Eric Gedenk

Tell us a little bit about what you’ve been doing since graduation!

Since I graduated with my masters in 2014, I have worked as a science writer for public research organizations. As an undergraduate, I double majored in journalism and German, focusing on science writing for my journalism degree. I worked for 3 years as a science writer for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, then moved with my wife and fellow alum Sarah to Stuttgart, Germany, where I worked as a staff science writer for the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing. Last year, we decided to move back to the US to be closer to family, settling down in Dayton, Montana. My wife and I run a science communications business, Impact Science Communication, where we do contract science writing for clients both in Europe and the US. 

What made you decide to start learning German? And what motivated you to keep going with it? 

Growing up in East Tennessee, my last name was often mispronounced. As I got older, I learned that it was not a very common name in German either. I did not have the option to study German in high school, so when I came to UT, I decided I wanted to get closer to my family history and learn more about where my great grandfather came from.  

What are some of the ways that studying German at UT has helped you in your post-graduate career?

While I had good science writing experience at a world-class facility like ORNL, I never would have gotten the opportunity to take a staff position at a German research facility without some language skills. By living in Germany for six years, I was able to refine my language skills to such a degree that my partner and I were able to keep German clients working with us even after returning to the US. I currently support more German organizations than American ones, and their trust in my understanding of German is a key component of maintaining those relationships. 

To what extent do you use your knowledge of German language and culture in your life and work today? 

While I write in English, I communicate with German colleagues auf Deutsch regularly. I would say I use German during at least 1-2 meetings per week, and continue to do German-to-English translation work for my clients. 

Tell us about a particularly memorable moment or experience you had while learning German.

When I was an undergraduate, I signed up for Maria Stehle’s course focused on Berlin. Not only was the class interesting, but we the students also built up a great camaraderie among ourselves. The course culminated with a trip to Berlin. There are so many powerful, beautiful memories from that trip, and it supercharged my desire to try to live in Germany one day. Perhaps the most memorable moment, though, came at the end of our class’s visit to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. It was a profound, painful experience, and one of the classmates and I decided to take the long way back to the hostel, walking several miles along the woods separating suburban Berlin and Oranienburg. 

Did you ever study abroad? If so, can you tell us a little bit about that experience and how it shaped you?

 I went on the Berlin course with Maria in 2010. When I entered the Master’s program for German in 2012, I spent the first year of my studies attending Universtität Stuttgart through a UTK partnership with that university. 

What advice would you give to students who are thinking about majoring or minoring in a language but aren’t sure how it will fit into their future plans? 

Language can fit into so many different career trajectories. While I did not need it to get a job in science communication, per se, it allowed me to take that skill and do it while living in Europe. Further, it has continued to allow me to attract clients over other native English speakers who cannot speak German. Too many people think that the only thing to do with a language degree is to teach that language at the high school or university level, but having strong command of a language can pair well with almost any career path. 

What would you tell someone who’s considering taking a language about why they should do it? And what advice would you give them for how to approach language learning?

Dream big. Have you dreamed about seeing Paris since you were younger? Have you always been a World-War history buff and wanted to go visit historical sites? Learning a language has the power to make those experiences not only attainable, but also truly empowering experiences. Perhaps more than almost any major, though, you have to look at language acquisition as a skill to acquire rather than a class to pass. Getting confident in a language requires a lot of practice and the bravery to struggle in articulating yourself for a while. In my opinion, though, the benefits are definitely worth it.