Who are you, what position do you hold within the faculty, and since when?
I am Maciek Sokolewicz, and I hold a special position at the moment. I may eventually take over the role of Department Head of the Information & Administration Support Department because Karin Eichelsheim-van der Vliet is retiring at the end of this year. In the meantime, I will temporarily replace our OSIRIS employee, Bonny Rodermans, because she is on maternity leave. This way I can quietly get to know my colleagues and the faculty.
What position/work did you hold before this?
I worked at Academic Affairs for the past 1.5 years. There, I was team leader of the EPAC (Education Planning and Assessment Coordination) Department, also known as the Digital Testing Department. Partly because I was very distant from education, I found that it wasn't quite my place. This new position is much closer, and I see a lot of potential here.
What are you most looking forward to in your position?
I am really looking forward to great cooperation with everyone. I personally always find it very important and very fun to just be in direct contact with the person I'm helping. The lines of communication are super short, and I find that fantastic.
Where can we find you? / How can you be reached?
From Monday to Friday, I can be found at the TIP on the first floor of the Maria Montessori building. Occasionally, I work at home, but I can be reached via email at maciek.sokolewicz [at] ru.nl (maciek[dot]sokolewicz[at]ru[dot]nl).
I can be found in the mountains whenever possible!
Which film or book have you enjoyed the most?
I am both a film and book lover and love fantasy and science fiction immensely. A classic is, of course, Star Wars, but I also enjoyed Everything Everywhere All at Once. A bit of a strange film, but I really enjoyed it. This genre makes you think about things that make perfect sense to us, but imagine if they were not so logical? And what consequences would that have? I really love this out-of-the-box thinking. I also take this back into my work as I love being creative and discovering new ways of working.
What's at the top of your bucket list?
Travelling! Coincidentally, I am leaving soon for Vietnam with my wife and four-year-old daughter for my brother's wedding, after which we will travel around the beautiful nature and architecture for another three weeks. I am really looking forward to that.
With which hobby can you completely forget about time?
I am a big nature lover, so one of my hobbies is sports climbing on mountains and rocks. I am also an instructor in sports climbing, so should you go climbing at the climbing hall Stadsmuur Nijmegen, there is a good chance you will run into me. I have been climbing since I was 13 and even met my wife at the Nijmegen Student Climbing Association. Together, we have climbed all kinds of beautiful areas, such as the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa and the Écrins in southern France. I find it a fantastic hobby and can be found in the mountains whenever possible!