D (Dienke) Stomph MSc

Current position

At the Cultural Geography group I combine lecturing and education support with my PhD research. My PhD research unites my background in agroecology and soil science with my social science training. The research is A Mingling of Earthly Bodies – Analysing decolonial relationalities of soil revitalisation and Capoeira Angola.

My background

I have worked on various topics through-out my studies. In 2011 I started with my Bsc Future Planet Studies at the University of Amsterdam, during the first year I became intrigued by the world below the crust of the Earth and delved into domains of hydrology, morphology, soil science, remote sensing and geoinformation systems in the years that follow. After graduating my Bsc I continued with an Msc in Agroecology for which I continued my quantitative analytical journey by programming and modelling agroecological models that captured metrological, plant physiological and soil processes. To finalise this Msc degree I worked on the analysis of the diversity of livelihood perspectives of smallholders in two regions in Nicaragua. My research experiences of these natural science degrees sensitised me to the political and cultural complexities of rural realities and to the interconnectedness of the rural and the urban both physically and socially. Therefore I continued my academic journey into a new domain sociology and more specifically political ecology, I enrolled as an Msc student in Development and Rural Innovation. This allowed me to unravel the socio-political complexities. I wrapped up my student time with my Msc thesis on tensions between agroecological pasts and presents in the Peruvian Andes with a focus on Quechua territorialities. During and after my graduation I worked multiple jobs at the Universities of Amsterdam and Wageningen, but I also worked on Organic farms in the Betuwe and as a yoga teacher all over the world. Since 2019 I am with the Cultural Geography group, first as a research officer and more recently (autumn 2023) as a lecturer and PhD candidate.