award recipientsfall 2004

hungarian-americanenterprisescholarship fund

hungarian-american enterprise scholarship fund

We are pleased to introduce the inaugural group of the Hungarian-American Enterprise Scholarship Fund(HAESF) Fellows who will be commencing their individual projects in the United States in Fall 2004.

Nineteen HAESF Fellows from seventeen different fields are represented in this group of award recipi-ents. Four Senior Scholars and fifteen Undergraduate Fellows have been accepted for this first program.They have been selected from a vast pool of very talented applicants in recognition of their outstandingqualifications and potential to contribute to Hungarian society as Hungarian business leaders. Thisdynamic and diverse group represents an impressive array of fields: business, finance, economics, for-eign policy and diplomacy, law, medicine, astrobiology, media and communications, anthropology,information technology, archeology, geology, chemistry and education.

This initial group of Fellows will be pursuing their individual projects in a number of prominent Americanbusiness and organizations in different regions of the United States. Six academic institutions gladlyagreed to participate in the program. The Center for Immigration Research at the University of Houstonand the Archeological Research Lab at the University of Texas in Austin will be hosting two of theUndergraduate Fellows. The Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah, theLaboratories of Chemical Synthesis at the California Institute of Technology, the Department ofOtolaryngology of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the Sacred Heart University will be welcomingthe Senior Scholars and sharing with them their expertise.

An impressive group of leading American companies, such as A.G.Edwards and Sons; Boston ConsultingGroup; Friedman, Billings and Ramsey; Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, ExxonMobil and 1171 ProductionGroup, have embraced the unique opportunity to bring an international dimension to their workplacewhile providing a life-changing experience to the Hungarian students and young professionals. AnAmerican subsidiary of the Hungarian company Graphisoft R&D, Inc. - an architectural softwareprovider that has an iconic status in the Hungarian business world - will also be hosting one of theUndergraduate Fellows. The fields of foreign and public policy and diplomacy will be represented by agroup of involved NGOs and non-profits: Atlantic Council of the U.S., International Rescue Committee,Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange as well as Center for Strategic andInternational Studies. We are also very pleased to announce that the American government will beinvolved not only as a sponsor, but also as a host. NASA's AMES Astro-biological Research Center inCalifornia will be a host institution for one of the HAESF Fellows who is interested in micro- and astro-biology.

In addition to the HAESF Fellowship programs, HAESF funds have provided financial support for two spe-cial projects, which will further enhance and fulfill the HAESF mission. These special awards includefunds for a Hungarian graduate student to partially cover his studies at Harvard School of Law andanother for a Hungarian doctor to conduct a four-week project at the Department of Pediatric and FetalSurgery at the University of California in San Francisco.

We are certain that these programs will facilitate an effective exchange of professional competenciesand fresh perspectives and promote cross-cultural dialog. We hope that the experience will be benefi-cial to the Fellows in their future career, as well as to Hungarian society at large.

CIEE, the Council on International Educational Exchange, is HAESF's partner in the US. CIEE has beencharged with administering and managing the programs and providing support throughout the Fellows'stay in the U.S., including the development of training placements and distribution of financial awards.CIEE was founded as a non-profit organization in 1947. CIEE is one of the oldest, largest and mostrespected names in student study abroad and exchange programs.

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Dr. György Halmos was born on the 24th January, 1973 in Eger,Hungary. After finishing Grammar School he was admitted to theFaculty of Medicine of the Semmelweis University School ofMedicine in Budapest, Hungary. He spent 3 months senior electiverotations in the State University of New York at Buffalo, N.Y., USA.He graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1997.

He started his residency in otolaryngology in the Imre HaynalUniversity of Health Sciences (presently: National Medical Center)in Budapest. He took his specialty exam in Otolaryngology in 2001with excellent result. Moreover he took a second specialty exam,Audiology in 2003.

Simultaneously with his residency he became a student of theSchool of PhD Studies, Semmelweis University. He started his PhDwork under the supervision of Professor E. Sylvester Vizi (the pres-ent President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) in theInstitute of Experimental Medicine in 1998. He conducted remark-able experimental work in the field of hearing research, publishingmore papers in international journals and holding several lecturesnot only in Hungary but in Europe and the USA, too. After gettinghis PhD title in 2002, he continued his experimental work in theInstitute of Experimental Medicine as a visiting scientist. Hisresearch focuses on neurotransmission in the middle ear search-ing for neuroprotective mechanisms and possible new therapeuticstrategies in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss. He hasreceived several scientific prizes and currently is a member of theEuroHear (European Union 6th Framework Programme) workingteam.

Since 2002 he is assistant professor of the Department ofOtolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery of the SemmelweisUniversity. Beside general otolaryngology his main interest is thetreatment of patients suffering from head and neck cancer. TheProfessor and Chair of the Department, Professor Répássy hasdone pioneering work in the treatment of malignant lesions of thelarynx and hypopharynx introducing more types of partial laryn-gectomies that helps preserving the function of the larynx. Dr.Halmos continues this work, and his 3-month-long fellowship inthe Department of Otolaryngology at the University of TexasMedical Branch in Galveston, Texas, USA will increase his knowl-edge and experience in the treatment of head and neck malignan-cies.

Dr Halmos is married, his wife is a medical doctor, too. They have afour year old son.

Dr. György Halmos

Zoltán is a chemist and faculty member of theDepartment of General and Inorganic Chemisty atEötvös Loránd University, Budapest. His researcharea is organic chemistry and his interests are theexamination of palladium catalyzed carbon-carbonbond forming reactions, and their application in thesynthesis of complex molecules having biologicalactivity. Besides his research activities he also takespart in teaching as a laboratory supervisor of thirdyear chemistry students. He received both his M.Sc.(1999) and Ph.D. (2004-summa cum laude) degreefrom Eötvös Loránd University. He gained industrialexperience working for General Electric Research andDevelopment and Ubichem Ltd. during his Ph.D. stud-ies. As a recognition of his M.Sc. thesis he received the“Award of Excellence” from the Hungarian ChemicalSociety.

Zoltan intends to spend one year as a researcher atthe California Institute of Technology to broaden hisscientific view. After returning to Hungary he plans toembark on an academic career.

Zoltán was born and grew up in Budapest, he is mar-ried with two boys named Benedek (3 years old) andDomonkos (1 year old). He spends his spare timetogether with his family. He is a basketball player ofJózsefvárosi KC in Division III. Zoltán is a member ofthe Hungarian Veteran Tennis Federation and he takespart in the organization of Hungarian andInternational tennis tournaments held in Hungary.

Zoltán Novák

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Árpád has graduated from the University of Miskolc asa Metallurgical Engineer in 1991 and obtained an M. S.in Chemical Engineering from the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology. He earned his Ph.D. degreefrom the University of Miskolc in 1997. Currently he ishead of the Department of Combustion Technologyand Thermal Energy at the University of Miskolc.

Árpád's main area of interest is soot characterization.He started to work on this topic while he was a gradu-ate student of Professors Adel F. Sarofim and John B.Vander Sande at MIT. Their early work of High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy coupledwith image analysis was published in various scientif-ic papers and received wide recognition in the generalmedia.

Árpád has continued his soot research in Hungary andin the US (at MIT as a visiting scientist and a postdoc-toral associate and as a visiting scholar at theUniversity of Utah). As a HAESF Fellow he is going tospend 5 months at the University of Utah, Salt LakeCity with the Combustion Research Group on a projectfocusing on fuel additives aiming to reduce soot emis-sion.

Árpád is married to Kati, a programmer and they havetwo sons: Boldizsár is 12, Bence is 9 years old. They allenjoy family skiing, hiking and traveling.

Árpád B. Palotás

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Vanda has MA's in English Language and Literature,and Hungarian Language and Literature and is a qual-ified teacher of Business English (LCCI ARELS). She isalso a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Linguistics, currentlystudying at the University of Pécs, Hungary. She isspecializing in American language policy and teachesas an associate professor at the College for ModernBusiness Studies in Tatabánya and as a guest instruc-tor at the Apor Vilmos Catholic College in Zsámbék. InSeptember 2001 she was a visiting teacher at MalmiSchool of Business in Helsinki, Finland with the ERAS-MUS/Phare Teacher Exchange Program.

She lives in Tatabánya, Hungary. In her spare timeVanda likes reading and cooking, but most of all shelikes spending her time with her terribly spoiled cat,Hobbit.

Vanda Papp

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Mate Banhegyi

Anita graduated at the University of Pécs in Hungary majoring in ethnographyand communication. During her studies she chose social sciences (culturalanthropology) as her speciality. Her area of academic focus is migration withspecial regard to guest-workers from Transylvania in Hungary. She spent threeyears with field work in Transylvania and Budapest and commuted with theguest-workers. Anita is a regular participant of conferences, both at home andabroad, many of which she attends as a lecturer. Some of her works are aboutto be published.

Anita is spending a year in Houston at the Center for Immigration Research tolearn about the migration research programs and migration laws in the US. Shewould like to become acquainted with different organizations dealing with theproblem of migration, especially the integration of migrants into the local com-munity and into the labor force. After her American internship Anita would liketo make use of her experience in similar organizations in Hungary or helpdevelop them.

Anita grew up in Budapest but also loves the city of Pécs, where she spent heruniversity years. She lives with her boyfriend in Pécs. In her spare time Anitalikes to read and travel.

Anita Bondár

Mate has just completed his fourth year as a technical management student atthe Budapest University of Technology and Economics. His area of academicfocus is finance and EU-management. Mate currently works in the EuropeanYouth Centre Budapest as a summer trainee, and plays competitive basketballin the Diana SE. He is a recipient of the 2000 Hungarian Student/Athlete award.

Mate will spend a year in Boston at A.G. Edwards to train in the area of invest-ment banking, financial market research, financial analysis, and financialplanning for individual business owners. When Mate returns to BUTE after hisFellowship in the U.S., he will finish his last year in school and then pursue aposition at the National Bank of Hungary.

Mate grew up in Hungary, but he travels as much as he can to discover othercountries, their culture and people.

In his spare time he likes to read, watch movies and play sports (such assnowboarding) with his friends.

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Máté has just graduated from the Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences (ELTE),Faculty of Humanities, in Budapest, having majored in American Studies. He isPresident of the Hungarian Youth Atlantic Council (2004-). He has been work-ing as a translator and copy editor for four years. He spent the academic year2002-2003 at Trinity College in Hartford, CT (USA), as recipient of the KellnerScholarship in 2002. Following his studies at Trinity College, Máté then com-pleted an internship at the Embassy of Hungary, Washington, DC. He has beeninvolved in the work of the foreign affairs committee of the ELTE Student Self-Government, and was president of the International Student Association ofTrinity College. He was recently a participant of the Pan-Atlantic StudentSummit in Istanbul - held in conjunction with the 2004 summit of the Heads ofState and Government of NATO -, as well as this year's 8th InternationalSummer School of the German Council of Foreign Relations in Berlin, Germany.

His fields of interest include US and Hungarian foreign policy. He is an avid, ifamateur, squash player, but on the weekends, he can be found in the airspacenorth of Budapest, flying sailplanes.

Come October, Máté will relocate to Washington, DC - where, incidentally, hespent a considerable part of his childhood -, to begin his internship at theAtlantic Council of the United States. Máté speaks English, German, and French.

Máté Hegedus

Tamás got his B.Sc. as an IT Engineer at the Janus Pannonius University in Pécsin 2000. His major was Informatics of Civil Engineering Systems. At the sametime he became an IT teacher of Engineers. Tamás got his M.Sc. as an ITEngineer at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. His area ofacademic focus was Design Infrastructure of Information Systems.

He started his professional carrier in 1998 at Árpád Weiler Architects in Pécs.In 2002 summer he worked for the Prescott Architects Inc. in Destin, Floridathrough the Work and Travel program of CIEE. From 2003 he worked at theInstitute of PowerResearch CO. – Division of Power Engineering. He wrote hisMaster Thesis in cooperating with this company developing a software programfor the IAEA.

In Pécs he won the Student/Athlete award every year during his studies. Hewon the Scholarship of the Hungarian Republic in 2000.

He will work at Graphisoft Ltd.’s office in Boston as a fellow, returning home hewould like to continue his carrier in Budapest’s office.

Tamás grew up in Nagykanizsa and enjoys returning home to visit his familyand to going on excursions. Tamás started training in the triathlon as a childand has consistently achieved excellent national level results.

Tamás Kálovics

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Csaba Kovago DVM graduated in November, 2003 at the Szent IstvanUniversity, Faculty of Veterinary Science. In recent years he has been workingat the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases of the University inthe Virology Unit. He is interested in molecular virology, molecular biologybased research and diagnostics. In the last two years he has been working onstudying the genomic structure of a Hungarian bee virus that is closely relatedto the Kashmir bee virus (KBV). With this work he won second place at theNational Conference of the Union of Science Students 2003. He is participatingin the postgraduate (Ph.D.) education of the University. Up to now he has stud-ied different methods of molecular biology and genetic engineering, like poly-merase chain reaction (PCR), reverse-transcription, nucleic acid sequencing,genome alignment and computer analysis of genomic data, agarose-gel elec-trophoresis, and some methods of classical virology as well, such as cell culti-vation, virus isolation, virus neutralization, ultracentrifugation (pelletisationand gradient-ultracentrifugation), enzyme-linked immuno assay (ELISA).

His second area of interest is space research, especially exobiology. He had theopportunity to take part in the 54th International Astronautical Congress(Bremen, 2003), with the help of the Student Participation Program of theEuropean Space Agency (ESA) and he presented his poster at the ESA'sStudents' Stand.

Csaba is spending six months at the NASA Ames Astro-biological ResearchCenter to learn and develop new molecular biological research and exobiologi-cal methods. When Csaba finishes his Internship in the USA, he will continue hisPhD studies at the University.

Csaba grew up in Budapest where he lives with his parents. In his spare timeCsaba likes to make aircraft scale models, go to air shows, go fishing, take pho-tos, archery, and lots of other things.

Csaba Kovago

Balázs is a fifth year student of the Budapest Corvinus University (formerlyknown as the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and PublicAdministration). Last semester he has also attended lectures as a guest stu-dent of the Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defense. His area of focus isinternational relations and - within that - the field of crisis resolution.

Balázs is spending 4 months in New York at the International RescueCommittee to gain experience in helping refugees who are forced to leave theirhomes as a result of civil war. He is also going to do research in this field inorder to enhance his academic skills. When Balázs returns to Budapest he willfinish his university studies. He plans to pursue a position at the HungarianMinistry of Foreign Affairs.

Balázs grew up in Budapest and enjoys canoeing, skiing and taking photo-graphs.

Balázs Lehel

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Balint is a fifth year aesthetics and media-communication student at theLorand Eotvos University of Budapest. His area of academic focus is art soci-ology, but his field of professional interest is marketing-communication andmedia management. He is a recipient of the Sscholarship of Hungarian Republicfor 2004 and the Scientific Scholarship of Lorand Eotvos University for 2003.

Balint is spending a year in Los Angeles, at the Eleven Seventy-One ProductionGroup to learn about production of commercials and new media techniques inHollywood. When Balint returns to Hungary after his Fellowship in the USA, hewill finish his last year in school and then pursue a position as a PR-managerat a communication agency or at the PR department of a company handlingmedia-communication.

Besides his career goals in the field of communication Balint wants to improvehis scientific knowledge. That's why he wants to carry on his academic work ina Ph. D. programme on social studies. Balint is a coauthor of an essay pub-lished on the problem of media violence in the December 2003 issue of MediaResearch (Médiakutató 2003/4) magazine.

Balint grew up in Szombathely and regularly returns home to his family. Healso frequently meets his friends there, with whom he first started learningabout film and media in small film maker groups shooting short video storieswhile still in high school.

Balint is member of the Mathias Corvinus Collegium which is a dormitory foruniversity students. He is an active member of this community, not only organ-izing meetings with media professionals, editing Collegium's Magazine andYearbook, but also regularly taking part in hikings and parties.

Balint Molnar

Gabor graduated at Budapest University of Economic Sciences and PublicAdministration in Hungary in 2004. His area of academic focus is service andenvironmental management. He studied in Austria and Germany during hisacademic years and speaks English, German, and Hungarian fluently andSpanish on an intermediate level. Gabor currently works for IDC Hungary as aresearch analyst. He is a member of the Hungarian Economic Association.

Gabor is spending a year in Boston, MA at A.G. Edwards as a market researcherand consultant starting October 2004.

Gabor grew up in Békéscsaba, Hungary and lives in Budapest, Hungary.

In his spare time Gabor likes to take trips to nature and travel to new places.

Gabor Nagy

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Dora Novak

Eszter is a fifth year American Studies student at the University of ELTE,Budapest. She holds a degree in English Language and Literature, which sheacquired in June 2004. She wrote her Thesis about American-British relationsin the 1960s. Her area of academic interest is American foreign policy. Eszteris a Teaching Assistant in American History for reknown Professor TamásMagyarics at the University of ELTE. She is currently working on the foundationof the American Institute of Central Europe, which is to be opened in the fall of2004 and plans to continue working there on her return from the US as well.

Eszter is spending 10 months in Washington, D.C. at the Alliance forEducational and Cultural Exchange as well as at the Center for Strategic andInternational Studies to gain first hand experience in the making of Americanforeign relations.

Eszter grew up in Nagykanizsa, Hungary, but since she studies in Budapest,she spends most of her time in the capital.

In her spare time she likes to travel, to read, and often plays basketball with herfriends.

Eszter Páll

Dora is a fourth year geology student at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest.Her field of academic interest is sedimentology and petroleum exploration. Sheis member of the Eotvos Lorand University Student Chapter of the Society ofEconomic Geologists. Dora is also a technical translator in geology.

Dora is spending 7 months in Houston at ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co. tolearn about exploration methods at a leading oil company. When Dora returnsto Hungary after her Fellowship in the United States, she will finish her last yearin school and then pursue a job in raw material exploration.

In her spare time Dora likes to read, cook and hike. She is also keen on garden-ing and learning languages.

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Tamás is a third year archeology student at the Eötvös Lóránd University inBudapest. His area of academic focus is settlement hierarchy and social struc-tures during the Bronze Age. In the past three years he participated in artefactsaving excavations financed by the Hungarian government. Last summer healso managed to take part in a so called Benta Project run by Swedish andAmerican archeologists.

Tamás will be spending part of next academic year at the University of Texas,Austin to learn American archeological methods both in theory and practice.When Tamás returns he will try to acclimatize these different types of methodswithin Hungarian archeological research practice.

Tamás will finish the last two years at the Hungarian university and deepen hispractical knowledge by taking part in different field projects in progress.

Tamás grew up in Székesfehervár. He is single and likes travelling.

Tamás Polányi

Balazs is a recent graduate of the Budapest University of Economic Sciencesand Public Administration. He also holds an international degree, the CEMSMaster in International Management, which was obtained after completing aspecial study program at his home university and the University of Cologne. Hemajored in organization & management and business valuation. Since gradua-tion, he has been working at a Budapest-based business consulting firm.

Balazs is spending a year in San Francisco, California at The Boston ConsultingGroup to learn more about first-class consulting methods and practices work-ing on complex business strategy projects at one of the world's most presti-gious consulting companies. When Balazs returns to Hungary he will be muchmore valuable to his firm and the Hungarian business community.

Balazs enjoys traveling and meeting new cultures and people. He has a largenetwork of friends all around Europe and the rest of the world.

In his spare time, Balazs likes reading, playing basketball and spending timewith friends.

Balazs Racz

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Károly Varga

Imre completed his University Studies at the Budapest University ofTechnology and Economics in the faculty of Engineering and Management in2003. His area of academic focus is finance and European studies. Imre is cur-rently employed at the Hungarian Development Bank, has been working as amember of the Bank's business development team, and is currently responsi-ble for the development of loan products.

Imre is spending a year in Arlington, Virginia, at an investment companynamed Friedman, Billings and Ramsey to learn about investment banking prac-tices in the United States. When Imre returns to Hungary after his Fellowship inthe United States, he will return to the Hungarian Development Bank and studythe possibility of increasing the Bank's investment activity.

Imre grew up in a small town called Tata, near Budapest and enjoys returninghome to visit his family and, and playing for the local soccer team.

Imre is single. In his spare time he likes to play sports such as soccer, skiing,kayaking and rock climbing. He also likes to read, and spend time with his fam-ily.

Imre Weisz

Károly graduated this year at Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law.During his studies he got involved both theoretically and practically inmany fields of civil and criminal law - from participating in free legal aidprograms and working with juvenile delinquents to assisting at civilcourts or law firms - while decided to turn his full attention towardscommercial and corporate law.

Károly is presently working at Bárd Cseri and Partners Law Offices as alegal trainee. He is one of the recipients of HAESF UndergraduateInternship in 2004.

Károly is spending a year in New York City at Squire Sanders &Dempsey L.L.P. in order to gain experience in transatlantic commercialtransactions and gain insight on the legal side of the United States' cor-porate world. After this internship he will start his P.h.D. studies in cor-porate law at ELTE University, Hungary.

Károly grew up in Budapest, Hungary, is addicted to sporting but neverwatches a game. He finds great pleasure in learning and appreciatesthe small miracles of life.

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Peter Peremiczki, a Hungarian graduate student, has been granteda financial award that partially covers his studies at HarvardUniversity where he will be pursuing a LL.M. degree during a one-year study program.

Peter Peremiczki

Dr. Peter Voros has been awarded a grant to pursue a four-week proj-ect at the Department of Pediatric and Fetal Surgery at theUniversity of California in San Francisco, observing the pioneeringwork in fetal surgery by Professor Harrison. He is a doctor at theDepartment of Paediatric Surgery of the Paediatric Clinic ofSemmelweis University, which is the leading institution in Hungaryfor the treatment of newborns, babies, infants and children needingsurgical interventions.

Dr. Peter Voros

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Three Copley Place, Second Floor Boston, Massachusetts 02116 USA

Tel: 617 646 7310

Council on International Educational Exchange

Rakoczi ut 10, 1 em.51072 Budapest, Hungary

Tel: 36 1 322 1507

Hungarian-AmericanEnterprise Scholarship Fund

www.haesf.orgwww.ciee.org