi v zadnji letnik magisterija poslovnih študij, kjer se njegove raziskave osredotočajo na raziskovanje etike v korporativnem upravljanju tako s poslovnega kot s pravnega vidika. Verjame, da bodo izkušnje s Harvarda močno vplivale na njegovo raziskovalno temo in je zelo vesel, da mu je bila dana ta priložnost. Gorazd v prostem času rad potuje in raziskuje nove kulture ter se navdušuje nad športi, kot so smučanje, igranje tenisa in kolesarjenje.

Golobič Teja

Teja Golobič je študentka 1. letnika doktorskega študija na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Njen doktorski študij je na podlagi dosedanjih akademskih dosežkov financiralo Ministrstvo za izobraževanje, znanost in šport RS. Diplomirala je iz prava in magistrirala iz prava, oba z odliko, na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. V času dodiplomskega študija je sodelovala na številnih mednarodnih poletnih šolah, tekmovanjih študentov prava in raziskovalnih projektih. Ob obisku Univerze v Utrechtu, Fakultete za pravo, ekonomijo in upravljanje, je nadgradila svoje znanje s področja korporativnega prava. Njen aktualni znanstveni članek, ki obravnava ureditev oskrbe z vodo, je bil objavljen v vodilni upravnopravni reviji v Sloveniji, Javni upravi. Ker se njena trenutna doktorska raziskava osredotoča na upravno pravo, pravo Evropske unije, pravo konkurence, javno-zasebna partnerstva in koncesijske pogodbe, bo obiskala prof. Johna T. Plečnika, strokovnjaka za obdavčitev in javno politiko, kjer bo sodelovala z njim na CSU. Teja je zelo navdušena tudi nad enakostjo spolov, enakimi možnostmi, poleg akademskega udejstvovanja pa poezijo in plesom.

Jež Kaj

Kaj Jež je študent prvega letnika podiplomskega študija na Ekonomski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral iz mednarodnega poslovanja. To poletje bo preživel pri prof. Nives Dolšak na Univerzi Washington v Seattlu, kjer bo primerjal davčno in koncesijsko politiko ter ureditev na področju vodnih virov v Sloveniji, zvezni državi Washington in Kaliforniji, pri čemer se bo osredotočil predvsem na relativno velikost in strukturo davkov na rabo vodnih virov, trajanje koncesij in proces spremljanja v zvezi z navedenimi predpisi. Njegov raziskovalni interes so učinki obdavčitve in regulacije na gospodarsko uspešnost podjetij in dolgoročno gospodarsko rast države.

Kaj je tudi direktor slovenskega Inštituta Libertas, raziskovalnega centra za prosti trg, ki se je pred tem ukvarjal z javnim diskurzom o vodnih politikah in drugih vprašanjih civilne družbe. Njegovi posebni interesi v prostem času vključujejo film, gledališče in branje.

Kukavica Jaka

Jaka Kukavica je zadnji letnik LL.B. študentka Pravne fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. Njegovi raziskovalni interesi so široko zasnovani na ustavnih vidikih in vidikih človekovih pravic različnih javnopravnih vprašanj. V preteklosti je raziskoval procesne obveznosti in (evropski) konsenz kot interpretativno metodo po Evropski konvenciji o človekovih pravicah. Sodeloval bo s prof. Urško Velikonja na univerzi Georgetown, kjer bo z ustavnega in primerjalnega vidika raziskoval procesne pravice žrtev v postopkih izvrševanja skladnosti vrednostnih papirjev in drugih podobnih postopkih. V prostem času je Jaka navdušen (a povprečen) plezalec, žalosten deskar brez morja in pomanjkanje valov v vsakdanjem življenju preveč nadomešča s treningom za tek na maratonu v Pjongčangu 2018.

Lampret Urška

Urška Lampret je doktorska študentka in mlada raziskovalka na Teološki fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Njena doktorska disertacija se osredotoča na idejno razhajanje in konflikt med krščanstvom in komunizmom v obdobju revolucije na Slovenskem. V svoji raziskavi se osredotoča na dejanja, dejavnosti in politike, ki jih je Cerkev izvajala in sledila za obrambo človekovih pravic v času druge svetovne vojne in komunistične revolucije v Sloveniji, vključno z vprašanjem legitimnosti le-teh. Je članica Societas Ethica in raziskovalne skupine na Teološki fakulteti. ASEF Fellowship ji je ponudil priložnost za sodelovanje s prof. Peter Verovšek z Univerze v Sheffieldu (Združeno kraljestvo), katerega obsežno poznavanje teme politike in kolektivnega spomina bi imelo za njeno raziskavo velik pomen in vpliv. Urška je zelo hvaležna za to priložnost in verjame, da ji bo ASEF štipendija omogočila razširitev in poglobitev raziskovanja ter predstavljala pomemben korak na njeni karierni poti.

A najprej je Urška mama treh otrok (Nika – 5 let, Jakob – 3 leta in Filip – 2 leti). Njen prosti čas je poln smeha, joka, igre, petja, plesa, kričanja, žgečkanja,… Med akademskimi in družinskimi dejavnostmi Urška navdušuje smučarske skoke (bila je med prvimi skakalkami v Sloveniji), ples, plezanje, državo glasba in nogomet (navijač Liverpoola FC), zahvaljujoč možu. Za usklajevanje vseh teh vidikov svojega življenja mora biti zelo dobro organizirana in motivirana, kar ima za posledico tudi njeno znanstveno delo, ki se običajno konča zelo pozno ponoči.

Lukič Marija

Marija je študentka zaključnega, šestega letnika Stomatologije na Medicinski fakulteti v Ljubljani. Ko je pridobivala globlje znanje o različnih področjih v zobozdravstvu, sta jo začela zanimati predvsem parodontologija in protetika. Trenutno je vključena v raziskave javnega znanja o endodontiji, vendar se veseli, da bo izkoristila priložnost za delo na področju parodontije z dr. Janino Golob Deeb na univerzi Virginia Commonwealth v Richmondu. Ves čas študija je prostovoljno sodelovala pri študentskem projektu, osredotočenem na preventivno zobozdravstvo. Aktivna je bila tudi v revijah študentov medicine in stomatologije. Udeleževala se je različnih delavnic in mednarodnih kongresov, ki ji širijo pogled na zobozdravstvo in izboljšajo njeno klinično delo.

Njen poklic je pravo nasprotje enega njenih najljubših hobijev – peke. Šali se, da to počne, ker mora nekdo zobozdravnikom zagotoviti stranke. Rada tudi pleše, uživa v različnih zvrsteh umetnosti in obožuje kreativno ročno delo, kar je eden od razlogov, da se je odločila za zobozdravstvo. ASEF je počaščena in hvaležna za to priložnost.

Marc Tilen

Tilen Marc je doktorski študent na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Deluje na področju teorije grafov, zanimajo pa ga tudi teme, kot sta strojno učenje in analiza omrežij. Imel bom priložnost obiskati prof. Jureta Leskovca na Univerzi Stanford. Tilen v prostem času zelo rad pleza in se ukvarja z drugimi športi ter toliko časa preživi na prostem.

Omerzel Aleš

Aleš Omerzel je študent drugega letnika magisterija računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Na kalifornijski univerzi Berkeley bo Aleš sodeloval s prof. Dawn Song o najnovejših tehnologijah na področju umetne inteligence in zlasti globokega učenja.

Aleš je kot srednješolec osvojil štiri zlata priznanja na državnih matematičnih olimpijadah in bronasto medaljo na matematični olimpijadi Beneluksa. Leta 2011 se je vpisal na diplomski interdisciplinarni program Računalništvo in matematika na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer je vsako leto prejel Dekanovo pohvalo za akademsko odličnost. Leta 2014 je nadaljeval z magisterijem iz računalništva in matematike, v času magisterija pa je pridobil številne mednarodne izkušnje. Opravil je pripravništvo za raziskave in razvoj, osredotočeno na sisteme korporativne programske opreme pri Bloomberg L.P. v Londonu. Dva semestra je preživel na ETH Zürich kot študent na izmenjavi in študentski asistent. Njegova raziskava v Švici je zajemala zasebnost, skupno rabo podatkov in optimizacijo delovanja v Internetu stvari, kar je prispevalo k publikaciji Engineering Democratization in Internet of Things Data Analytics.

Poleg študijskih in znanstvenoraziskovalnih dejavnosti se Aleš ob večerih ukvarja z različnimi rekreativnimi športi, ki mu pomagajo ostati pozitiven, močan in fit. Rad tudi igra kitaro, potuje in raziskuje nove stvari.

Rojc Ajda

Ajda Rojc je študentka Fakultete za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Končala je diplomski študij biokemije in nadaljevala z magistrskim programom na istem oddelku. V zadnjem letniku študija se je Ajda preselila na Švedsko, kjer je obiskovala semester na univerzi Uppsala. Letos bo Ajda poletje preživela v San Franciscu, kjer bo delala v prof. Laboratorij Matije Peterlina na UCSF. Ajdina najljubša tema v biokemiji je imunologija, ki je tudi glavna raziskovalna tema njene magistrske naloge. Nad delom na UCSF je navdušena, saj bo ta izkušnja razširila njeno znanje in jo izpostavila novim priložnostim v biokemiji. Hvaležna je ASEF-u, da ji je omogočil, da izkoristi to priložnost.

Ajda je že 16 let navdušena plezalka in po šoli dela v lokalni plezalni telovadnici, kjer poučuje in trenira otroke vseh starosti. Je tudi inštruktorica deskanja na snegu, rada kuha, peče, hodi, kolesari in potuje naokoli, zato je Kalifornija popoln kraj za Ajdo!

Starčevič Luka

Luka Starčevič je študent strojništva na Fakulteti za strojništvo Univerze v Mariboru. Zadnji 2 leti se ukvarja s številčnimi izračuni celičnih in avksetičnih materialov pod mentorstvom prof. Zoran Ren, vodja Laboratorija za napredno računalniško tehniko in eksperimentiranje. V teh 2 letih si je Luka nabrala veliko izkušenj in znanja na področju numeričnih simulacij celičnih in avksetičnih materialov, ki so materiali s posebnimi mehanskimi lastnostmi. V zadnjih nekaj mesecih Luka sodeluje z Nejcem Novakom, mlajšim znanstvenikom, ki trenutno živi v Kumamotu na Japonskem, kjer dela na eksperimentih za potrditev Lukinega raziskovalnega dela na področju numeričnih simulacij. Zaradi Lukinega odmevnega raziskovanja je njegov mentor prof. Ren, mu je priporočil obisk prof. Košmrlja na Univerzi Princeton, kjer je Luka lahko nabiral veliko izkušenj na področju avksetičnih materialov in tako z g. Novakom še naprej sodeloval pri teh raziskovalnih temah. Luka se zelo veseli, da se uči od prof. Košmrlja in poglobi svoje teoretično znanje o avksetičnih materialih. Luka verjame, da bo s solidnim teoretičnim znanjem na svojem področju lahko dosegel še pomembnejše raziskovalne rezultate. Zbrane izkušnje in znanja, ki si jih Luka želi pridobiti kot ASEF Fellow, bodo v veliko korist Luki za nadaljnje raziskovanje, še posebej, ko bo naslednje leto začel s svojim doktorskim programom.

Vidmar Robert

Robert je pred kratkim končal doktorat iz biokemije na Institutu Jožef Stefan v Ljubljani. Odločil se je, da bo z raziskavami proteolitičnih encimov in njihovega delovanja v zdravju in boleznih nadaljeval na Inštitutu Jožef Štefan. Robert je zelo vključen v več vidikov biokemije, kot sta molekularna in celična biologija v kombinaciji s proteomiko, ki temelji na masni spektrometriji. V svojem delu pokriva različne vidike raziskav proteaz, ki segajo od proizvodnje rekombinantnih proteaz, njihove karakterizacije in določanja njihove cepitvene specifičnosti do odkrivanja njihove fiziološke in patološke vloge.

To poletje bo Robert obiskal prof. Andrej Šali na Kalifornijski univerzi v San Franciscu, kjer bi rad poglobil svoje znanje, razširil svojo raziskovalno mrežo in seveda pridobil nove in vznemirljive podatke o molekularnih mehanizmih avtofagije. Natančneje, Robert bi rad pridobil eksperimentalne podatke o strukturnih značilnostih avtofagijskih signalnih kompleksov in jih združil s pristopi bioinformatičnega modeliranja, ki so na voljo pri prof. Šalijev laboratorij.

Poleg tega, da je predan in zelo motiviran raziskovalec, skuša vsako prosto minuto preživeti z družino, se odpravi na kolesarjenje, v gore ali pa preprosto preživi umirjene trenutke vrtnarjenja.

Vižintin Angelika

Angelika Vižintin je diplomirala iz biotehnike na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani in prejela priznanje Biotehniške fakultete za dodiplomske študente z najboljšimi znanstvenimi dosežki. Trenutno je magistrska študentka biokemije na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani. Njeni raziskovalni interesi so široki in med študijem se je pridružila številnim akademskim projektom.

Trenutno se osredotoča na sisteme toksin-antitoksin v cianobakterijah, mikroorganizmih, ki pridobivajo energijo s fotosintezo. Angelika se veseli, da se bo pridružila dr. Mihaeli Pavličev v Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Medical Center prek ASEF Fellowship programa. Sodelovala bo v raziskovalnem projektu z namenom boljšega razumevanja regulacije genske ekspresije v človeških placentnih celicah. V prostem času z občinstvom Radia Študent (ene najstarejših in najmočnejših neodvisnih in nekomercialnih radijskih postaj v Evropi) komunicira o znanstvenih temah, se udeležuje kulturnih dogodkov, degustira craft piva ali se preprosto sprosti v naravi s prijatelji.

Zajec Patrik

Patrik je dodiplomski študent računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Patrik dela tudi v AILAB (laboratorij za umetno inteligenco na Institutu Jožef Stefan) na področju obdelave naravnega jezika (NLP) in strojnega učenja.

Zanimajo ga raziskovalni projekti, ki prinašajo tudi praktične rezultate. V osnovni in srednji šoli je bil Patrik aktiven tekmovalec na različnih tekmovanjih iz računalniškega programiranja in je osvojil prva mesta na vseh državnih tekmovanjih iz programiranja, zato lahko samozavestno trdi, da ima široko znanje o algoritmih in podatkovnih strukturah. Patrik ima tudi izkušnje s tradicionalno obdelavo naravnega jezika in tehnikami strojnega učenja. Trenutno ga zanimajo napredki in tehnike globokega učenja, ki se uporabljajo na tem področju. Patrika bo obiskal prof. Jure Leskovec na univerzi Stanford letos poleti.

Patrik je pozimi precej strasten učitelj smučanja, poleti pa sta mu najljubša deskanje in plavanje.

Cencen Veronika

Veronika Cencen je 22-letna podiplomska študentka Biomedicinskega inženiringa na Univerzi v Ottawi, ki se je zaposlila pri prof. Kosmrlj z univerze Princeton prek ASEF Fellowship programa. Leta 2014 je diplomirala iz biotehnologije na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Njeni raziskovalni interesi so interdisciplinarni; njeni trenutni projekti so osredotočeni na razvoj in uporabo mikrofluidike v nanotehnologiji in biofiziki, v upanju, da bo razvila nove metode za diagnostiko in zdravljenje bolezni, za katere so sedanji pristopi neustrezni in slabo dostopni.

Kot članica diplomatske družine je živela v več državah in govori šest jezikov (angleško, slovensko, francosko, kitajsko, rusko in litovsko). Ko ne poučuje ali ne raziskuje v laboratoriju (ali se udeležuje konference ali srečanja društva), uživa v treningih in tekmovanjih v ritmični gimnastiki kot mednarodno priznana športnica Olimpijskega komiteja Slovenije, kot prostovoljka v skupini za znanstveno ozaveščanje Let's Talk Science in Aboriginal Mentorship Program (kjer je njena visoka stopnja predanosti, navdušenja in inovativnega pristopa pomagala zbrati 22.500 $ za pomoč pri širjenju programa na oddaljene avtohtone skupnosti), pisanje za lokalne in univerzitetne revije in časopise, ples, tek, igranje klavirja in vzgojo svojega ljubljenčka pudelj in hrček.

Dimitriev Aleksandar

Aleksandar Dimitriev je magistrski študent računalništva na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer je tudi diplomiral. Vedno je imel strast do matematike, njegovi raziskovalni interesi pa pokrivajo široko področje uporabnega strojnega učenja, pri čemer se osredotočajo na uporabo Bayesovih metod za podatke iz resničnega sveta, kot so računalniški vid, bioinformatika in analiza družbenih omrežij. Zelo je navdušen nad možnostjo sodelovanja s profesorjem Juretom Leskovcem na univerzi Stanford. V prostem času rad komponira in igra violino.

Gosar Žiga

Žiga Gosar je študent druge stopnje fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Njegove pretekle delovne izkušnje vključujejo simulacijo grelnikov tople vode, evolucijske algoritme, hladne atome, optična vlakna (zlasti spajanje optičnih vlaken), mentorstvo in popularizacijo znanosti.

Poleti bo sodeloval s prof. Andrejem Košmrljem na Univerzi Princeton na temo mehkih 2D periodičnih materialov (akustični metamateriali). Ti materiali so sposobni reverzibilno preklapljati med dvema različnima konfiguracijama z različnimi lastnostmi, na primer različnim prenosom vibracij in zvoka. V prostem času rad potuje (še posebej ga navdušuje jugovzhodna Azija), piše kodo in se igra z Raspberry Pi, Arduinom in drugo elektroniko. Izobražuje se tudi za alpinista.

Kocijan Vid

Vid Kocijan trenutno končuje 2. letnik dodiplomskega študija računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. To poletje bo sodeloval s prof. Jure Leskovec na univerzi Stanford. Vidov raziskovalni interes so algoritmi, podatkovne strukture in diskretna matematika. Svoj seznam interesov poskuša ohraniti širok in bo verjetno čez nekaj let izbral bolj specifično področje zanimanja. V prostem času Vid rad pleza in pohodi. Čas se ukvarja tudi s prostovoljnim poučevanjem in je letos pripravljal nekaj članov ekipe Slovenia IOI.

Polajnar Neven

Neven Polajnar je študent drugega letnika doktorskega študija politologije na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Prvo diplomo iz ekonomije je pridobil na Ekonomski fakulteti in drugo diplomo iz obramboslovja na Fakulteti za družbene vede Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer je opravil tudi magistrski študij Političnih teorij. Na univerzi Harvard bo Neven sodeloval s prof. dr. Peter J. Verovšek in je trdno prepričan, da bo ta izkušnja prinesla pomembne vidike in elemente v končne ugotovitve in zaključke njegove doktorske disertacije, ki se osredotoča na prepoznavanje avtoritarnih elementov v sodobnih predstavniških demokracijah in njihovih različnih razsežnostih. Neven raziskuje tudi vprašanja različnih antagonizmov znotraj političnih in družbenih modelov, družbenih in političnih struktur, vprašanja politizacije in depolitizacije, politične kulture in kolektivnih identitet, vprašanj demokratizacije in njihovih meja itd. Razen političnih teorij je njegovo raziskovanje usmerjeno v geostrateško vprašanja, politična ekonomija, obrambna in varnostna vprašanja, diplomacija in mednarodni odnosi, državne in politične institucije itd.

V geostrateškem smislu je Nevenov poseben poudarek na regiji Balkana, Jugovzhodne Evrope in Ruske federacije z analizo in raziskovanjem družbene in politične tranzicije ter problematike demokratične preobrazbe zgoraj omenjenih nekdanjih socialističnih regij.

Poleg dejavnosti, povezanih z znanstvenim raziskovanjem, je Neven inštruktor in tekmovalec borilnih veščin, ki zahtevajo veliko osredotočenosti, trdega dela, discipline in predanosti, veščin, ki so v veliko pomoč na vseh področjih življenja, tudi akademskih.

Rožanec Jože

Jože Rožanec je programski inženir, ki opravlja magisterij iz podatkovnega rudarjenja in odkrivanja znanja na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu v Argentini. To poletje bo obiskal prof. Dawn Song na UC Berkeley. Jože je leta 2011 diplomiral iz programskega inženiringa na Universidad Austral. Delal je v več podjetjih, začel je kot predprodajni pripravnik v Microstrategyju, nato pa je prešel na vloge programskega inženiringa. Njegovo zadnje delo je bilo kot član ekipe za raziskave in razvoj v Naventu, vodilnem južnoameriškem podjetju za nepremičnine in zaposlitvene portale, kjer je razvil sisteme priporočil. Danes je del osrednje podatkovne ekipe Mercadolibre, vodilnega latinskoameriškega podjetja za e-trgovino. Njegovi raziskovalni interesi so analiza časovnih vrst, globoko učenje in sistemi priporočil. Jože v prostem času rad bere, hodi na koncerte in sodeluje pri odprtokodnih projektih.

Rozman Jan

Jan Rozman je trenutno študent 3. letnika dodiplomskega študija fizike na Fakulteti za matematiko in fiziko Univerze v Ljubljani. Letos poleti bo sodeloval s profesorjem Andrejem Kosmrljem na univerzi Princeton. Janov študij je bil osredotočen predvsem na teoretično in matematično fiziko. Njegov primarni raziskovalni interes je biofizika, zlasti mehanika celičnega gibanja med embrionalnim razvojem. Njegovo prejšnje raziskovalno delo je bilo na področju mehanike ukrivljenega epitelija in je potekalo na Institutu Jožef Stefan na Oddelku za teoretično fiziko. Jan v prostem času rad hodi in bere.

Srebre Matej

Matej prihaja iz Šoštanja, severna Slovenija. Sprva je nameraval postati programer in je šel na gimnazijo za računalništvo v Velenju, nato pa nadaljeval kot študent računalništva na Univerzi v Ljubljani; po enem letniku računalništva je prešel na fiziko in junija lani končal diplomo. Zdaj je Matej magistrski študent teoretične fizike na Univerzi v Münchnu v Nemčiji.

Matejev raziskovalni interes se vrti okoli fizike delcev in raziskovanja temeljnih lastnosti narave, predvsem z združevanjem teoretičnih izračunov s eksperimentalnimi podatki. Bil je pripravnik v CMS, enem od dveh vodilnih eksperimentov v CERN-u (Švica) lansko poletje, in raziskoval W bozone. Letos se veseli novega izziva s profesorjem Urošem Seljakom na UC Berkeley in izkušnje vrhunske ameriške univerze. Matej v prostem času igra harmoniko – »frajtonarco«.

Travnik Kaja

Kaja Travnik bo delala s profesorjem Petrom Verovškom na univerzi Harvard. Študirala je pravo kot dodiplomski študij na Evropski pravni fakulteti. Nadaljevala je študij in postala magistrica prava na Evropski pravni fakulteti. Kajo je vedno zanimalo evropsko pravo, funkcija Evropske unije in človekove pravice. Študij je nadgradila s certifikatom Jean Monnet, ki ji je omogočil globlje razumevanje delovanja Evropske unije, njene zgodovine in znanja o najpomembnejših zadevah Evropskega sodišča in Evropskega sodišča za človekove pravice. Kaja je bila del številnih poletnih šol in konferenc v tujini. Delala je za Evropsko komisijo v Bruslju in za Mednarodno odvetniško pisarno v Italiji, kjer je svoje teoretično znanje utrdila v praksi. S svojim obiskom bi rada poglobila svoje dosedanje znanje in prispevala k akademski sferi. Kaja je zelo navdušena nad sodelovanjem s profesorjem Verovškom, ki ima toliko znanja in izkušenj iz politične teorije in Evropske unije.

Ena izmed Kajinih največjih življenjskih želja je bila biti del univerze Harvard in tako je hvaležna štipendijskemu odboru ASEF, ki ji je dal to priložnost. Za Kajo to pomeni biti del zgodovinske institucije, ki pomembno prispeva k celotnemu svetu.

Vizovisek Matej

Matej je študiral kemijo na Fakulteti za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani in študij končal leta 2009. Nato je doktoriral pri prof. Borisa Turka na Institutu Jožef Stefan in doktoriral leta 2014. Trenutno Matej dela kot znanstveni asistent, njegovo glavno raziskovalno področje je proteomika, ki jo pogosto združuje s klasično biokemijo. Med doktorskim študijem je pridobil napredna tehnična znanja na področju proteomike, ki temelji na masni spektrometriji visoke ločljivosti, in vodil razvoj novih proteomskih pristopov za kemično označevanje proteaznih N-koncev, ki so omogočili identifikacijo proteaznih substratov in ustrezno cepitev strani. Matej se je ukvarjal tudi z razvojem in validacijo SMART fluorescentnih sond za cisteinske proteaze, ki so jih razvijali v projektu LIVIMODE (FP7). To poletje bo Matej imel odlično priložnost razširiti svoje znanje in sodelovanje s prof. Sali na UCSF, kjer se bo osredotočil zlasti na bioinformatične pristope za raziskovanje in obdelavo velikih proteomskih podatkovnih nizov, da bi zagotovil bolj integrativen vpogled v različne molekularne akterje na področju zdravja in bolezni.

Gaber Aljaž

Aljaž Gaber je doktorski študent biokemije na Univerzi v Ljubljani, kjer dela tudi kot asistent, ki vodi mlade bodoče biokemike pri laboratorijskih tečajih. V času dodiplomskega študija na isti univerzi je bil Aljaž tudi aktiven študentski predstavnik. Poletje 2015 je preživel pri prof. Andrej Sali na UCSF z uporabo njihovih najsodobnejših algoritmov računalniške strukturne biologije pri samosestavljanju tumorskega markerja Aljaž raziskuje kot del doktorata. Ideja tega je bolje razumeti, kako naši organizmi delujejo na molekularni ravni, kar bi nam omogočilo boljše razumevanje bolezni in razvoj novih strategij zdravljenja.

Aljaževo življenje se trenutno kot podiplomski študent večinoma vrti okoli tega, da postane perspektivni mlad znanstvenik, kar pomeni, da ni preveč časa za druge interese. Kljub temu pa nikoli ne bo rekel ne povabilu na pijačo, da bi se nadoknadil ali da bi imel zanimivo razpravo.

Hribernik Andraž

Andraž je diplomiral iz računalništva in se nato pridružil londonskemu startupu Cytora kot eden od prvih 5 zaposlenih inženirjev. Poletje 2015 je preživel na obisku pri prof. Jure Leskovec na univerzi Stanford. Poletni raziskovalni projekt je bil iskanje dvojnikov in anomalij v ogromni zbirki novic. V prostem času se rad ukvarja z različnimi športi (smučanje, plezanje, kajtanje itd.), raziskuje tržnice ulične hrane in obiskuje različne države.

Kozarski Filip

Filip Kozarski finished his BSc in maths and physics in Ljubljana and is currently pursuing a MSc degree in Theoretical and mathematical physics in Munich. He visited Prof Uros Seljak at the department of Cosmology, Berkeley, in the late summer of 2015. Filip's hobbies and things not being paid for include playing soccer in the team of Slovenians in Munich, and thinking or joking about life, physics and all other everyday stuff in between. All with the help of Kindle and YouTube. Filips is a human of habits. In the picture (right) together with Volt (left), the best dog ever.

Us Peter

Peter Us je diplomiral iz računalništva in informatike na Univerzi v Ljubljani in trenutno opravlja magisterij iz računalništva in informatike na isti univerzi. Poleti 2015 je Peter obiskal laboratorij prof. Dawn Song, na Univerzi Berkeley. Tam je Peter delal na projektih s področja najsodobnejših spletnih tehnologij. Poleti 2016 je Peter začel delati kot pripravnik za podatkovne znanosti v Evolvenu - podjetju za analizo IT operacij.

Peter se v prostem času rad pouči o različnih področjih računalništva, kot so strojno učenje, funkcionalno programiranje in nove tehnologije spletnega razvoja. Ko se ne ukvarja z že omenjenimi stvarmi, lahko igra košarko, gleda serije ali raziskuje svet okoli sebe.

Colnerič Niko

Niko Colnerič prihaja iz Mestinja, na vzhodu Slovenije. Že od malih nog je imel rad matematiko in fiziko, po končani srednji šoli v Celju pa je v Ljubljani diplomiral iz računalništva. Trenutno je Niko študent prvega letnika doktorskega študija na Fakulteti za računalništvo in informatiko, kjer je njegov glavni poudarek na izzivih podatkovnega rudarjenja in visokodimenzionalni analizi podatkov. V prostem času obožuje kolesarjenje in jadralno padalstvo.

Matej Cepin

Get to know more about Matej's impressions from Silicon Valley in this YouTube video.

Matej Cepin (nagrajenec Santa Clara) je svoj projekt že zaključil maja 2014. Tako je zapisal. "Cilj mojega študijskega obiska je bil poglobiti svoje znanje o socialnem podjetništvu in podjetniških inkubatorjih ter v prihodnosti prenesti nekatere uspešne prakse nazaj v Slovenijo. Osrednja dejavnost je bila konferenca Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI). ( Mateju so kasneje ponudili mentorstvo v Centru za znanost, tehnologijo in družbo v Santa Clari in tam postal znanstveni sodelavec.) Drugi dogodki so vključevali srečanja 1-na-1, sodelovanje na manjših dogodkih in obiskovanje institucij, vključno z večerjo za zbiranje sredstev v SCU , predstavitev inovacij v Frugal Labu (SCU) in srečanje z območno skupnostjo Slovenskega zaliva Pot je bila smiselna učna izkušnja s področja socialnega podjetništva, merjenja družbenih učinkov, zbiranja sredstev neprofitnih in socialnih podjetij, trženja v socialnem podjetništvu, družbenih medijev, vodenje coworking prostorov in inkubatorjev socialnih podjetij Videla sem več poslovnih modelov v akciji, razširila socialno mrežo in pridobila opolnomočna izkušnja mentorstva p. Peter Rožič SJ.

Več o Matejevih vtisih iz Silicijeve doline izveste v nejgovem YouTube videu.

Žitnik Marinka

Marinka Žitnik je doktorantka računalništva na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Leta 2012 je diplomirala iz računalništva in matematike na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Njeni raziskovalni interesi so na stičišču umetne inteligence in računalniške biologije. Osredotoča se na načine združevanja številnih heterogenih virov podatkov. Njene raziskave vodijo trenutni izzivi v bioinformatiki, sistemih in molekularni biologiji. Z integrativno računalniško analizo želi identificirati najbolj obetavne kandidatne gene, ki jih biologi lahko dodatno eksperimentalno raziščejo. Marinka v prostem času ureja tudi XRDS Crossroads, revijo ACM za študente, in je aktivna v skupnosti Google Anita Borg.

Cecilija Rowane

Cecilija Rowane is a second-year undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, majoring in nursing. She is from Cleveland, Ohio, where she grew up in a close-knit Slovenian community that played a significant role in shaping her identity and values.

From a young age, Cecilija remained strongly connected to her heritage through Saint Mary’s Slovenian school, Folklorna Skupina Kres, and summers at Slovenska Pristava camp, where she later served as a counselor. She is especially grateful to her mother’s family for teaching her the importance of her Slovenian culture and preserving heritage. 

Through her research in Slovenia, Cecilija hopes to deepen her understanding of public health in Slovenia while connecting others who share her cultural background. Outside of academics, she enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Geronimo Comba Trpin

Geronimo Comba Trpin was born in Miramar, Argentina, and was raised with Slovenian roots close to home – his grandparents were Slovenian. He is a lawyer specialized in International Law and a digital marketing expert, with experience working alongside multiple companies to help them grow by strengthening their communication and building more effective marketing strategies.

He is actively involved in the Slovenian club in his hometown, participating in cultural and community initiatives that keep Slovenian heritage alive in Argentina. He is deeply interested in returning to Slovenia – connected to his family’s roots and the values he grew up with – and learning first-hand how Slovenia, as a country and through its companies, communicates and builds relationships with the world.

Ignacio Farah Bečaj

Ignacio Farah Bečaj holds a BSc in Business & Economics from the Università di Bologna, where he was selected as the university's ambassador for Argentina and completed an intensive international curriculum with exchanges in Argentina, France, and the Netherlands, all in half the expected time. Nowadays, his work bridges emerging AI technologies with practical business deployment, with a strong emphasis on privacy-preserving, on-premises systems, and a focus for small teams and startups.

He drove real-world impact as a Product Manager jr. at Amazon in Amsterdam, leading AI-native initiatives. Pilots that transformed manual biz programs into scalable agentic workflows, delivering triple-digit sales growth and establishing an in-house benchmark presented to EU leaders. Previously, he co-founded GeoBu, an IoT startup that developed a discreet wearable safety device for vulnerable demographics, winning first place in the Rotary Club Innovation Competition. His track record also includes national and international victories in Amazon CoderZ CyberRobotics Programming and Lego League Robotics competitions, alongside wins in prestigious business challenges such as SABG-Bain 2024 and Matherika Trading Cup 2024, and last-stage participation in Solvay-McKinsey 2025 and GCCH Harvard 2025.

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, Ignacio will conduct a research visit in Slovenia, designing, developing and evaluating private, usage-driven, local LLM agent systems. Aiming to deliver near-state-of-the-art performance without restricting dependencies. The system integrates robust knowledge banking, retrieval-augmented generation, adaptive fine-tuning from usage signals, and secure orchestration on commodity hardware.

Committed to turning international experience into guidance for others, he looks forward to mentoring future fellows, sharing insights from his journey, and organizing presentations to inspire the next generation of globally minded students.

Jacob Tyler

My name is Jacob Tyler and I study Astronomy and Astrophysics at Villanova University with intended minors of Mathematics and Physics. I have previously conducted research on the photoelectric photometry of red supergiant stars, including Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) and CE Tauri (119 Tau), and plan on exploring research towards modeling solutions for eclipsing binary stars with my mentor, Dr. Andrej Prša, while visiting Slovenia.

Kevyn O’Connell

Kevyn O’Connell’s research interests center on micro and macroeconomics, econometrics, and global economic policy, with a particular focus on the determinants of long‑run growth and the role of structural competitiveness – an area she is eager to explore in the context of the Slovenian economy. Kevyn recently completed a Master’s in Economics at the Barcelona School of Economics, specializing in international trade, finance, and development. Her thesis, published in the university’s public repository, analyzed the impact of foreign aid on public health expenditure in recipient countries using both fixed‑effects and nonparametric identification strategies. Before this, Kevyn received her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics from McMaster University and completed a summer internship at Zurich Insurance. 

Prior to graduate study, Kevyn worked as a Research Assistant in the International Economic Analysis Department at the Bank of Canada. Her work included applying text‑analysis methods to central bank communications, constructing counterfactual household savings trajectories in post‑pandemic Europe, and evaluating the forecasting performance of the U.S. Federal Reserve. 

Kevyn is particularly pleased to join the ASEF Fellowship as both of her maternal grandparents were born in Slovenia before immigrating to Canada. She is also a member of Slovenski Dom in Toronto and views this fellowship as an opportunity to reconnect with her family heritage while contributing to Slovenia’s academic community. Beyond this, she looks forward to fostering relationships with students and scholars from around the world, having grown up in Australia and Malaysia. Outside of research, Kevyn enjoys skiing and rock climbing. 

Matija Šraj

Matija Šraj is an award-winning Australian-Slovenian screenwriter based in Melbourne. He is a creator and writer on several television series currently in development and previously worked as an assistant on premium series for global streamers such as Paramount+, Amazon, Disney+, BBC and Australia’s ABC and Stan.

Before screenwriting, Matija worked in politics for the Australian Greens, including as a communications adviser to senators and one of the party’s lead advisers during Australia’s successful 2017 marriage equality campaign. He has degrees in politics and law from the University of Melbourne and completed an exchange at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris (Sciences Po). He has also worked as a mentor at an Aboriginal school in remote outback Australia, and is a qualified swimming and fitness instructor.

Matija grew up speaking Slovenian with his Slovenian father and maintains close ties with family and friends in Slovenia. He is excited to deepen his connection to Slovenia through his creative and professional work with the ASEF Fellowship.

Nikolas Gestrich

Nikolas is a third-year undergraduate student studying physics with an emphasis on computational methods at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering. He is passionate about applying physics to real‑world problem‑solving and is particularly interested in quantum computing, sustainable energy solutions, and social applications of math and data science.

He is connected to Slovenian culture through his family, especially his grandparents, Ivan and Barbara. Growing up, he was involved in the Slovenian community in Chicago, as well as Cleveland, OH, where he frequently visited family and friends. His most defining Slovenian experience has been camp counseling at Pristavsko Taborjenje, where he led activities and taught youth about Slovenian culture.

Nikolas has visited Slovenia several times to see extended family, but he is excited to live there and become fully immersed in the culture and language. This experience will bring him closer to his heritage while providing opportunities for academic and professional growth. He looks forward to conducting physics research under the guidance of Slovenian ASEF mentors.

In his free time, he loves spending time outdoors, whether that is hiking, biking, or swimming, and he also enjoys listening to music and watching movies. This summer, in addition to his work, he hopes to explore the country, connect with fellow ASEF fellows, visit extended family, and spend time outdoors enjoying Slovenia’s natural beauty.

Nora Withrow

Nora is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Cincinnati where she is majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in Biology. She is passionate about the intersection of engineering and life sciences, and her goal after graduation is to pursue research and attend graduate school.

Nora grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio surrounded by a lively Slovenian community. She immersed herself in Slovenian culture through participation in Folklorna Skupina Kres and active involvement in the Slovenska Pristava community. Nora’s grandparents, Lou and Sylvia, have inspired her to embrace her Slovenian roots and seek a deeper connection to her heritage.

While in Slovenia, Nora is looking forward to connecting with family, going on hikes, and gaining a deeper understanding of her heritage. She also aims to gain valuable experience in research and enhance her problem-solving skills with a global lens. She is looking forward to exploring Slovenia and connecting with the other ASEF fellows. 

 Miranda Kreinbrink

Miranda Kreinbrink is an undergraduate student at San Diego State University, studying Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising and minoring in Recreation and Tourism Management. She was born and raised in Colorado but spent every summer visiting her family in California, which inspired her decision to attend college in San Diego. Her mother’s family is of Slovenian descent, and she is thrilled to visit Ljubljana to explore and connect with her extended family that lives there. Miranda takes great pride in her heritage and looks forward to expanding her knowledge, sharing her skills, and introducing others to the beauty of Slovenia.

This summer, Miranda will be working with ASEF to create an advertising campaign showcasing Slovenia’s sustainability and tourism efforts. Her goal is to highlight Slovenia’s major achievement as one of the first countries in the world to be recognized entirely as a green destination. Additionally, she hopes to promote Slovenian tourism and inspire others to discover the beauty and wonders of this stunning country. At San Diego State University, Miranda serves as the Marketing Manager for the SDSU Center for Surf Research and STOKE Certified, organizations dedicated to promoting sustainability in surf and ski resorts and advancing research on sustainability in the surf industry. Passionate about the environment, she loves hiking and spending time at the beach. Miranda is incredibly grateful for this opportunity and excited to be part of the ASEF fellowship.

Caroline Cupar

Caroline Cupar is an upcoming fourth-year undergraduate student at The College of Wooster, majoring in psychology and minoring in music. Her goals include entering graduate school to become a child psychologist and further help children’s mental health. 

She is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where her Slovenian roots run deep, as her grandparents and father were born in Slovenia, making her both a first- and second-generation Slovenian-American. Her heritage has connected her to Cleveland’s Slovenian community through her active involvement in St. Mary’s Parish, where she volunteers, sings in the choir, and participates in holiday traditions. She attended St. Mary’s Slovenian School for 10 years, graduating in eighth grade. Additionally, she is an active member of the Folklorna Skupina Kres dance group, Slovenska Pristava, KSKJ, and Stajerski Prekmurski Klub. These experiences have fostered her love for Slovenian culture, shaping who she is today by deepening her connection to traditions, heritage, and language while forming lifelong friendships. 

During her visit to Slovenia, Caroline is eager to deepen her knowledge through research in her field of psychology, particularly child psychology, while also developing essential skills such as problem-solving, professionalism, and collaboration. She also looks forward to immersing herself in Slovenian culture—exploring the country, delving into its history, learning the language, building friendships through ASEF, and reconnecting with family. 

Elizabeth Stupica

Elizabeth Stupica is a 3rd year undergraduate student at The Ohio State University. She is majoring in Health Sciences and plans to attend graduate school to become a Physical Therapist after finishing her degree.

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Elizabeth gained an appreciation for the Slovenian culture through regular visits with her grandmother, where she was exposed to the language and traditional Slovenian dishes. In addition, she attended Slovenian language school weekly at St. Vitus Parish from elementary to middle school and spent her summers attending events at Slovenska Pristava.

While in Slovenia, Elizabeth is looking forward to exploring the country, connecting with family, and learning more about the language. From her visit, she hopes to gain a better understanding of the healthcare field in preparation for graduate school and her future career.

Genevieve Gregorich

Genevieve is currently a final-year PhD student at Columbia Business School in New York City. Interested in understanding the evolving role of business in society, Genevieve’s dissertation focuses on why and how organizations and their leaders engage with sociopolitical issues and the reputational consequences of their actions. She also researches how the beliefs (e.g., zero-sum beliefs, efficacy beliefs) of individuals, and within communities and organizations, shape important behaviors such as vocalizing stances on polarizing issues, engaging in collective action, and entering negotiations. She has authored cases on personal strategy and innovation with focuses on understanding both when and how innovative ideas arrive and the political processes used to push ideas through organizations. In addition, she has spent the past two years designing and developing a method to help people break through mental limitations to realize personal and collective dreams. You can view her TEDx Talk here.  Before beginning her PhD, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, DC. Genevieve is delighted to have the opportunity to visit Slovenia as an ASEF fellow.

Hayden Leach

Hayden Leach is currently completing his degree in Computer Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, graduating in June 2025. Growing up in California’s picturesque Sierra Nevada mountains, Hayden cultivated a profound love for adventure, immersing himself in activities such as skiing, hiking, and exploring the vibrant waters of the Yuba River.

Hayden’s innate curiosity has fueled a passion for engineering, especially in automotive and electronic systems. He enjoys the hands-on challenge of diagnosing and repairing mechanical and electronic devices, continually seeking opportunities to learn and enhance his skills. Hayden looks forward to further developing his abilities and expertise through the ASEF Fellowship, building upon his resourceful and detail-oriented approach influenced by his Slovenian heritage.

Hayden sees the fellowship as an ideal opportunity to deepen his engineering knowledge, experience Slovenia’s innovative technological community, and strengthen his connection to his cultural roots. He eagerly anticipates exploring Slovenia's beautiful landscapes and forming meaningful relationships within the Slovenian community.

Magdalena Eciolaza

Magdalena Eciolaza is an Argentine-Slovenian biology student from Mar del Plata, Argentina. She began her Bachelor's and Teaching studies in Biological Sciences at the National University of Mar del Plata (UNMdP) in 2019. Her interests lie in conservation, molecular biology, photosynthetic microorganisms, and biotechnology. She completed internships in marine ecology and molecular biology, working with the physiology of cyanobacteria. In 2023, she received a scholarship for her research on nitrogen metabolism at the Molecular and Integrative Physiology Laboratory of the Institute of Biological Research of the National University of Mar del Plata (IIB, CONICET-UNMdP). She is currently a Student Assistant in Plant and Animal Biology at the same university.

Beyond her academic career, Magdalena is committed to community service and cultural preservation. She is an active member of the Slovenian Center in Miramar, where she participates in event communication to strengthen cultural ties. She aspires to promote collaboration between Argentina and Slovenia in the areas of conservation and sustainability. She also enjoys the outdoors and sports such as hiking, skiing, and volleyball.

Maria Futey

Maria Futey is a fourth year undergraduate student at the University at Buffalo where she will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a concentration in Applied Physiology. She is passionate about patient education, preventive medicine, and clinical exercise physiology. She is currently building her expertise in these areas while interning at a cardiac rehabilitation facility with University Hospitals, and her career goal is to become a Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Maria grew up in St. Vitus Parish where she attended a Slovenian language school each weekend and spent her summers at Slovenska Pristava. Maria’s grandparents, Mimi and Vinko, are the reason why her Slovenian heritage holds such great significance to her. They have inspired her to embrace her cultural identity and deepen her connection to her Slovenian roots.

When in Slovenia, Maria is excited to develop professionally and expand her perspective on patient care through a global lens while immersing herself in Slovenian culture. Outside of her studies, she plays on her university’s volleyball team, enjoys hiking, and loves spending time with friends and family. She is looking forward to exploring different regions of the country’s beautiful landscape, reconnecting with family, and making lasting friendships with the other ASEF fellows.

Matthew Klepec

Matthew Klepec is a second-year undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, majoring in biology on the pre-medicine track. His ultimate goal is to attend medical school and become a doctor, specifically a radiologist.

He is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where he grew up deeply connected to the Slovenian community and culture. From a young age, his grandparents, Metod and Martina, instilled in him the values of hard work and family—principles that continue to guide him today. He actively embraces and passes on his Slovenian heritage as a member of Cleveland’s Slovenian camp, Slovenska Pristava, where he also serves as a counselor. This role has been especially rewarding, as it allows him to teach children about Slovenian traditions and help them strengthen their cultural roots.

During his research visit to Slovenia through ASEF, Matthew hopes to reconnect with his family and gain a deeper understanding of his heritage. He also aims to acquire valuable skills and experiences that will benefit him in his journey in the medical field. Working alongside doctors across various specialties will not only expand his medical knowledge but also reinforce his dedication to pursuing medical school and his dream of becoming a radiologist.

In his free time, he enjoys working out, playing golf with friends, skiing, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Milena Zupanc

Milena Zupanc is a nurse in Argentina, whose education and career reflect her commitment to healthcare and her deep cultural heritage. She began her studies in Nursing at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and then continued her training at the University of the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, where she obtained her degree as a Licentiate in Nursing. In December 2024, she presented her thesis titled "Presence of Celiac Disease in Legislation and Nursing Curricula in Argentina", completing her academic studies.

Currently, Milena works in the field of hemato-oncology, specializing in chemotherapy administration and the care and monitoring of bone marrow transplant patients and those suffering from various types of cancer. Her dedication and experience in caring for these patients reflect her deep calling for the well-being of others. She sees this fellowship as an opportunity to deepen her clinical knowledge, exchange experiences with international professionals, and develop new perspectives on patient care.

Milena has a strong personal and cultural connection to Slovenia, as her four grandparents emigrated from there to Argentina. Slovenian is her mother tongue, and she attended Slovenian school every Saturday from the age of three to seventeen, where she learned about Slovenian literature, history, and traditions. This cultural heritage is a fundamental part of her identity.

Today, Milena is an active member of the Slovenian community Naš Dom, where she leads a group Mladci in Mladenke, teaching them to love Slovenian traditions and customs. Her goal is to leave a mark on their hearts. Her work in the community reflects her commitment to preserving Slovenian roots and passing them on to future generations. 

She is very excited about the opportunity to visit Slovenia again, reconnect with her roots, and explore the healthcare system and the country's rich cultural heritage in greater detail.

Vince Vombergar

Vince Vombergar is a second-year undergraduate student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where he is currently studying Business. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Vince has deep rooted connections to Slovenian Culture through the influence of his grandparents, Maria and Vinko.

From a young age, Vince has been actively involved in his Slovenian community by attending Saint Vitus Slovenian School and the Saint Vitus Parish. He has also been given the opportunity to teach Slovenian youth about customs and traditions through Slovenska Pristava, a week long Slovenian Camp where he volunteers as a counselor.

Vince looks forward to visiting Slovenia this summer and actively participating in research. With his visit, he hopes to gain hands-on experience in consulting and market research by working with Slovenian businesses to boost tourism and strengthen the country's economic presence in Europe. He eagerly awaits learning more about his heritage and what the country has to offer while making deep connections with fellow ASEF members.

Alex Csaky

Alex comes from London and is inspired by his late Slovene grandfather who, having moved to Britain after World War 2, remained a proud member of the Slovene community throughout his life. Alex is a 3rd year undergraduate student at the University of Oxford, studying Archaeology and Anthropology. Alex’s academic passion lies in Anthropology and he hopes to be able to explore Slovene identity in the 21st century during his time on the ASEF programme. He hopes that this research will contribute to a growing interest in the shifting demographics of the region, as well as providing context to contemporary geopolitical tensions. 

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, Alex hopes to make friends with a wide range of people, fostering personal and professional relationships for years to come. Alex intends to pursue entrepreneurship after graduating and is interested in the opportunities provided by Slovenia’s unique geographic position, as well as innovations in industry. 

In his spare time, Alex enjoys spending time in nature and hopes to be able to take full advantage of the sports and scenery that Slovenia has to offer.

Bautista Kraševec

Bautista Kraševec is a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 23-year-old is keen on every aspect surrounding race cars, from the materials the parts are made of to the dynamics behind each component and everything in between. The Argentinian’s ultimate goal is to make it to Formula 1 one day.

But for Bautista it is not all about his academic journey - along the way he aims to meet wonderful people and get in deep touch with the Slovenian community. For the last 4 years, he has been taking Slovenian language and culture courses that led, together with the legacy of his paternal grandfather, to obtaining his Slovenian citizenship. Bautista is also a huge basketball fan and in his free time he loves being outdoors and playing sports, therefore Triglav will be a good challenge for him. He feels honored to be part of the ASEF family and is looking forward to this unique experience. With the ASEF Junior Fellowship, Bautista not only seeks to boost his academic and professional career but, more importantly, he wants to visit his second nation for the first time and meet his grandfather’s family.

Caroline Morton

Caroline Morton is a passionate second-year student at the University of Bath, currently pursuing an integrated Masters degree in Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence. She is excited about working on the frontiers of AI, and making meaningful contributions to technology and its safety.

Caroline is thrilled to reconnect with her Slovenian heritage after the recent passing of her Slovenian grandfather. She is eager to deepen her understanding of Slovenia while fueling her passion for computer science. She looks forward to tackling new challenges, forming meaningful connections, and leaving a positive mark on both the tech world and her cultural identity journey.

Grace Simenc

Grace Simenc graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in the spring of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a domain emphasis in Neuroscience. As an undergraduate student, she researched various neurological disorders and the efficacy of their respective treatment options, leading her to discover a surprising lack of diagnostic methodologies available for psychiatric comorbidity. As an ASEF fellow she hopes to devise a novel, parsimonious approach to diagnosing and treating AuDHD — the comorbidity of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

She is currently expanding the breadth of her laboratory experience as a Veterinary Assistant at Banfield Pet Hospital in San Francisco, California where she is in training to become a Surgical Assistant. After obtaining a DVM, she intends to eventually merge her passion for neuropsychology with her interest and experience in animal behavior by specializing in the rapidly developing field of Neuroethology. 

Outside of work and academics, Grace enjoys exploring nature and she can often be found painting, playing sports, or hanging out with her two cats.

Janko Kalan

Janko Kalan is a senior undergraduate student at Pittsburg State University and is majoring in exercise science with a clinical/pre-professional emphasis. He hopes to be accepted into a doctorate of physical therapy program soon to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Janko was born in Slovenia and lived there for several years before moving to Kansas in the United States. His grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins of his father’s side, still reside in Slovenia as well as several cousins on his mother’s side. Janko has spent many summers in Slovenia visiting family and exploring the beautiful landscape.

During his trip, Janko hopes to dig deeper into his family history, improve his language skills, make connections with others of Slovenian heritage, and expand his knowledge in the area of physical therapy to be prepared for graduate school.

Maja Kosir

Maja is a third year undergraduate student at the University of Dayton where she is majoring in Communication Management and minoring in Biology. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Maja’s been immersed in Sloveninan culture through her parish Saint Vitus Church and participating in Folklora Kres. She is also extremely grateful to be a member of Cleveland’s Slovenska Pristava community where she learned about her heritage and made many Slovenian-American friends. In addition, Maja was fortunate to be exposed to her Slovenian culture through her grandparents, Pavel and Cilka. 

After graduating from the University of Dayton, Maja hopes to work in medical sales or in a Human Resources position in the medical field. During her trip to Slovenia, Maja is looking forward to broadening her professional skills as well as gaining valuable work experiences in a different country. While also exploring the country and immersing herself in her heritage, Maja is excited to reconnect with family as well as make new, long-lasting friendships with the other ASEF fellows. 

Mariano Figueroa

Mariano Figueroa is a native of San Carlos de Bariloche, in the beautiful region of the Argentine Patagonia. Inspired by the imposing structures of Buenos Aires, he decided to pursue a career in civil engineering, earning his degree from the prestigious University of Buenos Aires. Mariano’s graduation project focused on the design of a solid waste treatment plant in his hometown, addressing a vital challenge for Bariloche, nestled among impressive natural landscapes.

Currently, he work as an engineer at WOOD Plc, a leader in energy project management in Argentina. Mariano’s focus lies in designing and calculating structures for Oil & Gas projects, thus contributing to progress and efficiency in this key sector.

On his mother's side, his two grandparents were born in Slovenia, so culture and language have always been present, an influence he deeply appreciates. Mariano is grateful for the opportunity to be part of the team that will explore this fascinating country, confident that it will be an enriching and memorable experience.

In his leisure time, he enjoys engaging in outdoor sports, such as trail running when in Bariloche, as well as cycling and team sports like handball and soccer.

Meghan Hren

Meghan Hren is a 3rd year undergraduate student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and she’s majoring in Biology with Pre-Medical Studies and obtaining a minor in Medical Sociology. Her goal is to attend medical school and become a physician. 

She’s originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up surrounded by a vivacious Slovenian community. She learned to love the Slovenian culture and their values of family and hard-work through her grandparents, Frank and Mara Hren, family, and the nearby Slovenian community of Slovenska Pristava. Each summer for the past decade, she has attended a week-long Slovenian camp at Pristava and is now a camp counselor there who aims to foster relationships amongst multiple generations while passing on the traditions of her culture. 

Meghan looks forward to visiting Slovenia this summer and participating in research while learning more about her heritage and her family’s origins. She also hopes to reconnect with family still living in Slovenia and make lasting connections with her fellow ASEF companions. With her visit, she wishes to gain extensive knowledge and experiences that will aid her on her journey through and beyond medical school as well as skills that will allow her to become a stronger leader for younger generations.

Nadia Jakos

Nadia Jakos graduated as Psychopedagogue in 2019 from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in Buenos Aires. She has worked in various areas for different institutions and professional groups. She is a member of a center that provides clinical treatment. She works in neuropsychological assessment for the Pediatric Neurology Service at a hospital. Nadia is also a member of a master's program in Applied Neuropsychology. She works at a school and is a professor at the university where she studied.

Nadia would like to know about the different teaching methods used in Slovenia and is interested in learning how professionals intervene with and support individuals with special needs and learning difficulties; both in clinical and in educational or therapy groups. It would be good for her to compare the interventions in her field between two different cultures and exchange tools and strategies, so that both can benefit and improve.

Nadia works with people with varying conditions, ages and social backgrounds. Her professional goal is to encourage a better quality of life. As a psychopedagogue she aims to promote awareness of neurodiversity. In her role, she is dedicated to helping people with the tools they need to continue learning, regardless of their unique developmental paths.

She views this fellowship as a special possibility, as it offers not only the chance to enhance her professional skills and personal growth but also to engage with Slovenian culture, which holds significant importance in her life. She grew up in a Slovenian family; her four grandparents emigrated to Argentina after the Second World War. They, along with her parents, have shared with her Slovenian culture and language since she was born. She has been an active member of the Slovenian community in Buenos Aires since childhood.

Sophia Jarc

Sophia is a second year undergraduate student at Purdue University where she is majoring in Industrial Engineering and minoring in Management. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Sophia’s upbringing has been deeply rooted in Slovenian culture, due to the influence of her grandparents, Milena and Joseph Jarc. 

Immersed in her Slovenian heritage from a young age, Sophia attended the Saint Vitus Slovenian School and actively participated in Folklora Kres. Committed to preserving and celebrating her Slovenian roots, Sophia remains an engaged member of Cleveland’s Slovenska Pristava, where she continues to embrace and share in Slovenian tradition. These local experiences have instilled in her a profound appreciation for her heritage. During her visit to Slovenia, Sophia looks forward to gaining an international perspective of the engineering industry. She aspires to use this experience to enhance her problem-solving skills with a global outlook. Amidst reconnecting with family and immersing herself in Slovenian language and culture, Sophia is excited to explore the country while expanding her engineering knowledge and skill set.

Adrián Ruiz Mianovich

Adrián Ruiz Mianovich is an Argentinian biochemist who graduated from the National University of Tucumán in 2021. He worked at Angel C. Padilla Hospital in San Miguel de Tucumán from 2016 to 2021, where he did internship in the areas of bacteriology, hematology, and human reproduction. Currently, he is working at his own private laboratory in his hometown Las Breñas, Chaco with his father, also a biochemist. Since childhood, he participated with the Civil Association of the Slovenian community from Las Breñas, Chaco during the Provincial Immigrant Festival, celebrated every year in November, where Slovenian descendants perform dances, parades, prepare typical meals, and even won first place in countries’ exhibition competition in 2011 representing Slovenia.

He had the opportunity to travel back to Slovenia with his grandmother in 2017 to meet their family in Črnomelj and has kept in touch with them since then. He is infinitely grateful to ASEF for the Fellowship selection and thinks this opportunity to build ties with Slovenian people will be invaluable.

Aldana Silvero

Aldana Silvero was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is lucky enough to have learned the Slovenian language with her grandmother who unfortunately had to leave her native country after the Second World War. She studied kinesiology at the National University of La Matanza and graduated in 2019, then worked in a hospital for 3 years as an intern. During those years she had the experience of working in areas such as traumatology, intensive care, and pediatrics. She looks forward to learning new experiences, continuing to build her self-confidence, gaining hands-on experience surrounded by new environments, and reaffirming her passion for kinesiology.

She feels that Slovenia is the ideal place. She dreams of knowing her roots, strengthening her language, exploring the country’s beauty, and learning more about the culture. She is very grateful to ASEF for this opportunity and knows that it will be a great experience to grow personally and professionally.

Alexander Hoài Nam Penca

Alexander is a young professional from Canberra, Australia working in the field of events, tourism, and cultural management. He began his academic life studying music performance, graduating from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Music majoring in Piano. After graduating, Alexander turned his efforts to the operational side of the industry and worked for several years in the administration and management of performing arts events in Brisbane, Australia.

Since that time, Alexander has developed an affinity for this line of work and wishes to continue developing his career in this area with a focus on tourism. He is excited to visit Slovenia to undertake a mentorship with professionals in this field, and with the help of ASEF, gain access to amazing professional development opportunities and invaluable experience, as well as extend his professional ties to Slovenia and Europe at large. Alexander has entrepreneurial aspirations and hopes to one day manage a business, venue, or enterprise of his own.

In his spare time, Alexander enjoys hiking, skiing, exploring national parks, and traveling the world. He is an avid language learner and loves forming connections with people from all walks of life and every corner of the globe

Alexandra Vombergar

Alexandra Vombergar is a second-year undergraduate student at the Ohio State University, where she is pursuing a double major in health and rehabilitation sciences and public health, with the ultimate goal of becoming a physician assistant. Alexandra is deeply passionate about health equity and has worked extensively with underprivileged, at-risk, and migrant youth to bridge educational gaps within her community.

As an ASEF Junior Fellow, Alexandra hopes to work in the field of public health, exploring relationships between socioeconomic status, educational disparities, and health outcomes. Specifically, she is interested in understanding how Slovenia’s success in reducing income inequality has contributed to its low levels of educational disparities, and how this model could be applied in the United States. She will conduct her research visit at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, under the mentorship of red. prof. dr. Lijana Zaletel Kragelj, dr.med. and doc. dr. Andreja Kukec, dipl. san. inž.

All four of Alexandra’s grandparents are from Slovenia, and she is extremely grateful for the opportunity to conduct research while connecting with a culture that has deeply influenced her identity. In her free time, Alexandra can be found exploring the country’s beautiful landscape, reconnecting with family, and learning more about her Slovenian heritage.

Amalia Blood

Amalia Blood is a third-year undergraduate student at Barnard College of Columbia University, where she is majoring in Economics (Political Economy Track) with a minor in Political Science. 

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Amalia’s love for Slovenia and Slovenian culture began young and was fostered through her experiences in Slovenian language school at St. Vitus Parish, summers at Slovenska Pristava, and interactions with Slovenian culture through her grandmother, Milena Stropnik. She’s looking forward to exploring her heritage this summer by reconnecting with family, traveling to Slovenia, and learning the Slovenian language. She intends to use her research this summer for her senior thesis and looks forward to presenting to the Columbia University community about Slovenia. 

After graduating from Columbia, Amalia hopes to work in investment banking, and has accepted a summer 2024 internship at KeyBanc Capital Markets in their Utilities, Power, and Renewable Energy Group as an analyst. Amalia will conduct her research visit under the mentorship of Dr. Gorazd Meško, Head of the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security.

Andrés Klemen

Andrés Klemen studied Image and Sound Design at the University of Buenos Aires and graduated in 2021. He has been working as a multimedia designer for the past 5 years in diverse educational institutions such as universities and schools. His audiovisual training combined with his passion for design has led him to merge both worlds in order to create engaging content for digital and traditional media.

Lately, he got involved with theater, attending various related courses in prestigious institutions such as Teatro San Martín and Centro Cultural Rojas, and working as the director's assistant in an independent play that premiered last year in Buenos Aires city center. His personal interests range from art history to new technologies, going through all artistic and humanistic disciplines, because he believes everything can be a source of inspiration and creativity. In his spare time, he enjoys taking photographs of his daily life, going to the theater, and watching interesting films and references to use in his work.

With this incredible opportunity given by ASEF, he expects to work with great professionals that can show him the Slovenian theater world and immerse himself in what it has to offer. Having performed and helped in several plays in his local Slovenian community, this visit is a reunion with that stage of his life, this time in the country of his grandparents.

Ariel Olivari Opeka

Ariel Olivari Opeka is an industrial engineer and has a master´s degree in Business Administration. He currently works in the area of Research, Development, and Innovation for the Argentinian National Railway Company.

His grandparents were Slovenian and he grew up in a family that kept their culture, values, and traditions alive and shared a deep love for Slovenia. He has never met anyone who loved their home country as much as his grandparents did, and as a child, he was fascinated by the stories they told him about their homeland. Therefore, he has always dreamt about those faraway lands across the sea where the most wonderful stories took place.

During his visit to Slovenia, he will work at the University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business under the mentorship of dr. Mateja Drnovšek and dr. Alenka Slavec Gomezel. He plans to focus his investigation on the innovation and social entrepreneurship fields. The goal of his research will be to demonstrate the growing importance that innovation has in organizations, especially in turbulent times.

In his free time, Ariel likes doing sports. He enjoys playing soccer, walking, or running outdoors. He is very excited and sincerely grateful to ASEF for this wonderful opportunity and is confident that this fellowship will contribute greatly to his academic and professional development. Besides, being able to meet young people of Slovenian descent from all over the world this research visit represents a unique chance for networking and personal growth.

Daniel Leber

Daniel Leber is an Argentinian visual artist and art historian. He did his degree in Visual Arts at the University of Buenos Aires. He also is a teacher in secondary and higher education in the field of art. He was part of the renowned Artists Program at Torcuato Di Tella University in 2012. Daniel was also the recipient of the Oxenford Foundation grant in 2019 and the Argentine National Foundation of Arts in 2013 and 2020. In 2021 he won the Itau Bank Prize with his work “Un Ángel del Tiempo”. Daniel studied in depth the work of Joaquin Torres Garcia, Federico Manuel Peralta Ramos, and Liliana Maresca, significant Latin American artists of the 20th century. His recent exhibitions are “Idea Fija” at Calvaresi Contemporáneo (September, 2022), “Leberinto” at Isla Flotante (Buenos Aires, 2021), and “Pedo Místico” at PM Galería (Buenos Aires, 2020).

In his work, he builds images articulating the pictorial and graphic fields taking the nature of symbols as an axis. He pursues his own worldview starting from the guidelines of South American modern artists related to spiritual and political merges, establishing dialogues with his own Slovenian heritage. As an ASEF Junior Fellow, Daniel will continue his research on Slovenian decorated beehive panels under the mentorship of Dr. Barbara Ivančič Kutin from the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology SRC SASA.

Matías D. Zakelj

Matias D. Zakelj recently graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in molecular biology and biotechnology. While he was attending university, Matias formed part of different projects inside the biological field, working with hummingbirds and bacteria alike. He aims to one day establish his own laboratory in order to study and better comprehend genetic disorders and protein misfolding. Matias believes that the opportunity that was given to him by the ASEF Fellowship will allow him to gain relevant experience in the industry outside academia, and will expand his knowledge in the scientific field.

Moreover, he is excited to do all of this while being able to visit Slovenia. This will help him better understand his heritage, culture, and learn the language that was passed on from his grandparents. Once finished, Matias wants to help other students with similar backgrounds connect with ASEF and help them grow professionally. In his free time, Matias enjoys listening to music, watching sports, and going to the gym. He also enjoys learning new things and meeting new people with different cultural backgrounds.

Matias Juhant

Matías Alejandro Juhant is a Ph.D. student of biology at the University of Tucumán, Argentina, and his academic research aims to understand how nature works and how the different elements of ecosystems interact to keep a system in balance using birds of prey (hawks, eagles, and falcons) as a model species. He completed his Bachelor’s in biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Slovenia, and his Master’s degree at Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands.

His academic aspiration is to become a raptor biologist with a global perspective, and this fellowship opportunity will help him to pursue this professional goal. He will visit Dr. Davorin Tome at the National Institute of Biology and have the opportunity to conduct research on how anthropogenic activities affect the physical conditions of birds of prey which will be part of a chapter of his doctoral thesis.

His family always did its best to maintain a strong bond with their roots, as both sides of his family are Slovenian, so this fellowship is an excellent opportunity to keep improving his Slovenian and learn more about the Slovenian culture. In his spare time, he enjoys working in the garden, outdoor activities, and running.

Mije Von Merta-Sustarich

Inspired by the death of her mother, grandmother, and aunt all from cancer, Mije Von Merta-Sustarich attended the University of California, Berkeley. Mije would go on to graduate with a Bachelor's in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry with the hopes her education would help her combat the disease. She has high hopes for a long and promising career in an ever-growing field of medical research and development.

She will begin her next steps by going abroad to Slovenia, where she will be working under Dr. Barbara Breznik at the National Institute of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer. Mije is a proud third-generation Slovenian-American, serving as Secretary to the Slovene National Benefit Society Lodge 304 of San Francisco. Additionally, Mije has been engaging in Muay Thai for over 13 years and is a certified personal trainer with accreditation from the Ministry of Education of Thailand for her accomplishments in the sport of Muay Thai.

Zarja Miovic

Zarja Miovic recently received her Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences in New Jersey, during which she also completed her senior research project at a Virology Laboratory, in the Plant Biology Department. She is determined to continue her academic career by attending graduate school in microbial biology, with a particular interest in environmental and plant virology, and is applying to selected programs that have excellence in those areas and will lead her to a productive and competitive doctoral degree.

In the meantime, Zarja hopes to gain further research and laboratory experience through her research fellowship at the National Institute of Biology under the mentorship of Dr. Ion Gutierrez Aguirre where she will work with an excellent team comprising members from various fields related to plant biology, virology, bacteriology, biochemistry, and biotechnology. This will allow Zarja to study microbial interactions with other organisms and their environment using a multidisciplinary approach and provide her with the learning opportunities she needs to grow and excel as a microbiologist and a member of the scientific community.

She was born in Slovenia and looks forward to reconnecting with Slovenia and her people, rich culture, and the beautifully preserved nature of the valleys and lakes in the Slovenian Alps, the picturesque Adriatic coast, and the colorful wine country around Maribor and Ptuj. During her free time, Zarja plan to reconnect with her family in Maribor, as well as enjoy various outdoor activities including biking, hiking, and swimming.

Casquil Carolina

Carolina Casquil graduated as an architect from the University of Buenos Aires. She has carried out different urban interventions in Argentina and Brazil to refocus people's views on the city, its architecture, and heritage. She has also studied how the different configurations of space, in its multiple dimensions, such as houses, streets, neighborhoods, and the cities, affect the quality of life of people. From a very young age, the Slovenian culture from her maternal grandparents has been lovingly instilled into her. She is infinitely grateful to ASEF for the opportunity they gave her, and in her research work, she will invite both the Slovenians and those people who do not know such a beautiful country to rediscover all the architectural, cultural, and social heritage that Slovenia has.

Casquil Carolina

Carolina Casquil je diplomirala iz arhitekture na Univerzi v Buenos Airesu. V Argentini in Braziliji je izvedla številne urbane projekte, da bi spremenila pogled ljudi na mesto, njegovo arhitekturo in dediščino. Preučevala je tudi, kako različne konfiguracije prostora v njegovih številnih razsežnostih, kot so hiše, ulice, soseske in mesta, vplivajo na kakovost življenja. Že od malih nog ji je bila slovenska kultura njenih starih staršev po materini strani privzgojena z ljubeznijo. ASEF-u se zahvaljuje za priložnost, ki jo je prejela, v svojem raziskovalnem delu pa bo spodbudila tako Slovence kot tiste, ki ne poznajo tako lepe dežele, da ponovno odkrijejo slovensko arhitekturno, kulturno in družbeno dediščino.

Figueroa Maria Micaela

Maria is a professional musical theater performer. She grew up in Bariloche, a little town surrounded by mountains in the south of Argentina. She always cared about the environment and enjoyed learning different languages, trekking, reading and writing. Her passion for art began as a little girl because she was part of the Slovenian community where this was always present. Growing up surrounded by the Argentinian, Slovenian and German culture gave her different tools and perspectives and motivated her to always be open minded and curious. She moved to Buenos Aires to start a professional artistic career were she had the chance to study in depth everything related to it: many theater and singing techniques, music theory, dramaturgy, musical theater history, many dance styles (jazz, ballet, tap, contemporary), etc. After receiving her degree, she was able to apply her studies in musical theater plays, shows and artistic events. She also shares her knowledge with young minds as a drama teacher, choreographer, vocal coach and director of many Concerts. She strongly believes that art is one of the pillars of society. It inspires, heals and reflects society’s troubles and realities. Her visit to Slovenia as part of the ASEF community is a unique and fruitful experience to see how musical theater and artistic disciplines are taught and applied in a different context. Also to grow personally and to make long lasting professional connections in the artistic field. She´s also very excited about enjoying the beautiful places and history that Slovenia has to offer. After all, Slovenia always felt like a second home, and it cultivated her passion for art. “Art is part of the human nature. It plays an important role, bigger than we think. It changes lives. It can even change the course of history.”

Medina Lucia

Lucía Medina was born in Comodoro Rivadavia, Patagonia Argentina. She graduated from La Plata National University with a B.A in Social Communication. In the past recent years, she has been working in the field of social media, public policies and advocacy. In 2020 she finished her specialization in political and government communication in Tres de Febrero National University. About her personal links with Slovenia, her maternal grandfather was born in Štrekljevec, Semič, and emigrated to Patagonia where he met her grandmother borned in Croatia. The family grew around both cultures. In 2019 she visited Slovenia for the first time to meet part of the Križan´s family and his granpather´s hometown. Lucia is extremely grateful for this opportunity provided by ASEF, through which she will grow from a professional and personal perspective. During the program she wishes to improve her Slovenian language, learn more about local history and culture, visit relatives and strength her relationship with her Slovenian heritage. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys cyclotouring and trekking, she is really excited to explore the natural beauties and landscapes of the country.

Mezner Joseph

Joseph Mezner just graduated from Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, United States with a degree in Finance. During his studies, he has worked and interned in a variety of industries, such as manufacturing, entertainment, insurance, and real estate. Joseph would like to further his finance career in the real estate and energy industries. Ever since his first visit to Slovenia in 2018, he fell in love with the country and has been wanting to go back to learn more about his heritage, the country, and the language. The ASEF program will be a fantastic opportunity to connect with other young Slovenians and to build upon his studies. Joseph has lived throughout the United States, including the states of Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, Idaho, and New York, which has inspired a passion for traveling and exploring new places. Moreover, he also loves spending time outdoors, hiking, and photography.    

Nemanič Gabriel Julian

Gabriel Julian Nemanič is currently attending an internship in his last year of Medicine at the National University of Cuyo. His interest in this profession, in being able to help people through medicine, began at the age of 16 when he was hospitalized for myopericarditis, which resolved without sequelae. He was born in 1996 in Mendoza, Argentina. Since childhood he grew up in the Slovenian club of Mendoza, where he studied and solidified his knowledge of that beautiful country from which one day his paternal grandparents had to leave. He participated in many events held in the club and a language improvement course in 2015 in Slovenia. He has had the experience of doing voluntary work at the San Nicolas church, with people in vulnerable situations, in wich they attend in social, nutricional, spiritual and health aspects, which without a doubt are the ones that can help in the improvement of life quality of a patient, since health includes many aspects. He has also had the opportunity of being part of a bioethical group and in which he organized a workshop on human life awareness.In his free time he does physical activity such as running, cycling and crossfit. He is interesting in the doctor-patient relationship in Slovenia and wants to be able to learn new medical techniques and create lasting relationships with health professionals. Since he was young he dreamed of being able to carry out an experience of his studies in Slovenia since they are his roots and he was born in another country but with customs, speech and values ​​making him feel in Slovenia, for which he is very happy and grateful for the opportunity offered by ASEF.

Porcelo Zakelj Ana

Ana, better known as Anči, is an advanced student of the Bachelor of Arts at the National University of Tucumán, Argentina. She has been working as a Teaching Assistant of 2nd Category in the subject Spanish Language II (Lengua Española II) since 2018 and is currently completing an exchange scholarship at the University of Cologne, Germany. Throughout her studies she was interested in linguistics, an area from which she approached the study of the Slovene community settled in her province, Tucumán. From 2019 to 2021 she participated as a teacher for beginners at the Slovenian language school Janez Evangelist Krek. Being able to participate in the ASEF programme Visit Slovenia will give her the opportunity to update and deepen her knowledge of the land of her grandparents, both linguistically and culturally. She will also be able to establish new links with other fellows and professionals, which will surely contribute to her professional and personal development. In this way she will be able to pass on what she has learnt to other members of the Slovene community in Tucumán, and thus contribute to the maintenance of Slovene culture and language in Argentina. In her free time Anči enjoys reading and going to the gym, going for walks, and meeting friends and family. She also enjoys learning new things and meeting people from other places and cultures.

Reina Jacob Mayka María

Jacob Mayka María Reina is a dance teacher, in her career she has learned different styles and genres. Currently, she is learning Argentina’s folklore. Mayka finds in dance a different kind on language, through which she can express emotions, words, values, ​​and a lot more... That is why she has been teaching dance to children, young people, and adults for approximately 15 years, something she enjoys and is passionate about. Dancing is what she loves most, but Mayka also likes reading, drinking coffee and talking with people, as well as meeting with her family and friends. In relation to her link with Slovenia, Mayka is of Slovenian descent on her mother's side. She knows that her great-great-grandfather arrived in Argentina in the year 1882. She currently works actively in the Slovenian foundation “slovenski duh” where activities are carried out to spread Slovenian culture, values, ​​and identity. She thanks ASEF for providing this unique experience, as she believes she will find opportunities to learn the Slovenian folklore and culture, acquire knowledge and values, and grow personally and professionally. She is very anxious and a little bit scared because it will be the very first time she travels by plane and leaves her country, but she really expect to enjoy and take advantage of this experience.

Shepard Anna

Anna Shepard is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Cincinnati, where she is majoring in Medical Sciences and minoring in Integrative Health. Her professional interests reside in healthcare and clinical research as she is currently working towards her post-graduate plans of medical school and graduate school in order to become a physician-scientist. During her visit, she aims to develop an international perspective, in which she can approach problems and her own research in the future with a world view. Anna is extremely grateful for the opportunity to visit Slovenia not only to participate in research at an early stage in her academic and research career, but also to deepen her knowledge and appreciation for Slovenia.

Anna already has a deep fondness of Slovenian culture (and food) from her Slovenian grandparents, attending Slovenian events in Cleveland, Ohio, and her 10 years as an elementary and middle school student attending a Saturday morning Slovenian language school. She is excited to be immersed in the culture, learn more of the Slovene language, explore the country’s natural beauty, and visit her family in Slovenia all while pursuing her interests in medicine, science, and research.

Starc Antonia

Antonia Starc graduated early from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in March 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and minors in entrepreneurship and law. She is most interested in global politics and international relations, with the aspiration of working in law or government. In her free time, you may find Antonia relaxing at the beach, playing volleyball, hiking, enjoying music, exploring new places, trying different foods, and spending time with her friends. Antonia is thrilled to return to Slovenia to further connect with her culture and family while researching her field of interest. After her 10 week ASEF Fellowship, Antonia will return to California, joining Deloitte as a Government and Public Services Analyst in Sacramento.

Tutkaluke Taylor

Taylor Tutkaluke will be finished her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba in May 2022. With a background as a competitive Ringette athlete, Taylor is now a personal trainer and group fitness instructor that is passionate about using physical activity as preventative healthcare. Taylor has worked as a research assistant on projects that include Indigenous athletes in sport, how self-compassion affects one’s diagnosis of pre-diabetes, and self-compassion and physical activity. She hopes to explore topics such as physical literacy, active transportation, and physical activity adherence in Slovenija throughout her stay in Ljubljana.

Valerian Nola

Nola Valerian is in her third year at The Ohio State University, where she is pursuing a major in visual communications design with a minor in media production and analysis. Within her studies, she explores the application of digital tools, including advanced computing technology, to visualize and present translations of complex data and ideas. Nola currently works as a design assistant for an information technology organization that specializes in intrastate networking. She additionally works as a video production assistant through her college’s athletics program. Outside of her academics and work, Nola enjoys attending concerts, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. Slovenian culture has always been an important part of Nola’s life as her grandparents were born and raised there before coming to America. She’s looking forward to connecting with her family in Slovenia since her last visit was three years ago and hopes to take advantage of Slovenia’s beautiful outdoors.

Živa Perko

Živa Perko moved to Belgium with her parents when she was just two years old. She is now a high school senior in her last year. She is studying at a science oriented high school, where her main subjects are chemistry, biology and physics. Heilig Graf School, the high school she is studying at, in Turnhout is known for its excellent laboratories, where students test theory in practice and carry out various experiments. As a member of the ASEF community, she will be in Slovenia from September 2022 until the end of December 2022 and will study at the Gimnazija Bežigrad. Together with the students from Ljubljana, she will be preparing for the matura exam, not only in chemistry and biology, but also in the Slovenian language. She hopes that she will be able to improve her Slovenian while socializing with her peers. Živa loves music and this year she finished the music academy and graduated from classical singing. She is a two-time Belgian sailing champion in the Cadet category (2020 and 2021). She represented Belgium in the Cadet at four world championships. She hopes that she will have the opportunity to sail in the Gulf of Piran with her new Slovenian friends. Živa loves nature and planet Earth and is therefore an environmental activist, a participant in the "Fridays for climate" movement. At the competition of the European program dedicated to the climate crisis Erasmus++, Živa was chosen as the representative of Belgium 2021, where, together with the other representatives, she participated in a one-year project dedicated to the consequences of the climate crisis. She expects that she will also talk about the climate crisis and urgent actions in Slovenia. Živa would like to thank the ASEF community for this exceptional opportunity. She believes that during this period she will not only get to know Slovenia, her Slovenian peers, and Slovenian culture, but will also learn a lot about herself.

Arraigada Pablo David

Pablo David Arraigada was born in 1985 in Entre Rios. He has always lived in Ezpeleta, a small city in Buenos Aires. He has a degree in literature. Pablo has just started his Ph.D. about Partisan literature as a literary genre in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. He is a member of the Dovstoievski’s Association in Argentina and helps with the organization of events and conferences in his country.
Pablo works as a consulting professor at the Slavic Literatures’ Department at the Buenos Aires University. He has been in charge of different seminars about ex-Yugo culture and literature. He was invited to give talks at different Universities, both in Argentina (Córdoba University) and in Europe (Zadar University and Ljubljana University). Nowadays, he is part of the UBACyT research project about utopias and dystopias in Slavic Literature. For this research project, he is translating different authors who developed the sci-fi and the utopia in the Balkans to Spanish, for example, Simon Jenko’s ‘Mikromega’. He also plans on translating Radoje Domanović and Dragutin Ilić from the Serbian language. On the other hand, Pablo also researches avant-garde movements in the Balkans, the Bosnian war and the figure of exile and speech, and aspects about the LGBTQ+ movements in ex-Yugo countries. He has previously translated Slovenian poets Brane Mozetič and Uroš Prah.
He is very interconnected to the literary world, both as a professor and as a publisher and bookseller. He was in charge of different activities related to books’ sales. In addition, he is a translator from Slovenian, Serbian and Croatian, and he has translated authors like Srečko Kosovel, Josip Murn, Dragotin Kette, Matej Bor, Desanka Maksimović, Radoje Domanović, Ivan Goran Kovačić and Vladimir Nazor, among others.
During his stance in Slovenia for the ASEF Junior Fellowship, Pablo is really excited about the idea of ​​being able to work and research with his mentor Slovene poet and art historian Miklavž Komelj on the Slovenian partisans. It will be an amazing opportunity to understand and translate poems into Spanish from authors who had fought in the Second World War and to analyze the point of view in their productions.
Beyond his professional perspective, Pablo also enjoys literature as a hobby, and is a poet. He has published three poetry books until today, and he was in 2019 Smederevo’s poet autumn Festival, where they published a bilingual Serbian-Spanish anthology of his poems as well, Beleške. His poems were translated to Slovenian and Bulgarian too.

Gimpelj Dylan

Dylan Gimpelj is a second-year law student at the University of Montreal. After completing a Bachelor of Art’s in Economics at McGill University, he worked in the finance industry for two years before returning to his studies. He is grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ASEF has provided which gives a chance to apply his current skillset in a professional legal environment, as well as gain new knowledge essential to his career growth. With Canada being a federal multicultural state and Slovenia being a member of the European Union, Dylan is excited to explore Slovenia’s legal tradition and thus appreciate the insightful parallels and distinctions that can be made with Canada’s legal context.
Having visited Slovenia only briefly a few summers ago, Dylan is eager to further establish a personal connection to Slovenia and his Slovenian family that will be made possible during the extended stay of the fellowship. He hopes to use his personal time while there to build strong, lasting relationships and thoroughly enjoy the cultural and natural heritage Slovenia possesses. In his free time, Dylan mainly enjoys spending time with friends in the outdoors, whether playing sports, hiking, or camping in many of Canada’s beautiful national and provincial parks.

Gregorčič Ren

Ren Gregorčič is an artist and researcher in the field of sculpture and spatial practice currently based in Canberra, Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Art (Sculpture and Spatial Practice) and a Masters of Cultural Materials Conservation from the University of Melbourne. In February 2020 he commenced a Ph.D. candidature in the School of Art and Design at the Australian National University in the Department of Sculpture and Spatial Practice. Ren’s connection to Slovenia is through his father and paternal family, who migrated to Melbourne, Australia, in the 1950s.
Ren’s art practice investigates how the principles of global modernity (i.e. Cartesian spatial arrangements, economic rationalism, cultural homogenisation) are expressed in architecture, infrastructure, urban planning and nature-management and the impacts of these expressions on individuals and collectives. In addition to his practice, Ren has worked in a diverse range of arts and cultural institutions within Australia. Previous roles have included Curator of Exhibitions and Outreach at Warrnambool Art Gallery, Researcher and Project Manager at The University of Melbourne, Project Manager at the Australian Museums and Galleries Association Victoria, and Relocation Project Officer at Museums Victoria. He is also currently Gallery Manager at the Canberra artist-run initiative, Australian National Capital Artists.
During his time in Slovenia, Ren aims to focus on investigating, documenting and producing critical research and artworks that examine the impact of the dominance of concrete as an ordering system and environmental mediator within the Slovenian context.

Javeršek Milena

Milena Javeršek moved to Indonesia for seven months after successfully graduating from high school in 2019. There she lived and worked in a center where women are supported in their education and professions. During this volunteer service with the UEM, she became intensely involved with structural racism, climate change, and women's rights and has since actively campaigned against global injustices.
She is very grateful for the ASEF Fellowship. She is extremely excited to get to know her grandparents' country of origin, culture, and language.
Milena is very appreciative of this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally and to be able to use the insight and experience gained in her future career. Next year, she will study law at the University of Cologne, specializing in international human rights and peacebuilding.
Suppose she is not spending her free time with her family and friends, reading books in her garden, or playing volleyball. In that case, she is actively involved in youth and children's work in her local church community. She is currently attending a Slovenian language course with her father, sister, cousin, and aunt. She is more than happy to consolidate and deepen her acquired language skills in Slovenia.

Košir Sonja

Sonja Košir is in her fourth year at the University of Cincinnati studying biomedical engineering. She has had four semesters of engineering internships and especially enjoyed her work in early phase research and development of medical devices used in cardiac and thoracic surgery. She has a great interest in developing medical technologies to promote the health and wellness of her community. Outside of classes, Sonja is also very involved with the Catholic center, the club running team, her engineering sorority, and volunteering at the community food pantry.
Sonja is very excited to spend time with her family in Slovenija while continuing to pursue her interests in medical research with her mentors, prof. dr. Damijan Miklavičič and Angelika Vižintin, and exploring the beautiful country of her grandparents. She is excited to go hiking, learn more of the Slovene language, and be immersed in the culture.

Leber Stefania

Stefania Leber graduated from the Universidad del Salvador – Asociación Odontológica Argentina with a degree in dental medicine in 2017. She was fascinated by orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders since she was a student. She is now an assistant professor at Universidad del Salvador, Universidad Maimonides, and Universidad de Buenos Aires, where she enjoys teaching.
She is excited to form strong professional relationships with other ASEF fellows all over the world, especially in Slovenia. Through doing so, she hopes to advance professionally and personally and investigate the effect of Slovenian culture on her field of research. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her bike and cyclotouring when the weather permits, allowing her to connect with the natural world surrounding her. She is also passionate about cooking, for that reason, she has dabbled in Slovenian cuisine under the tutelage of both of her Slovenian grandmothers.
She also participated in the organization of several socio-cultural activities in her community as a member of Slovenski Dom San Martin and is a former president of the Slovenian girls' organization. As a result, exploring her Slovenian identity would be an exciting experience, which is why Štefi is extremely grateful for the incredible opportunity provided by ASEF.

Morrison Jillian

Jillian Morrison is a third-year graduating senior at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and she will be graduating with a BA in Political Science with an international politics concentration and minors in French and Museum Studies. Prior to ASEF, Jillian has spent extensive time learning about the various political systems around the world and relevant modern political theorists. In March 2021, she presented her research project on increasing the ethical mineral mining practices in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at the Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference. In addition to her political science courses, she has taken a special interest in oral history and museum studies leading her to intern at the Chicago History Museum in the Studs Terkel Oral History Center.
She is thrilled to have the opportunity to live and work in Slovenia this summer and looks forward to deepening her understanding of Slovenian political systems through oral history. She is also looking forward to solidifying relationships within the international Slovenian community. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Jillian enjoys rock climbing, fiber arts, and enjoying time with friends. She is certainly looking forward to taking advantage of Slovenia’s wonderful outdoor culture this summer and she cannot wait to begin this amazing adventure.

Resnik Micaela

Micaela Resnik is an Actuary who graduated from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Throughout her studies, she has analyzed different types of risks, their measurement, and management, along with the tools used to mitigate them. She has studied different insurance available on the market like property, life, financial, reinsurance, and the various configurations of retirement plan funds, pensions, and health coverage. In her final thesis, she developed a credit scoring model for a retirement loan portfolio.
Since she was a child, she has been raised in Slovenian culture. She speaks the language fluently and enjoys the different traditions her grandparents and parents taught her. Among the many activities she is part of in the Slovenian community, she enjoys dancing in Folklorna skupina Maribor.
She is very grateful to ASEF for the incredible and unique opportunity given to her, where she will be able to learn, appreciate and compare the behavior of the European market with the Argentinian. Furthermore, this will allow her to develop her working skills and discover her abilities collaborating in an interdisciplinary group. She is very honored that she can professionally and personally develop in the country where her grandparents were born, the land where she feels like home.

Selan Daniela

Daniela Selan was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is currently finishing her degree in Anthropology with an orientation in Archaeology at La Plata University (UNLP). Daniela is particularly interested in Bioarchaeology – the study of human remains from archaeological sites. At the moment, she is working on the analysis of osteological collections from the Upper Paraná River Delta (Entre Ríos province) in the La Plata Museum. All four of her grandparents were born in Slovenia and migrated to Argentina, so both cultures are fundamental in her life. Part of her interest in studying cultural diversity – in the present as well as in the past – derives from her personal history. As part of her ASEF Fellowship, Daniela will be working with dr. Anton Velušček at the Institute of Archaeology ZRC SAZU. She looks forward to generating intellectual bonds with Slovenian experts and learning how they approach archaeological and cultural heritage. Beyond her interest in growing professionally, Daniela seeks to take advantage of her visit by exploring the many historical and natural landmarks in the country, meeting relatives and friends, and strengthening her relationship with her Slovenian heritage.

Staresinic Claire Nicole

Claire Staresinic is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is pursuing a double major in psychology and German with a minor in biology. She will be taking the next step towards becoming a psychiatrist by applying to medical school in May. Claire is passionate about increasing access to mental health care as well as treating and destigmatizing mental illness. She hopes to build on her previous experience in outpatient behavioral health by conducting medical research or working in psychiatric inpatient treatment. Claire’s paternal great-grandparents hail from Slovenia, and she is eager to discover more about her Slovenian roots and build relationships in a country that already feels like home. She also hopes to foster conversations between leaders in mental health research in both Slovenia and the United States to help expand resources in both nations. In her free time, Claire loves to draw and paint, play the oboe, visit the local farmers’ market, and indulge in just a little bit of reality TV.

Stellatelli Agustin

Agustin Stellatelli is a lawyer who graduated from the Catholic University of Argentina. He is currently writing his postgraduate thesis on labor law that he intends to deliver at the end of 2021 to continue with his master’s degree. His studies and his professional actions as a lawyer are marked by a special sensibility towards social problems. Agustin loves his country and firmly believes that Argentina needs to learn from international experiences. His visit to Slovenia will give him the opportunity to get to know closer the culture and the judiciary, and the political system. He is keen on labor law and human scourges in general, politics, and history, which he tries to approach with a proper humanistic vision. Agustin is passionate about rowing, cycling, and other sports, and he likes to challenge himself. He considers sports as a means of sharing with others. Agustin is sure that his visit to Slovenia will have a considerable impact not only on him but also on his family and community. His wife is Slovenian, and therefore, his interest in the culture, history and all aspects of the country grew naturally. He is looking forward to fruitful cooperation with his mentor while studying the Slovenian language and discovering all the beauties Slovenia offers.

Urbančič Jana Maria

Jana Maria Urbancic is currently enrolled as a last-year international trade student at the University of La Matanza in Buenos Aires. Since she was a little girl, she was always interested in economics and business, so she decided to study international trade.
Born in Buenos Aires in a family with deep-rooted Slovenian heritage, she was always very passionate and dedicated to her culture, her ideals, her interests, and hobbies. During her childhood and adolescence, she spent almost every afternoon in the Slovenian club of San Justo. There she learned and perfected the Slovenian language, trained and competed with her volleyball team, danced Slovenian folklore, and attended Holy mass in the Slovenian language every Sunday morning.
Jana considers herself a young woman full of energy searching for new experiences and adventures that contribute to her development. She has continually prioritized her personal and professional growth, always seeking to cultivate new skills and to learn daily from the situations that arise. Therefore, she decided to apply for the ASEF fellowship because she considers it a wonderful opportunity to experience her grandparents' homeland. She will also have the chance to learn how international trade works in the context of the Slovenian economy. Jana visited Slovenia on two previous occasions, but she believes that this time will be unique since she will experience her homeland from a completely different perspective.
This year, she will be visiting Slovenia as a part of the ASEF community. Her supervisor and mentor will be dr. Denis Mancevič, CEO at Herman & partners. There she will develop her professional and interpersonal skills oriented to international trade, learning more about Slovenian trade practices every day.

Grbec Dalma Lorena

Dalma Lorena Grbec is a Public Accountant, graduated from the Argentinian University of Business (UADE). She is next to finish an MBA in Business Management at the University of Cema in Buenos Aires. Dalma is specialized in SMEs companies, and her final research concerns innovation management applied on mature SMEs, particularly in emerging economies.

She is very grateful and excited for the opportunity ASEF has provided. The impact of this experience will give her personal growth as a professional by being open to interact and explore how education and research develop in Ljubljana. Furthermore, helping her improve the Slovenian language. This will be her second time visiting Slovenia, and she is expecting to be in her favorite season, autumn.

In her free time, she loves doing outdoor activities, participating in music events, tasting, and learning all about teas and infusions. Her entrepreneurial soul let her have her own brand, which she called “Ljubim tea”.

Grohar Mariana Cecilia

Mariana Cecilia Grohar is a Ph.D. student in Botany. Born and raised in Buenos Aires in a Slovenian family, she is now looking to continue her professional development in Slovenia. After ten years of research experience in plant taxonomy and morphology, she is particularly interested in the description and management of endangered or invasive plant species, as well as the communication of scientific knowledge to the general public. She will be working with Dr. Jernej Jogan at the University of Ljubljana, where she expects to develop a new insight into the Slovenian flora and research techniques used in its study and management. She is passionate about Slovenian culture natural beauties, so she is really excited to live and work in Slovenia!

Magister Nadia

Nadia Magister was born in Bariloche, a beautiful Argentinian town at the bottom of the Andes Cordillera, surrounded by mountains, the Nahuel Huapi Lake, and nature all around. Her four grandparents were born in Slovenia, and because of WW2, they had to leave their homes. They arrived in the big city of Buenos Aires, but it was said that in Patagonia there is a place similar to Slovenia. And so, the ones who were alpinists and mountain lovers moved there. They were searching for a little piece of their so missed home, in a new country. And there they found it, in Bariloche, where they built their new home, passing on the huge love for their country, the culture, traditions, language to their children and grandchildren.

Each person has a passion. And it is said that once we find it, we cannot silence it. Nadia’s passion is music, singing. Even though she has a degree in Fashion Design in the Buenos Aires University, and works with the design too; she followed her passion and studied solo singing at “Conservatorio Superior de Música Manuel de Falla” in Buenos Aires, and two years ago she started the Ancient Music Graduate Course at the same institution. She comes from a family where music surrounded her since she was born, with a mum who is a musician, and a dad who is always in contact with music; they transmitted to her five brothers and her the love for music. This is part of who she is, and where does the motivation of going to Slovenia to go on with her singing career, comes from.

She is extremely grateful for the ASEF Fellowship opportunity, where she is going to be mentored by soprano Theresa Plut. Nadia knows that having the possibility of working and sharing with musicians from another country will challenge her to a new level, where she will grow from a professional perspective and a personal one as well.

Puntín Julieta Natalí

Julieta Natalí Puntín is a teacher of English graduated in 2018 from UADER (Universidad Autónoma de Entre Rios) Argentina. As an educator of a second and foreign language, she works at primary, secondary schools and also at a private institute of English learning. Julieta finds teaching a life-learning practice that cannot be but understood also as a day-to-day challenge. Apart from teaching, Julieta has been involved in sport; specifically, she has participated in volleyball, beach volleyball, and snow volleyball competitions in Argentina and in other countries as well. She enjoys nature, travelling, sports, and sharing some “mates” while making friends.

As regards her connection to Slovenia, Julieta is a fourth-generation Slovenian descendant in Argentina after her great grandfather’s arrival in the 1880s. She has been participating in different activities held by the “Triglav” Association of Slovenian descendants in Entre Rios, and she has always dreamt of visiting this distant country, and appreciating in person its history, culture, language and essence.

She is grateful to ASEF for opening this door to a unique learning adventure. It is her firm belief that she will be encountering a myriad of opportunities and acquiring first-hand knowledge, values and experiences at a personal and professional level. Her visit will take place in Ljubljana at Erudio High School, where she will be able to exchange and share experiences, and most importantly, to gain knowledge from qualified and highly trained educators in all aspects of teaching and learning. Indeed, this Fellowship Program means improvement and growth, which will definitely mark her life for good.

Scasserra José Ignacio

José Ignacio Scasserra graduated from Buenos Aires University in February of 2017 with his BA in Philosophy. He worked in multiple pedagogical programs, with children and teenagers from vulnerable neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. He is currently finishing his master's degree thesis in Interdisciplinary subjectivity studies and starting his Ph.D. in Philosophy. His investigations go on ethics, education, gender violence, and the construction of subjectivity in our current time. Names like Michel Foucault, Immanuel Kant, or even Saint Augustine can be seen on his papers.

José is looking forward to doing his experience in Ljubljana not only for his research and professional links but also because of his ties with his Slovenian heritage. His grandfather, Dusan Lenscak, was a philosophy teacher at Ljubljana University until 1938 when he escaped to Argentina with his wife, Ludmila Kalim, who studied pedagogy at the same university. Jose's family knows loads of stories from that time, but little they know about their grandparent's life at university. By walking the same corridors, his grandparents walked almost a century before, and by researching a bit on the university archives, he expects to get to know a bit more about his grandparent's professional life in Ljubljana.

José loves writing and reading literature, studying languages, and working out. He is currently working on his first novel in a literary workshop while studying French at Buenos Aires University. He usually rests his head working out, training on the swimming pool, or running along park trails.

Sebernich Mariela Belén

Mariela Belén Sebernich is an architect and teaches drawing and painting. She’s a Slovenian descendent from her father’s side. Her great grandparents Juan Sebernich and Maria Podversic arrived in Argentina in the first immigration of 1880 with their children, among them, her great grandfather Angel Sebernich. Currently, she finds herself working as an administrator in a private company and as an architect in her study. She’s beginning research surveying the households, which remain intact, built by the first Slovenian immigrants in the countryside of Cerrito, Entre Rios, and detecting the construction materials and typology of these houses to find similarities to the primitive ones in Slovenia. She teaches drawing and painting at the Retirees and Pensioners Association of the National University of the Littoral (UNL), where she was also an intern professor at the beginning of her academic education.

She is a part of the Triglav Slovenian Association of Entre Rios, where she invests her time spreading the Slovenian culture throughout the providence. She graduated in architecture at the UNL with her final thesis on sustainable architecture, oriented on energy saving, a subject she wishes to keep learning throughout her professional practice. In 2017, she organized a trip to Slovenia and some other European countries. From that moment, she knew she would want to come back and learn more about the history of her ancestors and also about Slovenian architecture. In her free time, she enjoys long walks, reading novels, watching movies, and taking make-up courses. This year, she enrolled in the Visual Arts professorship.

Soledad Barrionuevo María

María Soledad Barrionuevo is about to get her degree in History at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), where she is also an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the chairs of Sociology and History of Spain. Soledad has participated in research projects in History and has written articles and papers about Primož Trubar and Janez Vajkard Valvasor for academic journals and lectures. Besides doing research, she is also interested in teaching. In recent years, she has delivered classes open to the community (students and non-students) in the same university, where she taught one course about Trubar’s Reformation.

Soledad will be working under the mentorship of Ddr. Igor Grdina, a member of the Institute of Cultural History ZRC SAZU in Ljubljana. She is looking forward to continuing her research about Slovene Early Modern Cultural History − she is currently writing her BA thesis about Valvasor −, and getting in contact with experts in this field. This experience will also help her to develop Slovene studies in Argentina.

Since she believes that languages are an important aspect of research, she has knowledge of Latin and has learnt other modern languages, such as Slovenian, German, Croatian, and English. She is currently working as an English teacher.

Turk David

David Turk is a third-year undergraduate student at Saint Louis University, on the pre-medical studies track. He will be interviewing this fall for early acceptance into Saint Louis University School of Medicine. David performs research at Saint Louis University, where he is working on developing a novel Hemoglobin C detection "tube drop” method for use in Haiti and other countries with limited access to electricity and laboratory resources. He has also worked at an outpatient surgery center for over 700 hours, observing countless surgeries and sharpening his patient care skills. He hopes to utilize these experiences to perform medical research this summer. David also looks forward to establishing important connections in Slovenia that he will maintain throughout his professional career and experiencing the differences between Slovenia's and the United States’s healthcare systems. Though a Slovenian citizen, he has not stayed in Slovenia for more than three weeks at a time. He is grateful for the opportunity to live in Slovenia for an extended period of time and further experience the natural beauty of the country. In his free time, David enjoys running outdoors, reading non-fiction books, attempting to play his father’s button box accordions, and dancing polkas with Folklorna Skupina Kres, a Slovenian folklore dance group in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

Urbančič Natasha Ianina

Natasha Ianina Urbančič is a 28 years old teacher with a certificate in early childhood education from the “Instituto Superior Docente Santo Domingo de Ramos Mejía”, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She defines herself as a proactive, enthusiastic, sociable and collaborative, always committed to her work and trying to innovate with new strategies about different educational theories. Her grandparents from father’s side were born in Slovenia. From her mother’s side, her grandfather was born in Pennsylvania, United States of America, and her grandmother was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but they both moved to Slovenia during their childhood. Natasha’s whole family grew around the Slovenian culture. Throughout the generations, they worked to preserve the traditions and language of that beautiful country. From a very young age, she attended the Slovenian Club of the City of San Justo, Buenos Aires, and participated in many events that the Club held.

She also assisted at the France Balantič Slovenian primary school and at Slovenian High School Marko Bajuk, where she solidified her knowledge of the Slovenian language. Professional growth is one of her priorities; she considers that participating in the Fellowship will provide her tools and knowledge to be the best teacher she can be. She is very excited about learning from the Slovenian educational system and spending time in the homeland of her grandparents. Next December, Natasha will be attending the Dr. France Prešeren Kindergarten, located in Ljubljana. She is going to meet the Principal Maja Kunaver and work on the Fellowship details, which includes gaining knowledge about different learning disorders. She is incredibly grateful for this Fellowship experience!

Vombergar Ana

Ana Vombergar is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the George Washington University, where is she pursuing a double major in international affairs and Arabic studies. Ana has spent extensive time developing her Arabic language and cross-cultural communication skills in Morocco, Oman, and Jordan, and is eager to continue expanding her knowledge of the world with the ASEF summer fellowship. All four of Ana’s grandparents were born and raised in Slovenia and she is beyond grateful for the opportunity to live and learn in a country that is so deeply rooted in her identity. This summer, she will be working alongside Dr. Mojca Ilc Klun at the Faculty of Arts and believes that this experience will strengthen her love of international affairs by facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of European migration. In addition to the academic and professional components of the fellowship, Ana is excited to delve deeper into day-to-day Slovenian life and establish a stronger connection with her Slovenian heritage. On the weekends, you can find her spending time with friends and family, studying Arabic, and enjoying the outdoors.

Ellis Dylan

Dylan Ellis is an undergraduate Chemical Engineering student at the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University. He has always loved problem solving and been fascinated by biology and hopes to utilize his studies to combat issues in health and sustainability. This summer, he is thrilled to be able to continue this pursuit of engineering at the interface of living systems through ASEF's Fellowship. In addition to developing professionally, he is extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity to immerse himself in his Slovenian heritage, and to be able to share all he learns upon returning from the fellowship. Dylan's hobbies include reading, sports, music, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.

Fitzsimmons Thomas

Thomas Fitzsimmons is a visual communicator with a passion for multimedia. Thomas will be interning at Studio Siposh doing video production and working alongside filmmakers and aerial cinematographers. Thomas has studied communication and graphic design and plans to attain a master's degree in Theology in the future at the Pontifical Atheneum of Sant Anselmo in Rome. Thomas hopes to learn valuable skills that will set him apart in the cinematography world, he is excited for the opportunity to create multimedia content in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and plans to maintain a long-lasting relationship with ASEF long after he leaves. Thomas is excited since this is his second time visiting Slovenia. His first time was in 2016 during a visit he had while living in Europe for a study abroad semester in Italy. Thomas had the chance to visit family in Slovenia and met his Slovenian cousins and had the chance to walk the same streets in Ljubljana as his Grandmother and Grandfather did before they immigrated to the United States. Thomas is often found running, he has run two marathons in the states, and plans to do his third somewhere in the EU, Thomas also loves and drone videography, photography, editing video, and calling his 82-year-old grandmother and teaching her tips and tricks on how to use her iPhone.

Gačnik Annika Rose

Annika Gačnik is a Master’s candidate in Food Studies, an interdisciplinary field of food policy, business, and culture, at New York University. A native Californian, Annika has worked extensively in food production and distribution, including in urban agriculture, fisheries research, winemaking, and the grocery industry. She received her B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When not studying food, she enjoys spending time in the ocean and the garden. As an ASEF Fellow, Annika will research under Dr. Tanja Kamin at the University of Ljubljana. Supported by this fellowship, Annika aspires to effect social change in food systems in order to elevate human rights and enhance sustainability. Annika is fortunate to have previously visited Slovenia, where she reconnected with her paternal relatives and traveled with her family, including her sister Michaela - a 2018 ASEF fellow. Annika is extraordinarily grateful for this opportunity to deepen her understanding of her heritage and form new, meaningful connections with her colleagues and peers.

Klesin Alexandra

Alexandra Klesin graduated from Mount Saint Mary College in December of 2018 with her BA in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy. She is currently the Project Development Coordinator for a new Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program at The Mount. Along the way, Alexandra has found that her passions lie in helping adolescents who struggle with mental illness succeed both in their everyday lives and academically. After the ASEF fellowship, she desires to continue her education and pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. This summer, Alexandra will assist Prof.Dr. Valentina Hlebec on an international research and innovation project called “Me-We” at The University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. “Me-We” stands as an abbreviation for psychosocial support for promoting mental health and well-being amongst young carers in Europe (me-we.eu). Young carers are adolescents who become the primary caretakers for a parent or sibling with a mental/developmental disorder.

Alexandra sees this fellowship as an incredible opportunity to not only strengthen her research skills but to strengthen her ties to her Slovenian heritage, too. She is grateful to visit her grandparents’ home and walk through the streets of Ljubljana, immersing herself in all that Slovenia has to offer. In her downtime, Alexandra loves to write, especially poetry. She hopes to fill her journal this summer with riveting stories she can share with friends and family. When she is not writing, she is probably reading. Alexandra also enjoys working out, yoga, and playing volleyball. Typically, you can find her sitting somewhere scenic, eating a cupcake.

Krevh Rachel

Rachel Krevh graduates from Xavier University in May, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. She will be attending Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in the fall, to begin to pursue her career as a physician. Rachel has done prior research at Xavier University about the oxidative mechanism of Copper Amine Oxidases, and at the University of Cincinnati’s National Science Foundation research program, where she studied the anti-fouling properties of carbon nanotube-fiber electrodes. Rachel is excited about this fellowship opportunity in Slovenia because it will help her learn about more medically-related topics before she starts medical school and becomes a physician. Rachel’s career interests as a physician are dermatology, oncology, and primary care. In addition to the medical research this summer, Rachel is interested in exploring the different regions of Slovenia, spending summer evenings by the river in Ljubljana, meeting other fellows and citizens in the area, and continuing to learn the Slovenian language. Previously, Rachel has been to Slovenia three times: with her Slovenian language school in 2007, to visit relatives in 2014, and to participate in a two-week Slovenian language program at the University of Ljubljana in 2015. It has been four years since she has last been to Slovenia, and she is excited to see her relatives and the beautiful country again. She is also excited to hopefully have a full conversation in Slovenian by the end of the summer. In addition to learning about science and medicine, Rachel also enjoys going on frequent walks around her town, hiking and going on bike rides, meeting new people, and trying new foods. A fun fact about her is that she has a small tattoo of Triglav, and she starred in a music video in Greece.

Lunka Robert

Bobby Lunka is a first-year pediatric dentistry resident at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry where he is also pursuing his master’s degree. He obtained his B.A. in biology at the University of Virginia, where he also completed a general practice residency after completing dental school at VCU. Later, Bobby went on to complete oral and maxillofacial surgery internships at Jacobi Medical Center/Beth Israel Hospital and WVU School of Dentistry. His passion involves improving his skills and knowledge in caring for children with special healthcare needs. The research Bobby is currently working on involves the use of virtual reality glasses to improve dental experiences for children with autism. Born to a Slovenian father, Bobby frequently visits the family farm and enjoys spending time with his relatives and exploring the country. He proudly identifies as a true Slovenian since he recently summited Mount Triglav. He is excited to explore the health, educational and research organizations at the University of Ljubljana. A fellowship through ASEF would allow him to learn, appreciate and compare how Slovenia’s higher education institutions conduct research and clinical work, specifically how Slovenian health professionals care for children and special needs patients. In his spare time, Bobby enjoys kitesurfing, winemaking, playing guitar and riding his motorcycle. He is very grateful for the opportunity ASEF has provided him and he will continue promoting all that Slovenia has to offer to his colleagues back home!

Marusic Tatiana

Tatiana Marusic is a general physician, graduated from the Buenos Aires University, and currently a fourth-year pediatric resident at “Ricardo Gutierrez Children’s hospital”. She was born and raised in Argentina, but all her grandparents were born in Slovenia and they taught her their values and culture. The critical global refugee situation and low access to health assistance are one of Tatiana’s greatest concerns. Consequently, she is going to work with Primoz Jamšek at Slovenian Filantrophy, a humanitarian organization. She will join a program that offers better accessibility of health services for people in a vulnerable position, working directly with the refugees and provide them medical care. She is convinced that this experience will challenge her to a new level where she will grow from a professional perspective and from a personal one as well. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, like hiking and scuba diving. She considers herself a nature lover, she cant wait to visiting the beautiful Slovenian landscapes!

McDonald Thomas

Thomas is PhD student in Comparative Literature at Stanford University. Born and raised in South Carolina, he holds an MBA in International Business and has worked in Japan, Germany, Latin America, and the US. At Stanford, he researches how works of literature and film have anticipated economic and social crisis during the 20th century. He is studying Slovene in order to more deeply understand the case of the former Yugoslavia. An advocate for foreign language learning, he has studied various languages and fluently speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese, and Serbo-Croatian.

Rozman Tina

Tina Rozman is currently entering her third year at the University of Cincinnati. She is studying nursing and is also a cadet in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). She is at the top of her ROTC class and has been on the academic Dean’s List each semester of college. Tina is a member of the National Society of Pershing Rifles, the Student Nurse Association, and multiple volunteer organizations. Last summer, the Army provided her the opportunity to study Russian at the University of Pittsburgh and this summer she will go to Airborne School. Tina will be completing a fellowship at DEOS Trnovo, a nursing home, with her mentor Biljana Vojvodič. She looks forward to being in a nursing home since she gained plenty of experience with her elderly grandparents. She is immensely interested in functional medicine, an alternate form of medicine that seeks to improve health, especially chronic illness, through holistic and root cause treatment. Tina’s grandparents, both maternal and paternal, were from Slovenia and her Slovenian heritage has molded her entire life. She speaks Slovenian fluently, is a member of the dance group Folklorna Skupina Kres, and sincerely values the influence of Slovenian culture in her background and the legacy her grandparents crafted for her. She is excited to see where her family was born and experience the well-known Slovenian love and generosity that the country is famous for, including sights such as Lake Bled, the castles, and mountains. She is also thrilled about the discoveries she will make as she studies with her mentor. Some of her hobbies include volunteering, playing piano and violin, and she hopes that she may be able to put her great interest in bees to use in Slovenia. A fun fact about Tina is that her brother performed with his vocal group “Mi Smo Mi” several years ago in Slovenia.

Voelk Sean

Sean Voelk is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, where he is majoring in Finance. Sean was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. His great grandfather was born in Slovenia and he is extremely grateful for this opportunity to learn more about Slovenia and participate in this program. Sean’s extracurriculars mostly involve music. He hosts KSCU’s music and talk show Slightly Social, broadcasting in the Bay Area and other places in California. He is also a writer for the KSCU blog, mainly covering topics related to hip-hop and hip-hop culture. On the weekends you can often find Sean hiking or otherwise enjoying the outdoors.

Fitzsimmons Matthew

Matthew Fitzsimmons is a freelance trumpeter and educator from the Washington D.C area. Earning his Bachelor’s in Music at the Catholic University of America, Matthew is currently getting his Masters in Trumpet Performance at the University of North Texas. Matthew has performed in the U.S. National Trumpet Competition, for members of the United States Congress and for Pope Francis with the Washington Symphonic Brass. This fall, he will continue his graduate studies with members of the Dallas Symphony at Southern Methodist University.

Committed to giving back to his community and heritage with music, Matthew is a member of KSKJ and SUA, two Slovenian-American organizations. Developing an interest in creating a sustainable future for classical music, he interned at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. He is passionate about building a sustainable and rewarding future for performing artists through his experiences as a trumpeter, administrator, and educator and hopes to one day inspire and serve his community in a professional Symphony Orchestra or service band.

Gačnik Michaela

Michaela Gačnik is an undergraduate student at Boston College studying Marketing in The Carroll School of Management and minoring in Studio Art. Michaela is born and raised in California, but her father’s family descends from Slovenia. She is so excited to return to Ljubljana and to continue exploring her cultural roots. Michaela is proud of her heritage and wants to utilize her knowledge, passion and skills to share Slovenia with others.

This summer, Michaela will be working with both ASEF and TRUD Travel Agency. At ASEF, Michaela will create marketing content to further promote the organization and its unique fellowship. In addition, she will be working with the promotional team at TRUD to help market their Slovenian tours to incoming travelers. At Boston College, Michaela is a Resident Assistant for a community of 40 freshman residents and captain of the Bollywood fusion dance team. Michaela is also passionate about oil painting, the ocean and traveling. She is incredibly grateful for this fellowship experience!

Hernán Di Marco Martín

Martín Hernán Di Marco is a PhD candidate in Social Sciences from Buenos Aires University (UBA, Argentina). He completed his degree in Sociology at UBA and he currently has teaching positions in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Law and Health Department (UNLaM). His research interests include violence and violent deaths, public health, socio-cultural epidemiology, life stories and data triangulation. His PhD project is focused on the analysis of social and institutional trajectories of men who have committed homicides in the outskirts of Buenos Aires Capital City.

As part of the ASEF Fellowship Program, Martín will be visiting Dr. Tit Albreht, from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). During his stay, he will get to know the Public Health System of Slovenia, study the link between different forms of violence and health in this country and, at the same time, learn how these forms of violence are tackled in public policies. In his free time, he looks forward to getting to know Slovenia —his grandmother’s land—, trying as much food as possible and learning as many recipes as he can.

Lucesole Sinkec Alenka

Alenka is a third year undergraduate student of Civil-Hydraulic Engineering at the National University of La Plata, Faculty of Engineering. Her family descends from Slovenia and she is very grateful for the opportunity to learn and participate in this amazing program in the land of her grandparents.

During her academic stay in Slovenia, Alenka will be collaborating with Prof.Dr.Ing. Jože Korelc at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, on a research project regarding building constructions and physics. Particularly, she will be working in the field of stability of steel structures, numerical modelling and renewable energy in buildings. Besides her engineering studies, Alenka also enjoys practicing the art of filmmaking and takes several classes at the National University of the Arts, Faculty of Audiovisual Arts, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Peterlin Sebastian

Sebastian Peterlin will be working with Marko Grobelnik at the AiLab of Jozef Stefan Institute. Sebastian graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. and M.S. in Engineering - Atmosphere/Energy in 2012. He later went on to complete a Full-Stack Development Course at App Academy and an MBA at IE Business School (in Madrid, Spain).

Sebastian is interested in programming, A.I., math, and statistics. He expects to advance his knowledge and potentially pursue a PhD at JSI. He is excited to visit Slovenia because of its natural beauty and its simple way of life. His dad is from Slovenia and he has visited Slovenia many times. Sebastian's hobbies are rowing, guitar, and triathlons. He is also 2 meters tall!

Shepard Maria

Maria Shepard is a second-year undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, where she is majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Maria’s professional interests focus around healthcare and pharmaceuticals, because she aspires to attend medical or graduate school after her undergraduate studies. This summer, she will be interning with Vita Godec at Lenis Farmacevtika in Ljubljana as part of the AmCham program European Experience in The Green Heart of Europe. This company specializes in sourcing unlicensed pharmaceuticals, and Maria is eager to learn about a unique perspective of the pharmaceutical industry. Maria is Slovenian and she is very grateful for this opportunity to connect with her heritage.

Urbancic Cecilia

Cecilia Urbancic is a graphic designer at UADE, Argentina University of the Company, in Buenos Aires. She collaborated in the edition of an e-book, studying the different possibilities that design can offer to visual communication. She also worked at LA NACION, an Argentinean newspaper and learned about editorial communication. Nowadays, she develops graphics for events and content for websites. Cecilia will be spending this summer at Zemanta, an internet marketing company, in order to gain experience and focus on her professional development. She is interested in experiencing visual languages and understanding how its functionality varies and depends on the social environment it is surrounded by.

She would also like to emphasize the impact a visual communicator has. By generating creative actions through visual communication, society can be transformed. Communicators find unique opportunities to generate creative actions which can transform society and allow people to see the world from a different perspective.

Viano Lacey

Lacey Viano will be attending the University of Ljubljana, studying food science and nutrition with Dr. Tanja Pajk. Her undergrad at Eastern Illinois University consisted of nutrition of dietetics, food science, medical nutrition therapy, and many community nutrition projects. While in Slovenia, Lacey aspires to grow as an individual in her education, experience the culture of Slovenia, and take in all the amazing aspects of the country first hand. She is most excited to reconnect with some of her distant family and learn about her grandparents through them. Her whole life she has dreamed of visiting the land that her ancestors lived and now this dream has become unbelievably real for her. In her spare time, she loves to bake and cook for her friends with the recipes she has learned from her Slovenian grandmother. When she is not at home in the kitchen, she is outside hiking, swimming, or boating. Lacey believes she is blessed beyond measure to be given this opportunity and is very excited to visit Slovenia!