Photo WUR Environmental scientist en chairholder Carolien Kroeze is appointed by the Supervisory Board as Rector Magnificus and vice-president of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). She is to succeed Arthur Mol, who will step down after nine years as rector at WUR on 9 March 2024.
Kroeze says in a press release: ‘I am honoured to be able to work as Rector Magnificus and Vice-President of WUR, the leading knowledge institute in the Netherlands and beyond for critical themes such as climate, biodiversity and sustainable food production. I look forward to working with the other members of the Executive Board to create the right conditions for excellent education and research.’
Chair Elbert Dijkgraaf from the Supervisory Board says Kroeze is a ‘world-renowned scientist, an inspiring teacher and an experienced leader. We are confident that education and research at Wageningen University & Research will be in good hands under her leadership. We look forward to working with Professor Carolien Kroeze to develop innovations, knowledge, and the transfer thereof further.’
Clean water
Environmental scientist Kroeze has been chairholder for the Environmental Systems Analysis group since 2022 and has been director of WIMEK, one of Wageningen’s six graduate schools, since 2019. From 2016 to and including 2022, she served as chairholder for Water Systems and Global Change at WUR.
Kroeze’s international research includes environmental policy analyses and evaluation, focusing on simultaneously reducing multiple environmental issues in soil, water and atmosphere. She pioneered new environmental models focusing on understanding the link between human activities and the availability of clean water for humans, agriculture and nature in the future. Examples include large-scale models that are used throughout the world to simulate the trajectory of pollutants in, for example, rivers.
Kroeze studied Biology in Groningen and pursued her PhD in Amsterdam. She came to Wageningen for her postdoc in 1995, when she joined the Environmental Systems Analysis group. She served as a part-time professor at the Open University of the Netherlands from 2009 to 2016.
In addition to Kroeze, who will be in charge of the portfolios Education and Research, the Executive Board is made up of Sjoukje Heimovaara (President) and Rens Buchwaldt (Finance and Operations).
