4 November was the Fifth Awarding of the Storm-van der Chijs Stipends. Three most talented Ph.D.-candidates of Wageningen University Ir Sarian Kosten, Ir Ramona van Marwijk en Roxina Soler Gamborena, Msc were awarded with a stipend and certificate during the yearly symposium of the Women Wageningen Engineers - KLV. The awards are meant as recognition of their work and encouragement to pursue further investments in a scientific career. These can be used to finance a visit an institute or international conference abroad.
The jury report underlined that the Fund highlights the excellence of female Ph.D.-candidates at the WU and creates spinn-off for the careers of these young scientists. The increase of nominations from many corners of the university shows the wide interest in the activities of the Fund. The jury emphasised the excellence of the nominated (13 Dutch and 6 foreign Ph.D. candidates) and expressed it wanted to be enabled to award more certificates.
Awardees
The jury praised the work of awardee Ir Ramona van Marwijk. on the design and management of nature areas for both recreational quality (diversity of differences), while also maintaining quality of ecological quality. She develops sustainability indicators for tourism destinations using insights from both sociology and ecology. She will be doctorated by Prof. Jaap Langkeek (Socio-spatial analysis, land use planning and ecology) and is member of the Mansholt Graduate School for Social Sciences.
Roxina Soler Gamborena, Msc, (posted at the Dutch Institute for Ecology, Heteren (NIOO-KNAW)) received the Storm-van der Chijs stipend for her research that links above-and underground multitrophic interactions of plants, insects and parasitoids. The results can be applied for improving biocontrol of insect pests in crop systems. The jury praised the complexity of her project which challenges her intellectually and technically in many ways. She therefore combines many disciplines and tools within the natural sciences: from entomology to organic chemistry, soil sciences, behaviour and mathematic modelling. Roxina Soler Gamborena is member of the C.T. de Wit Graduate School for Production Ecology and Resource Conservation (PE&RC) and Prof. Louise Vet (Evolutionary Ecology and director NIOO-KNAW) and Prof. Wim van der Putten (Nematology) are her supervisors.
Ir Sarian Korsten gets the Storm-van der Chijs stipend for her research at the group of Prof. Martin Scheffer (Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management) on climate induced shifts in South American Lake Forest Ecosystems. Praised were her language skills she has efficiently and successfully used to organise meetings and discussions with scientists and experts but with local users of the research area as well. Also her project demands the application of many insights and tools from many disciplines. Even in a dangerous situation in which she landed in prison she proved to be able to find a way out. Her research is part of the graduate school Wageningen Institute for Environment and Climate Research (WIMEK).
According to interim chair of the Fund Dr. Margreet van der Burg the most recent figures of 2002 show that the WU female-male division of scientific positions reflects the average on the Dutch universities. But the Netherlands scores the lowest among the EU countries in 2003. She brought to mind that the EU made directives and recommendations to improve the situation all over Europe from 1997 onwards and reported that the Fund is in discussion with the Board on what can be put in place to improve the situation at WUR.
The Storm-van der Chijs Foundation awards up to three stipends to the three most talented female WU-Ph.D.-candidates every two years. It aims at supporting female scientists at the WU in their work and career and at stimulating them to persist in their efforts. One of the stipends is granted by the University Board, the others are granted through donations. This year the jury out of the Doctorate board was chaired by Prof. Frans Kok (professor Human Nutrition and Dean Graduate Schools). The two other members were Prof. Tiny van Boekel (professor Product Design and Quality Management and director graduate school Food Technology Agrobiotechnology Nutrition and Health Sciences (VLAG)) and Prof. Just Vlak (professor Virology en director C.T. de Wit Graduate School for Production Ecology and Resource Conservation (PE&RC)) who represented the jury at the awarding ceremony.
The Foundation is named after Mienette Storm-van der Chijs (1814-1895), a particular energetic woman who travelled all over the world and never failed to take up the occasion to learn and tell more about new findings in agriculture and new initiatives on rural development. On top of this she kept on pointing at opening the new opportunities to women as well and that therefore education and science should be made accessible for them.