Karen Aardal, Professor of Optimisation at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) was made a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in Utrecht.
Professor Aardal has been Professor of Optimisation at the Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics (DIAM) since 2008. She is a leading researcher in the field of applied mathematics and computer science. In recent years, her research has focused on the algorithmic optimisation of complex systems, for example in logistics or for the optimal positioning of ambulances and trauma helicopters.
Within the Dutch mathematical community, Professor Aardal is much in demand on committees because of her sharp analysis, commitment and overview of the mathematical domain. For example, she led the national initiative Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics. This initiative aims to raise the visibility of the mathematics behind artificial intelligence (AI) and to create a better connection between AI researchers and mathematicians. She has been a member of the Science Domain Board of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) since September 2021.
Professor Aardal is also well known internationally. She was president of the Mathematical Optimisation Society from 2016 to 2019. She is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Society for Mathematical Research. This is one of the leading institutes in the field of theoretical and applied mathematics. In 2019, she was elected a Fellow of INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences).
Professor Aardal is known as an excellent educator who pays attention to the person behind the student. She has also been a champion of diversity and inclusion for many years, both within TU Delft and within the academic community as a whole. As a leading international mathematician, she is a role model in a field where women are still underrepresented.
Geert Jan Houben, Professor of Web Information Systems at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) was made an Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau in Bergschenhoek/Lansingerland.
Professor Houben is an international pioneer in data, web engineering and AI. He has played a key role in the field of web engineering, which focuses on building reliable web applications for end users, such as web shops or online ticket booking sites. Professor Houben recognised early on the importance of data and the opportunities for artificial intelligence.
Houben has been Professor of Web Information Systems at TU Delft since 2008. The Web Information Systems section he founded has now grown to 30 people and is an
international leader in research, education and innovation in the field of data and artificial intelligence. Professor Houben’s teaching and research takes place in close collaboration with societal and industry partners, including IBM, Cognizant, Twitter, SAIL Amsterdam and DSM, and has led to start-ups such as Twitcident.
As Director of Education, Professor Houben worked hard to improve the quality of all programmes offered by the faculty between 2017 and 2021. He also played a crucial role at the time of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when overnight all’of TU Delft’s on-campus education had to be transferred to online education, including labs and exams.
Professor Houben is more aware than most of the enormous impact that artificial intelligence will have on society. In his view, this will lead to new interdisciplinary research challenges that need to be addressed together with societal partners. Since 2021, Professor Houben has been Pro Vice Rector of AI, Data and Digitalisation at TU Delft. In this position, he coordinates research, education and innovation in the field of AI, data and digitalisation. Professor Houben is the driving force behind this initiative, which he develops with passion and energy, both inside and outside the university.
Merle de Kreuk, Professor of Water Management at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG), was made an Officer of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands in The Hague.
Professor De Kreuk is an international leader in the field of environmental technology. She has carried out pioneering research into the conversion and processing of sewage sludge, while at the same time finding the way to practical application. The granular sludge model that she developed as part of her doctoral research is still the basis for the operation of wastewater treatment plants around the world.
In her current research, Professor De Kreuk focuses on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as the purification and reuse of water and raw materials, and the removal of microplastics and environmental pollutants from water. By focusing specifically on the scalability of new technologies, she has also made them accessible to less developed countries.
Since 2023, she has been Chair of the Department of Water Management, the first female Chair in the Faculty’s history. Professor De Kreuk is passionate about educating a new generation of engineers who can bridge the gap from research, via smart engineering design, through to reducing the impact on the environment and adding value to society. She is committed to her students and ensures that education keeps up with the times. For example, she led the development of the new master-s programme in environmental engineering.
Professor De Kreuk also inspires young people elsewhere, for example by introducing primary school children to the world of engineering. Professor De Kreuk is a role model for female scientists within TU Delft and beyond. She believes in changing the culture to improve gender diversity at our university and to encourage female talent to pursue technical studies.
Patricia Osseweijer, Professor of Biotechnology and Society at the Faculty of Applied Sciences (AS), was made an Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau in Utrecht.
Professor Osseweijer is the Dutch expert on the bio-based economy and the integration of social sciences and biotechnology. She was one of the driving forces behind the public-private consortium ’Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation’. At the Kluyver Centre, she developed the research programme ’Genomics and Society’, starting her pioneering work at the interface of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities and societal impacts. In 2009, she was appointed full professor and head of her own research group, Biotechnology and Society.
Professor Osseweijer is currently leading the Water Mining Consortium. The consortium brings together academic and industrial partners from twelve countries to work together to ensure global access to clean water and sanitation. The consortium is exploring alternative water sources and developing innovative solutions for sustainable water management, including the use of urban and industrial wastewater and seawater desalination.
As a lecturer, Professor Osseweijer has a keen eye for the personal and scientific development of her students and PhD candidates. She is also the university’s ambassador for international cooperation with Brazil. As part of the TU Delft-Brazil programme, she has set up a dual-degree programme with the aim of training a total of 100 PhD candites in Brazil and the Netherlands by the end of this year.
With her pioneering work and expertise at the intersection of social sciences and biotechnology, Professor Osseweijer has put the Netherlands and TU Delft on the map. In 2015, she received the Distinguished NIAS Lorentz Fellowship, an award given annually to an outstanding researcher engaged in innovative interdisciplinary research.
