Welcome to TUM, Tim! What excites you most about the role of TUM San Francisco Liaison Officer?
I’m excited to contribute to TUM’s academic mission and to be a part of its entrepreneurial spirit. Having studied, lived, and worked for over 30 years in Silicon Valley, I believe that universities incubate the future.
We are committed to promoting innovative partnerships in North America that create meaningful change and build bridges between people, institutions, and cultures. This vision makes it easy for me to get up every day and be grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of TUM and our partners.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in this new role?
TUM is a big, complex, and exciting university! The North American educational systems – with their combination of public and private universities as well as community colleges and liberal arts colleges – are very different from the German system. Much of my work will be to understand TUM’s remarkable range of scholarship and teaching and to represent it effectively to existing and potential partners.
However, I feel well supported by the international team at TUM, by my colleagues in the other global Liaison Offices and by my peers in San Francisco. These include the German-American Chamber of Commerce, the German Consulate General, the German-American Academic Exchange Service, the German Center for Research and Innovation San Francisco and Invest in Bavaria. I also trust that our North American communities’ academic mission and commitment to making a difference in the world will create an openness to sharing our vision with each other.
What motivates you most in your work?
I believe, passionately, in the power of knowledge. It is my mission to promote its responsible creation, communication, and learning. I feel privileged to be a part of TUM’s mission to promote the scholarship and talent needed to face the future’s opportunities and challenges. This belief drives everything that I do and is a source of joy as I look forward to my new position.
What do you enjoy in your free time?
I love spending time with my family. We never tire of exploring California and the world, hiking, going to museums, as well as attending concerts, the opera, and plays. We love sitting in our yard surrounded by flowers, birds, and wildlife – at least until the afternoon fog chases us back inside. Then we like listening to music and watching movies as the day winds down. I am a news junkie and read widely – fiction, history, politics are my favorite subjects.
Thanks for the interview, Tim! We are very happy that you are part of the TUM family!
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