Mark Bentum

Mark Bentum is the current Dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). He transitioned to this full-time leadership role in November 2023 after serving as a Part-Time Professor of Radio Science at TU/e since 2017 and 28 years at the Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), where he was head of the Radio Group. His research focuses on low-frequency radio astronomy, satellite-based telescopes like OLFAR, and antenna systems innovation.

• Education: PhD and MSc in Electrical Engineering from University of Twente (1995, 1991), MBA from Nyenrode Business Universiteit (2002)

Research Interests: Bentum specializes in radio astronomy instrumentation, electromagnetic systems, and challenge-based learning methodologies. His work bridges technical innovation with educational reform, emphasizing student-driven problem-solving and soft skills development.

Scientific Contributions:He pioneered the Orbiting Low-Frequency Antennas for Radio astronomy (OLFAR) project and contributed to semiconductor technologies for inter-satellite communication. His 2024 paper on 23-GHz TX/LNA modules demonstrated cutting-edge efficiency metrics for satellite networks.

• Awards:
  • Comenius Senior Fellowship (Educational Research)
  • MomenTUm Best Bachelor’s Teacher Award (2021)

Leadership: As dean, Bentum advocates for transparent leadership, listening groups, and the Recognition & Rewards program to balance research, education, and personal development in academia.