Beyond BAFF

The last episode of Season 3 features Virginija Poskute, a Lithuanian professor and researcher. Her work focuses on the intersection of business and the state in addressing social problems, with a particular emphasis on long-term care and retirement provisions. With a diverse professional path that has taken her through various educational institutions and cultural contexts, Virginija brings a glo...

Meet Ryte Damaseviciute, a resident doctor in Vilnius with a strong passion for improving how medical students and physicians engage with research. She believes that even those who don’t plan to become scientists should have a solid foundation in clinical research and data science.  Ryte focuses on Pancreatic cancer clinical research. Predictive models for post-operative complications evaluation....

This episode features Zane Vincevica-Gaile, who is a Latvian environmental science researcher with a pharmacy and chemistry background.   She is working at the University of Latvia as a leading researcher at the Department of Environmental Science, being involved in the international project Europe-LAND. Additionally she is working at Riga Technical University as a senior scientific expert at the...

From Software Testing to AI Innovation: Andres Kull’s Journey of Learning and Transformation. A conversation with an Estonian entrepreneur and researcher Andres Kull. Andres started his career in software engineering, working on projects that helped automate real-time systems and even testing software for Nokia base stations.  His curiosity led him into model-based software testing, where he earne...

Meet Zane Culkstena, a Latvian researcher from the data-based career education field. Zane is the founder of ERDA, a consultancy firm that specializes in employer branding and organizational development. Her expertise has helped numerous businesses achieve their goals by developing effective strategies to attract and retain top talent. As someone with dual interests, Zane’s entrepreneurial spirit...

This episode features a conversation with Povilas Dabrila, who is currently working in two roles: first, he is a PhD student and a lecturer at Vilnius Tech University, where he teaches about steel structures. Secondly, he is developing a virtual construction company where their team consults companies and creates and validates bridge, highway, and infrastructure construction sequences and approach...

Inga Springe is a Latvian Investigative journalist, who is also the co-founder and investigative reporter of Re:Baltica, a nonprofit Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism. It is based in Riga, but its work is cross-border on issues like RUS information operations, money laundering, etc.   In 2014, Inga Spriņge was named one of the “outstanding challengers from Central and Eastern Europe” in t...

This Beyond BAFF podcast episode features Kuno Kasak, an Estonian environmental researcher. Kuno is a Professor in Environmental Technology at the Department of Geography, University of Tartu.  During the recording of this episode, he is actually temporarily back in the US, working at the University of California, Berkeley, as a Visiting Professor through The Fulbright Program. He is currently con...

Paulina Streimikyte is a Lithuanian researcher and a senior scientist at the Lithuanian Research Centre of Agriculture and Forestry. She is responsible for fermentation in the food & beverages field. During her BAFF fellowship, she researched mousy off-flavors in sour beers and the complexities of detecting specific flavor molecules. She is an expert on methods to improve food preservation thr...

Dalia Bankauskaite is a Lithuanian interdisciplinary expert in security policy, strategic communication, and political advisory.  With decades of experience across government, academia, and consulting, Dahlia focuses on advancing the understanding of total defense and a whole-of-society approach to security, including hybrid warfare and influence operations.  Dalia currently serves as a senior fel...

Katrin Õunap is a leading Estonian clinical geneticist specializing in rare diseases and metabolic disorders. In this episode Katrin delves into her journey into genetics, starting with her early career and unexpected shift into genetics after Estonia's independence from the Soviet Union. She recounts her pivotal role in introducing newborn screening for phenylketonuria (PKU) in Estonia, emph...

This episode features two guests in the field of in the field of forensic psychology and violence prevention in the Baltic States. PhD Zuzana Vasiliauskaite, is from Lithuania. She is an international expert on combating violence against women, a researcher, and a forensic and trauma psychologist. PhD Kristjan Kask is an Estonian whose reasearh is about issues in investigative interviewing of vict...

Paula is a Latvian researcher who focuses on education innovation. Her passion lies in exploring new ideas and sharing them with others. She loves creating and executing new projects and initiatives. She spent a year in BAFF in Boston at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Where she was a researcher in the “Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL)” to research innovation diffusion a...

Mārcis Auziņš is a Latvian physicist, professor at the University of Latvia, and Head of the Department of Experimental Physics and the Laser Center. He works in the field of quantum physics and is the author of more than a hundred scientific articles published in the world's leading physics journals and several hundred conference reports. During his career, he lived and worked in different c...

Povilas Simonis is a Lithuanian researcher with extensive experience in biophysics, the design of experimental procedures, analytical techniques, and the interpretation of data. He has experience working on multidisciplinary projects and with international collaborators, as well as conducting experiments.  Povilas participated in the BAFF Research scholar program in 2023, doing research titled Pol...

Linda Lancere is a Latvian researcher, who consults on rehabilitation technology development.  In 2019 Linda attended BAFF’s Research Scholarship Program in University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, working on her postdoctoral research project, with the title:  Whole-body rehabilitation for lower extremity amputees by means of extended reality and advanced wearables.  Her BAFF project was an...

Vaidas Petrulis is an architecture and heritage specialist with a PhD in Art History. He is also a senior research fellow at Kaunas University of Technology in the Institute of Architecture and Construction. Last year, in 2023 he spent 6 months in Chicago, Illinois, doing research on the topic: Modernism and National Identity: Lithuanian Architects as (World War Two) WWII Refugees in US. At the po...

Get ready to dive into the world of animation and cinematography with the talented Tomas Mitkus. This Lithuanian creative is no average artist - with a background in both animation and research, Tomas has some fascinating insights to share. In 2011, he participated in BAFF’s Professional Internship Program with Schell Games in Austin, Texas. Tomas is passionate about all formats and genres of cine...

This episode is for all foodies and science enthusiasts. Our guest is Kristine Majore, a Latvian Ph. D. researcher from Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Kristine's research is all about the dairy industry and ways to manage waste while creating new products.  She conducted her BAFF internship at California Polytech University and is now a Senior Analyst at the Latvian Envi...

Episode 6 is for all you startup and entrepreneurship enthusiasts! Our guest is BAFF Alumnus Kalev Kaarna – a scientist turned entrepreneur from Estonia. Kalev participated in the BAFF Research Sholar program in 2015 when he spent a year at Arizona State University, researching how to enhance the impact of entrepreneurship programs and courses in universities. But that was only the beginning. Kale...

Our guest today is Mindaugas Briedis, a Lithuanian researcher with an impressive background in the Philosophy of Medicine. He participated in the BAFF Research Scholar Program in 2017, when he spent 7 months as a researcher at Memphis University. Focusing on the philosophy of communication, Mindaugas now shares his time between Lithuania and Mexico, working as a professor at Mykolas Romeris Univer...

Tune in for another episode of Beyond BAFF podcast, where we continue to highlight remarkable scientists from the BAFF alumni community. Our guest is Regina Soobard - an Estonian researcher focused on science education toward sustainable development. Regina participated in BAFF’s Research Scholar Program in 2019 when she conducted her research at Michigan State University, seeking a more extensive...

Welcome to the 3rd episode of Beyond BAFF, where we explore the journeys of the alumni of the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation. This time we sit down with Marta Lange, a Latvian researcher, and former BAFF intern. Marta's medical engineering specialty and experience in cardiovascular imaging research led her to a fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas Medical Center. In this epis...

Rev up your engines and join us for an electrifying episode of Beyond BAFF podcast featuring the brilliant Raivo Sell! As a professor of robotics and head of the Autonomous Vehicles research group at TalTech, Raivo is no stranger to cutting-edge technologies and future innovations. In this episode we discuss: What inspired him to start developing Autonomous Vehicle Shuttles, which is thefirstEston...

Welcome to the first episode of Beyond BAFF, the podcast that explores the experiences and stories of the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation's alumni. Our guest today is Justinas Kilpys, a Lithuanian researcher who participated in the program in 2019. During his internship, Justinas worked on applications of the random forest algorithm for snowfall detection using satellite passive microwave...