The honourees are:
- Marc van Oostendorp, Professor of Dutch and Academic Communication, Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Gonny Kremers, retired Faculty Liaison at the Faculty of Science (FNWI), Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Caroline Slomp, Professor of Microbiology, Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Jan Kremer, Professor of Care and Society, Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Maroeska Rovers, Professor of Medical Technology and Innovation, Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Oranje-Nassau is linked to special services to society. The Order of the Nederlandse Leeuw is awarded for services in the field of science and the arts.
Jan Kremer
Professor of Healthcare and Society
Jan Kremer is Professor of Healthcare and Society at Radboudumc. Originally a gynaecologist, he was head of the Nijmegen IVF Centre for many years. He established the world’s first digital IVF clinic and launched MijnZorgnet, a platform for personal health records. Kremer has supervised many PhD students and is the (co-)author of more than 230 PubMed publications. He is Senior Executive Advisor for Strategy and a member of the Supervisory Board at healthcare organisation Espria, as well as a member of the Supervisory Board at digital hospital Kayos.
Since 2021, Kremer has been Special Envoy for Appropriate Care, initially on behalf of the Dutch Healthcare Institute and, from June 2023, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. He is also a much sought-after guest speaker, and does not shy away from addressing critical issues such as indication inflation. In addition, he was involved in a lecture series on Management in Healthcare at Nyenrode Business University and a Masterclass on Complexity Thinking, focusing on cross-domain collaboration in complex care.
Gonny Kremers
Faculty Liaison FNWI
Throughout her working life, Gonny has made an exceptional effort to make the library sector, as well as books, articles and academic information, more accessible and appealing to various groups in society. She achieved this through her tremendous dedication as a librarian, during which she acquired considerable expertise and was always willing to embrace innovation.
Kremers always provided the utmost support to all the target groups she worked for: students and academics, but also blind and visually impaired people. In doing so, she has made a very special contribution to society, which has had an impact on thousands of people. Kremers retired on 1 December 2024.
Marc van Oostendorp
Professor of Dutch and Academic Communication
Marc van Oostendorp has been committed to the Dutch language in all its facets for many years, both as a broadly oriented academic, as an enthusiastic lecturer and as an active participant in many wide-ranging social debates. As Professor of Dutch and Academic Communication, he is actively involved in the Dutch Language and Culture and Linguistics programmes. His enthusiasm and passion for the Dutch language are also evident in the various additional activities he undertakes, for example as editor-in-chief of Neerlandistiek, the online journal for language and literature.
Within his field, he often ventures beyond the scope of his teaching remit and, in addition to linguistics, is also concerned with, for example, Dutch literature and language proficiency, with how Dutch is taught as a subject in secondary schools, as well as possessing extensive knowledge of Esperanto. In addition to his academic side activities, Van Oostendorp frequently acts as a bridge-builder between academia and society.
Maroeska Rovers
Professor of Medical Technology and Innovation
Maroeska Rovers is Professor of Medical Technology and Innovation at Radboudumc and Scientific Director of the TechMed Centre at the University of Twente. She is also Director of Health Innovation Netherlands (HI-NL) and a member of various leading national and international organisations. Rovers focuses on translating groundbreaking research into practical tools and technological innovations that improve patient care and medical practice worldwide. Throughout her career, she has received numerous prestigious awards and research grants.
Rovers is not only an innovative and creative researcher, but also an enthusiastic lecturer who enjoys sharing her knowledge with a wide audience, including students at the university and through public lectures across the country. In short, she is an exceptionally driven professor who, through her work in a male-dominated field, has made a significant impact on the preservation of high-quality and affordable healthcare worldwide.
Caroline Slomp
Professor of Microbiology
Caroline Slomp is an internationally recognised scientist whose pioneering research into the biogeochemistry and microbiology of coastal ecosystems is of immense and exceptional value to both science and society. Her research has led to fundamental insights into the processes that cause oxygen-depleted zones in the ocean and their consequences for both ecosystems and the carbon and nutrient cycles. Her work is crucial for the protection of our vulnerable coastal ecosystems.
Slomp possesses a unique ability to combine fieldwork, laboratory experiments and advanced modelling to unravel the complex processes in the seabed and the water column. Her research has significantly enhanced our understanding of chemical processes in the ocean and contributed to insights into oxygen depletion in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Grevelingen marine lake. Caroline Slomp is an inspiring leader and mentor, and has built up a thriving research group comprising young talent from the Netherlands and abroad.
Award ceremony
During the honours ceremony on 24 April 2026, the awards will be presented on campus to Marc van Oostendorp, Gonny Kremers and Caroline Slomp. Jan Kremer will receive his honour during his farewell speech at De Vereeniging concert hall, whilst Maroeska Rovers will receive hers from Mayor Slinkman of Berg en Dal.