Hers would be a giant constellation of red balls: the “Death Star.”“
I took her platform and made this huge, ridiculous elaborate thing!” Liesl laughs.
For her, this is a metaphor for her approach to life, and when she feels the most inspired: bouncing around ideas, imagining all the possibilities, taking things to the next level, – and then some.
“There is something very magical that happens between two people, whether between a teacher or a student or two coworkers, where you set as a goal something that may be just a little bit beyond what you think you can do, and then you work together ina supportive, creative environment to get that person to stretch.”
To those who know her well, it comes as no surprise that Liesl had blossomed - both personally and professionally - in a university setting. The academic environment encapsulates her love for research, challenges her creatively, and gives her an opportunity to learn and work alongside amazing people.
“[The] feeling that comes over you in those moments to me is very addictive,” she adds.
True to Self
To Dr. Liesl Riddle, teaching was not just a coincidence.
“I don’t think there was a turning point or a switch. I think that for all of my life, it was clear that I was born to teach,” she says.
It all began with her mom, whom she describes as “an amazing inspirational teacher.” She recalls how her mother would turn every game into a learning moment and made it fun.
Liesl fell in love with the whole concept.
“I remember lining my dolls and stuffed animals, like a lot of kids do, on the bed and teaching them all the time. I think that what was different is that I did that to an embarrassingly late age, - way beyond when others would be doing it,” says she.
If there were any doubts about what Liesl would be doing with her life, her college professor – the renowned Kate Gillespie - sealed that question.
To be sure, Gillespie is a brilliant scholar: after completing an Undergraduate degree in Middle East Studies at Harvard (and following that with an MBA and a PhD), she ended up on a fieldwork assignment in Iran, right at the time of the Revolution. The experience gave her a clear insight into that country’s culture and lifestyle, and how it
felt to be an U.S. citizen in Iran.
Professor Gillespie captured Liesl’s imagination.
“I thought to myself, ‘I want to be just like her when I grow up. I want to go out, and I want to explore and build bridges between United States and that part of the world,” she recalls.
Liesl and Dr. Gillespie received a grant from the Ford Foundation, and they explored patterns of investments by diasporas – migrants and their descendants – in their countries of origin. These investors are important sources of capital for many developing countries and emerging markets with emigrant populations scattered across the globe.
Diaspora investments became the foundation for Liesl’s research in her Ph.D. program at the University of Texas. Since then, she has become a leading expert on diaspora investment and entrepreneurship, joined the faculty of the George Washington University School of Business, andshe served as the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs for several years. She has traveled the world conducting research, presenting her scientific findings, and recruiting students. She also teaches study-abroad courses to expose her students to the wonders of the global economy.
Nothing to Lose
Dr. Liesl Riddle stands out for many women seeking to balance their professional aspirations with an intrinsic need for intellectual fulfillment, creativity, and making an impact.
Liesl says that when she is being creative she feels like “a kitten with a ball of yarn.” For her the delicate balancing act involves learning how to set limits and not take on too much too quickly. This has been and continues to be a hard lesson for her to learn.
Sometimes, the challenge lies is where to direct that energy.
For Liesl the defining moment came when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 34.Faced with the prospect of death, she had to ask what would be her legacy? If she could teach any class she wanted to, what would the message be?
She decided to follow her heart and passion.
Liesl says that when she is being creative she feels like “a kitten with a ball of yarn.” For her the delicate balancing act involves learning how to set limits and not take on too much too quickly.
culture, her Spanish, her religion, and her family.