Mascha C. van der Voort is a Full Professor at the University of Twente's Faculty of Engineering Technology, Department of Human Centered Design. Her work focuses on transdisciplinary design methodologies, inclusive technology, and sustainability. She has contributed over 180 research outputs since 1996, with notable contributions to empathy-driven design for neurodiverse populations and climate-resilient infrastructure solutions. Expertise includes: Design Theory, User-Centered Design, Automation in Design, and Sustainability. Recipient of the Best Paper Award at the 10th International Conference on Design, User Experience and Usability (2021). Active in academic governance, serving as Chair of the Faculty of Engineering Technology Board since 2021. Her research integrates transdisciplinary collaboration, with recent work exploring futures studies and co-speculation methodologies. She has supervised 18 graduate students and contributed to datasets addressing river research communication and autistic lifeworld-informed technology design.
Prof. Hens Runhaar is a Full Professor of Sustainable Food System Governance at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. His research focuses on reconciling food production with biodiversity recovery, environmental sustainability, and health through innovative governance frameworks. He emphasizes connectivity issues in food systems, such as disconnects between production and environmental conditions, and advocates for transformative practices like agroecology and nature-inclusive agriculture. Key roles include chairing the Board of Examiners for Sustainable Development and membership in Future Food Utrecht. His projects include NWO-funded initiatives like COMBINED (grassland biodiversity) and REWIRE (circular agricultural missions). He actively engages in policy dialogues, such as advising BirdLife Netherlands and contributing to the Dutch Biodiversity Council. Research highlights systemic barriers to sustainability transitions in agriculture, with recent work analyzing dairy farming and farmer collectives. His outreach includes media appearances on nitrogen policy, nature restoration, and sustainable food systems. Professional memberships span international networks like Earth System Governance and the Wageningen School of Social Sciences.
Confidence Duku is a researcher at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in climate resilience and agricultural systems. Their work integrates climate science, hydrology, and machine learning to address food security, deforestation impacts, and flood forecasting in data-scarce regions. Research Interests: Climate change modeling in Eastern Africa Hydrology-guided neural networks for flood forecasting Agricultural resilience (common bean, green gram) under climate stressors Economic impacts of deforestation in Brazil Climate services for financial institutions and SMEs Notable Contributions: Developed frameworks for climate-smart business planning and flood prediction, with a focus on regions like East Africa and Brazil. Their work emphasizes ecosystem services and adaptation strategies. Collaborations: Active in multi-institutional projects, including partnerships with SNV and Copernicus. Led LVVN projects on cascading climate risks and reforestation impacts.
Hugo de Boer is a Professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development , Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University. He serves as scientific lead for the Delta Climate Center in Vlissingen and coordinates MSc programs in Water Science and Management and Water Management for Climate Adaptation . His research explores climate-ecosystem interactions, focusing on plant ecophysiology, ecosystem dynamics, and nature-inclusive climate adaptation in deltas. Research Themes: Future Deltas, Pathways to Sustainability, Integrative Bioinformatics Projects: LEMONTREE, CloudRoots, 'From losers to winners' (ancient plant lineages under elevated CO2) Teaching Expertise: System thinking for sustainability, quantitative statistics, plant ecophysiology Research Trends emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to climate change impacts on ecosystems, with publications spanning plant-cloud processes, CO2 acclimation, and eco-evolutionary optimality models. His work bridges biogeochemistry, land-atmosphere interactions, and sustainable development frameworks. Projects & Collaborations include experimental studies on ancient plant lineages (Equisetum) and integrative field campaigns in Amazon and temperate forests. He contributes to modeling climate-vegetation feedbacks, pesticide emission scenarios, and social-ecological system transitions.
Jampel Dell'Angelo is an Associate Professor with ius promovendi in Water Governance and Politics at the Department of Environmental Policy Analysis, Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He holds concurrent roles as a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley's Ecohydrology Lab, and an Environmental Governance Affiliate Scholar at SESYNC, Maryland. His research focuses on multilevel dimensions of water governance, climate adaptation in African irrigation systems, and transnational land investments' impacts. He leads the EU-funded NEWAVE project, coordinating 15 Early Stage Researchers across 10 institutions. Educated with a dual PhD in Environmental Science (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and International Cooperation (Sapienza University), he also holds advanced degrees from the LSE, Sapienza, Curtin, and the University of Siena. As Editor-in-Chief of World Development , he promotes interdisciplinary research on socio-environmental systems. His work contributes to UN SDGs related to clean water, sustainable cities, and responsible production. Research interests span water grabbing dynamics, socio-ecological resilience, and policy frameworks for equitable resource management. Recent projects address Mediterranean water scarcity solutions and the socio-political implications of global land rushes. He supervises PhD candidates exploring themes like water democracy, agrifood transitions, and environmental justice. Key contributions include pioneering analysis of 'water commons grabbing' and documenting the Global Water Grab Syndrome. His documentary work complements field research, such as Working Together: Research and Water Governance on Mount Kenya . Current projects emphasize innovative governance models and climate-resilient water management in transboundary contexts.
Prof. Peter H. Verburg is a Full Professor in Environmental Spatial Analysis at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, leading the Environmental Geography group within the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) under the Faculty of Science. He holds roles as a member of the Earth Commission and the Science-Policy Interface of UNCCD, and co-Editor-in-Chief of Landscape and Urban Planning . His work focuses on land use modeling, interdisciplinary research, and sustainability challenges, notably developing the globally used CLUE model. Education: PhD in Land Use Modelling (2000), Wageningen University MSc in Physical Geography (1996), Wageningen University Research Interests: His expertise includes land change analysis, spatial modeling, ecosystem services, and human-environment interactions. He employs methods from social sciences, econometrics, and earth sciences to address global issues like climate adaptation, sustainable city planning, and multi-functional land use. Recent projects emphasize small island resilience, European nature narratives, and food systems in urban and global contexts. Publications & Projects: With over 300 peer-reviewed articles and contributions to EU-funded initiatives such as BrightspotsCSA and CONtract SOLutions, his research bridges theory and policy. Recent publications highlight urban food interventions, spatial planning for island states, and climate impacts on agriculture. Awards: Highly Cited Researcher (top 1% in Web of Science) Advising & Grants: As a project leader and researcher in multiple grants, he supports sustainability transitions and climate-smart agriculture. He has advised through post-graduate courses and workshops on land use modeling and ecosystem services. His work emphasizes practical applications of research to decision-making frameworks. Labs/Teams: He leads the Environmental Geography group at IVM, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing land system change research globally.
Prof. Jack van der Vorst is the Personal Professor of AgriFood Supply Chain Logistics at Wageningen University's Operations Research and Logistics Group. Previously serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Wageningen University & Research (until 2024) and General Director of the Social Sciences Group, he leads over 1000 personnel across three institutes. His advisory roles include the Topteam AgriFood (Science Captain), Top consortium for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI), The Sustainability Consortium (TSC), and Florensis BV's Supervisory Board. With 20+ PhD supervisions and 200+ publications, his research focuses on innovative logistics concepts in AgriFood systems, including supply chain resilience, sustainability, and system innovation. His work integrates modeling frameworks with practical industry applications, emphasizing perishable products, horizontal collaboration, and environmental efficiency. Research interests span AgriFood System Design, Supply Chain Strategy, and Performance Management. His recent studies address challenges like postharvest loss reduction in developing countries, CO2 emission minimization in cold chains, and circular economy implementation in mushroom supply chains. Methodologically, he employs multi-criteria decision models, optimization techniques, and simulation to address complex logistics problems. Publications highlight themes such as horizontal collaboration success factors, vulnerability assessment frameworks, and green supply chain design. His work bridges academic rigor with industry needs, often collaborating with policymakers and international organizations to promote sustainable agri-food systems.
Ioannis Athanasiadis is a Full Professor and Chair of Artificial Intelligence at Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands). He leads the Artificial Intelligence (AIN) group, focusing on advancing AI methods for global challenges in agriculture, ecology, and sustainability. Previously, he was faculty at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA, Switzerland) and the Democritus University of Thrace (Greece). He holds a PhD (2005, cum laude) in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His research integrates machine learning, knowledge engineering, and environmental modeling to address food security, climate adaptation, and ecosystem services. He leads initiatives like AgML (AgMIP's machine learning benchmarking effort) and coordinates European grants such as LTER-LIFE and CYBELE . Prof. Athanasiadis has supervised over 40 PhD/postdoc researchers and serves as Editor of Environmental Modelling and Software . He collaborates internationally on projects involving AI for crop modeling, digital twins, and sustainable agriculture. His team develops frameworks like Crop2ML and PyCrop2ML to enhance interoperability between process-based models and machine learning systems.
Dr. Anouk Smeekes is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University's Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. She leads research in the Youth Studies chairgroup, focusing on youth responses to societal challenges like climate change, populism, and colonial legacies. Her teaching spans the MERM Research Master (Ethnic Prejudice course), YDSC Master (thesis coordination), and ISS bachelor programs, while also serving on the Faculty's Exam Committee. Her research explores social/political psychology mechanisms through thematic pillars: Emotional responses of youth to societal disruptions National nostalgia's role in shaping political attitudes Intergroup relations in multicultural societies Climate anxiety and civic engagement pathways Recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on collective nostalgia, identity politics, and youth psychology. Works frequently examine how historical narratives influence contemporary intergroup conflicts and radicalization, with increasing focus on climate-related anxieties (2020-2024). Methodologically, she employs cross-cultural comparisons across 27+ countries. Awards & Recognition: Rae and Dr. Dan Landis Outstanding Dissertation Award (2015) Research Leadership: CONCILIARE Horizon Europe project co-leader (2024-2027): Examining Europe's colonial heritage transitions Principal investigator: Youth climate anxiety/hope dynamics study (Faculty-funded) Supervises 10+ Master's theses annually in Migration/Ethnic Relations programs
Dr. Jennifer Koch is an Associate Professor at the Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing, part of Wageningen University & Research. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor and Associate Research Director at the University of Oklahoma's Data Institute for Societal Challenges. Her research integrates data-driven methods like simulation modeling to address socio-economic and climate change challenges, focusing on sustainable urbanization and environmental management. Education: She holds a Diplom (Univ.) in Geoecology from the University of Bayreuth and a Dr.-Ing. in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from the University of Kassel. She teaches courses on geo-information management and data analytics. Research emphasizes multi-scale modeling, stakeholder engagement, and participatory approaches to socio-ecological systems. Recent work explores urban growth in Africa, methane emission monitoring, and renewable energy siting. Articles highlight interdisciplinary methods in GIS, climate policy, and community geography. Professional service includes roles with iEMSs, IALE, and the AAG. No ancillary activities reported. Her work bridges technical geospatial tools with societal challenges, emphasizing practical policy applications.
Alfons Oude Lansink is a Professor and Chairholder in Business Economics at Wageningen University, Netherlands. He holds adjunct professorships at Universitas Padjadjaran (Indonesia) and the University of Florida (USA), and serves on the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture's CDM committee and Rabobank's scientific advisory board. His academic career spans roles as director of Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS) and Secretary-General of the European Association of Agricultural Economists. Education: MSc and PhD in Agricultural Economics from Wageningen University Leadership: Head of Business Economics group since 2003 His research focuses on dynamic technical and economic efficiency , sustainable performance of food supply chains , and economics of plant health . Recent work examines climate adaptation strategies, circular economy applications, and cross-border agri-food innovation dynamics using advanced econometric models. Key projects include MINDSTEP (modeling farm decisions), Closing the Loop (insect-based agriculture), and Food Pro-tec-ts (transboundary food technologies). Publications address topics like: Technical efficiency in dairy and arable farming Economic impacts of climate change on agriculture Corporate social responsibility in food manufacturing Policy evaluation for biogas and organic farming He serves as: Secretary/Treasurer of agricultural economics journal foundation Advisor to Universitas Padjadjaran (Indonesia) on policy and PhD supervision Editorial board member of Agronomy Journal and European Review of Agricultural Economics
Maria C.W. Peeters serves as a Full Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) within the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, specifically the Human Performance Management Group. She concurrently holds an Associate Professor position at Utrecht University in the Department of Social, Health and Organizational Psychology, reflecting her dual institutional engagement in Work and Organizational Psychology. Her educational background includes: MSc in Health Sciences from Maastricht University PhD from Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (dissertation: effect of social support on work stress) Peeters' research investigates sustainable workforce performance through the critical lens of worker diversity in high-tech environments. She specializes in worker (ill)health and well-being, work engagement, sustainable employability, job crafting interventions, work-life balance dynamics, and tailored technological innovation implementation. Her work emphasizes adapting technologies to accommodate older workers, those with lower educational levels, and disabilities to extend labor market participation. Recent publications (2025) analyze psychosocial safety climate and the DISC model for office workers, while earlier studies (2018-2015) focused on job crafting transmission and intervention efficacy. Her research consistently employs quantitative methodologies like regression analysis within the Job Demands-Resources framework, addressing sustainable performance threats from rapid technological implementation. No specific scientific awards or prizes are documented in the provided text. Peeters has published over 100 national and international articles and book chapters, with 75 research outputs listed in TU/e's repository. She co-edited the textbook "An Introduction to Contemporary Work Psychology" (Wiley Blackwell, 2014) and serves on editorial boards for Work & Stress and Gedrag en Organisatie (Dutch Journal of Behaviour in Organizations). Her academic leadership includes presidency of the Dutch Association of Work & Organizational Psychology since 2018. She operates within the Human Performance Management Group at TU/e, which studies workforce optimization through health, engagement, and sustainable employability metrics in digitized workplaces.
Amsterdam University of Applied SciencesNetherlands
Miguel Mujica Mota is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Technology, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and a member of the Centre of Applied Research Technology. His research focuses on airport operations, multimodal transport systems, and simulation modeling. He has expertise in analyzing capacity challenges in multi-airport systems, particularly in Mexico City, and developing decision support systems for airport security and resource allocation. His work integrates sustainability and efficiency, addressing topics like environmental reporting in airlines and post-pandemic airport recovery strategies. Research Contributions: Dr. Mujica Mota has published extensively on airport capacity optimization, multimodal transport integration, and simulation-based methodologies. Key projects include the X-TEAM D2D initiative for door-to-door travel and the IMHOTEP project for smart passenger flow management. His work often involves collaboration with institutions like Schiphol Airport and the H2020 EU framework. Research Interests: Airport terminal design, air traffic management, simulation modeling, multimodal logistics, and sustainable aviation. Awards: A-BOOST Research Fund (2020) Beste paper award EMM2018 X-TEAM D2D Project Recognition (2020) Activities: Organized conferences like the 2023 EUROSIM Simulation Seminar and served on committees for events such as the 2024 Multilog Conference. Grants & Projects: Involved in EU-funded initiatives like H2020, focusing on multimodal integration and sustainable transport solutions. His research also explores climate change impacts on infrastructure and simulation-based validation approaches.
Hens Runhaar is Professor of Policy and Governance for Sustainable Food Systems at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. He holds positions as Chair of the Examination Committee for Sustainable Development and is a member of the Core Team of Future Food Utrecht. Additionally, he serves on the Editorial Board of Earth System Governance Journal and as Associate Editor of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems journal. His research focuses on sustainable food systems, policy and governance for biodiversity conservation, and nature-inclusive agriculture. Runhaar's research interests center on understanding the connectivity issues in Western food systems that lead to sustainability challenges including biodiversity loss, climate change, and food-related diseases. He investigates the decoupling of food production from environmental conditions, disconnects between feed production and livestock farming, and the separation between food production and consumption areas. His work emphasizes biodiversity as a key indicator of sustainable food systems, with special interest in scaling up agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and nature-inclusive agriculture. He delivered his inaugural lecture on January 17, 2025, titled 'Governing towards sustainable food systems: new connections for more diversity'. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on biodiversity policy integration, nature-based solutions, and transformative food system changes. Runhaar has been instrumental in special issues on biodiversity governance and environmental policy integration. His research projects include COMBINED (2025-2031), REWIRE, DivGrass, and work on the Water Framework Directive after 2027. Editorial Board Member of Earth System Governance Journal Associate editor of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems journal Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Dutch Bird Protection Association Senior Research Fellow of Earth System Governance research network Fellow of Wageningen School of Social Sciences Runhaar actively supervises numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with a focus on sustainable food systems, biodiversity conservation, and nature-inclusive agriculture. He has contributed significantly to societal debates through media appearances in NRC, De Volkskrant, and EenVandaag, addressing topics like nitrogen policy, nature restoration, and the role of farmers in sustainability transitions. Beyond academia, he volunteers with the Badger Working Group Utrecht and 't Gooi Foundation, monitoring badgers since 2012 and contributing to nature conservation efforts.
Hannah van Zanten is a Full Professor in Earth Systems and Global Change at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in sustainable food systems, regenerative agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. Her work emphasizes circular food systems, livestock production optimization, and environmental impact mitigation. She has received multiple awards, including the Storm-van der Chijs award (2015) and several Best Oral Presentation accolades at academic conferences. Her research spans topics like protein upcycling, soil biodiversity, and the environmental implications of livestock feed. She supervises PhD projects on regenerative agriculture, circular food transitions, and ecosystem services in South American grasslands. Recent projects include redesigning European food systems to enhance food security under climate change and modeling circularity impacts. Key research interests include: sustainable diets, land-use efficiency, and the integration of biodiversity conservation with agricultural practices. She has published extensively on topics like earthworm farming, circular protein systems, and the compatibility of animal-sourced foods with circular principles. Awards: 5 major prizes for academic contributions, including innovation in animal sciences and sustainability. Grants/Projects: Leading 19 active projects, including EU-funded initiatives on sustainable livestock and circular food system modeling. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on projects like SUSFANS (Sustainable Food Systems) and Re-Livestock (resilient livestock systems).
