An overview of awards, new positions and other developments regarding VU alumni and scientists. This time featuring, among others: Jan Peter Balkenende appointed Minister of State, ecologist Hans Cornelissen named 'Eminent Ecologist' of 2022 and APG board chair Annette Mosman is Top Woman of the Year 2022.
Katalin Balint
communication scientist, has received an Aspasia grant from The Dutch Research Council (NWO). The goal of the Aspasia grant is to encourage the promotion of female Vidi grant candidates to an associate professorship. Balin would like to use the grant for realizing some of her research ideas on narrative complexity.
Jan Peter Balkenende
History 1980 and Dutch law 1982, professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam and external consultant at consultant EY, has been appointed Minister of State. This honorary title is awarded, in exceptional cases, to politicians or statesmen.
Anouk Beniest
earth scientist, has won the Vening Meinesz Prize for her research and her activities to bring about more diversity, transparency and equality in the scientific world. The prize is awarded every two years by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to young talents in the Dutch earth sciences.
Hans Cornelissen
professor of Ecology, has been named 'Eminent Ecologist' of 2022 by the Journal of Ecology. The Eminent Ecologist Award is an annual award to honour an ecologist who has made an outstanding contribution to plant-related ecology.
Yaser Ellethy
associate professor at the Faculty of Religion and Theology and director of the Center for Islamic Theology (CIT), has been elected president of the European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies (ESITIS).
Felienne Hermans
has been appointed Professor of Computer Science Education. She has been promoting the accessibility of the school subject Computer Science Education for a long time. Her research focuses on how people can learn to program in the best possible way.
Marije Hulshof
postgraduate in Management Consultancy 2003, has been appointed to the Board of Management of Royal Haskoning DHV. For the past six years, she held the position of Global Director Industry & Buildings here.
Toby Kiers
evolutionary biologist, has been included in the 2022 TIME100 Next List. TIME100 Next highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science and activism. Kiers is most known for her pioneering research on the flows and architecture of plant-fungal networks.
Esther de Kleuver
Social Psychology 1988, has been appointed Inspector-General of the Justice and Security Inspectorate at the Ministry of Justice and Security.
Aletta Kraneveld
has been appointed dean of the Faculty of Science with effect from 1 December 2022. She received her PhD in pharmacology from Utrecht University in 1994. In 2016, she became professor of Interdisciplinary Translation Pharmacology at the same university.
Inger Leemans
professor of Cultural History, has been appointed interim director of the Meertens Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) for a period of six months.
Frank van der Meulen
statistician, has been appointed Professor of Mathematical Statistics. His chair is embedded in the mathematics department of the Faculty of Science. Van der Meulen is an expert in the field of Bayesian computational methods and stochastic processes.
Annette Mosman
Economics 1988, CEO of APG, has been elected Top Woman of the Year 2022. The jury praised her for her courage and authentic leadership style.
Juan Rojo
has been appointed Professor of Theoretical Physics. His chair is embedded in the Physics and Astronomy department. Rojo is an expert in the phenomenology of elementary particle interactions and is also well-known for pioneering the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for particle physics.
Marc Van Ranst
professor of Virology, will be awarded a honorary doctorate by VU Amsterdam for his contribution to the public debate on COVID-19. The honorary doctorate will be awarded during the Dies Natalis on 17 November.
