Dr. Joann Halpern is the Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute, New York (HPI) and an adjunct professor in the Department of Applied Statistics, Social Science, and Humanities at New York University. Prior to joining HPI, she was founding director of the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI), which was created as a cornerstone of the German government’s initiative to internationalize science and research.
 
Dr. Halpern received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, her M.A. from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from New York University. In addition to her work in university administration in the US and Germany, she has taught courses in global studies, intercultural communication, international education, and German in the U.S. (Harvard University, Dartmouth College, NYU) and Germany (University of Magdeburg, Harz University). She currently conducts design thinking, designing your life, and career development workshops in numerous countries around the world. She has conducted workshops with the United Nations, universities, startups, diplomats, and corporations.

Dr. Halpern is a recipient of the Harvard University Award for Distinction in Teaching as well as scholarships and fellowships from the Fulbright Commission, DAAD, Robert Bosch Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She serves on the advisory boards of the Technical University of Dortmund, German Center for Research and Innovation, University Alliance Ruhr, Charité Entrepreneurship Summit, and the External Advisory Board of the Tandon Institute for Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at New York University.
 

"The most meaningful part of my career has been the deep relationships I have developed with people throughout the world. In addition to developing a project with Princeton graduate students, I would like to help them build a global network that will be helpful in their careers as well as their personal lives."