Four New Members Join TU/e Young Academy of Engineering to Foster Collaboration and Innovation

Four New Members Join TU/e Young Academy of Engineering to Foster Collaboration and Innovation

(IN BRIEF) The TU/e Young Academy of Engineering (EYAE) has welcomed four new members who will serve a four-year term, contributing to the advancement of knowledge exchange, research funding, and closer collaborations between industry and the university. The new members bring expertise in complex colloids, biomaterials design, game theory, and chemical engineering, and express their commitment to the development of scientific profiles and independent research within the academy.

(PRESS RELEASE) EINDHOVEN, 14-Dec-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Founded in 2018, the TU/e Young Academy of Engineering is a network of enthusiastic, ambitious, and outstanding early career scientists with a broad interest in science and engineering.

The TU/e Young Academy of Engineering (EYAE) has welcomed four new nembers into its ranks: Ghislaine Vantomme, Janne-Mieke Meijer, Loe Schlicher and Miguel Dias Castilho.  Appointed by the Executive Board for four years, the new members will join the other 22 members representing TU/e across all nine departments. In this article we introduce the four new members, and ask them what motivated them to join the Young Academy.

Janne-Mieke Meijer

Janne-Mieke Meijer is an assistant professor in the Soft Matter and Biological Physics group in the Applied Physics department and a core member of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS). Her research focuses on complex colloids (mixtures of a fluid with small particles of another substance), and how they can be used to create new materials that are able to spontaneously organize themselves into functional structures.

“I am highly motivated to join the Eindhoven Young Academy as a member. I joined the TU/e in 2020, and I feel that now is the time in my career to broaden my network and connect to other young researchers. I would like to learn from others and work together and make sure the best science, education and policies can become implemented across the university. I think that being part of the EYAE will provide opportunities to do exactly that.”

Miguel Dias Castilho

Miguel Dias Castilho is an assistant professor of Biomaterials design and processing at TU/e. In 2021, he started a tenured position as Assistant Professor in the department of Biomedical Engineering. He also holds an adjunct appointment in Biofabrication at UMC Utrecht.

Together with engineers, materials scientists and cell biologists, Dias Castilho develops new technologies to make biomaterials and tissues based on the human body. His ultimate goal is to use these manufactured materials to help regenerate damaged and diseased tissues and organs in humans.

“Joining the Young Academy is an exciting prospect. One of the ideas I would like to work on is to actively contribute to closer collaborations between industry and university, as this will create valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange, research funding and student education.”

Loe Schlicher

Loe Schlicher is an assistant professor of Operations Management and Game Theory at the department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences. His research focuses on game theory and stochastic optimization, especially in the context of national security and defense. In 2020, he received a Veni research grant from the Dutch Research Council.

“I think the Eindhoven Young Academy is an inspiring body with bright, highly motivated members who really care about the university.  As a EYAE member, I would like to contribute to the current debate within the national Young Academy on expanding the title and promotion rights of professors to assistant and associate professors. I also want to share our experiences with writing grant proposals and preparing for grant interviews.”

Ghislaine Vantomme

Ghislaine Vantomme is an assistant professor in the department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. After receiving her PhD degree at the University of Strasbourg, she joined TU/e as a postdoctoral fellow in 2014. She worked with Bert Meijer and Dick Broer to develop plastics that move with light. In 2019, she was appointed assistant professor at TU/e. Her research focuses on the synthesis of functional molecular systems and materials.

“I would like to engage in discussions within the Eindhoven Young Academy on how to create a fertile environment for scientific discoveries, giving researchers the time to take risks and fail. This way, early-career researchers can develop an independent scientific profile, fostering collaborations and visibility, and choose a career path that matches their ambition and competences.”

Inaugural dinner and new Board

The new rector Silvia Lenaerts welcomed all new members at an inaugural dinner on October 3. Lenearts this year succeeded Frank Baaijens, who took the initiative to start the TU/e Young Academy of Engineering in 2018 to foster the scientific and organizational leaders of TU/e of the future.

Since her appointment, Lenaerts quickly has formed close ties with the Young Academy, seeking their active involvement on important topics such as social safety, career paths, and internationalization.

The inauguration dinner also marked several changes within the Young Academy board. Roy van der Meel (Biomedical Engineering ) has taken on the role of chair, succeeding Sandra Loerakker (Biomedical Engineering ). Max Birk (Industrial Engineering & Innovation Science) has taken on the position of vice-chair. Karin Smolders (Industrial Engineering & Innovation Science) and the newly joined board member Bart Jansen (Mathematics & Computer Science) complete the board.

Want to know more?

Are you interested in the work of the Eindhoven Young Academy? You can find more information and contact details here.

Media Contact:

Barry van der Meer
Head of Department
+31 40 247 4061
 b.v.d.meer@tue.nl

SOURCE: TU/e