 | janka pieperfirst vice-PREsidentI was born and raised in Germany and came to the United States as an exchange student in 2001. During my time as an undergraduate student at Illinois State University, I worked as an international assistant helping international students navigate the university system and adjust to living in a new culture and society. This position together with my own immersion into a new culture sparked my curiosity for intercultural communication and international relations. After I received a B.A. (Mass Communication) and M.A. (Communication with a focus on international PR and intercultural communication), I started working for the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest in Chicago and built the PR and Communications department. After four years, I realized how much I missed academia and left the chamber to work for Northwestern University, where I was in charge of marketing and communications for study abroad and global health initiatives for six years. I then transitioned into my current role, where I tell Northwestern's international story and develop communication plans for global initiatives and internationalization efforts. A lot of my work includes relationship building and collaborating across units and institutions, something I truly enjoy and believe I can bring to the DANK Haus. I also have training and experience in crisis communications - for example, over the past two years I have been working with the Christkindlmarket Chicago Team on their crisis communication plans and responses. I have also recently been certified in coaching intercultural awareness and sensitivity through Berlitz' Cultural Orientations Approach. I have been involved with DANK Haus for a few years now — mostly as a parent of two boys in the Kinderschule. I have come to love the community built in and around DANK and am looking to give back and grow DANK and its offerings and reach. I’m interested in helping with marketing and communications, programming, and development. But I’m generally open to help wherever and whenever help is needed. Contact Information |