Last week, the three winners of the national Sustainable Lecturer Award 2026 were announced. Unfortunately, there were no Radboud faces among the finalists, but no fewer than seven lecturers were nominated by students and colleagues; they are particularly valued for their impact-driven and innovative teaching. We are delighted to put them in the spotlight, as they deserve, to serve as an inspiration to others. This is what students and colleagues appreciate about the seven candidates:
Daniël Blanco Ania, lecturer in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
‘Daniël is incredibly passionate about sustainability in chemistry and seizes every opportunity to teach about circularity principles and their intersections with other disciplines. Every week, he dedicates part of his lecture to current news and even features a film of the week!’
Marjan Smeulders, researcher in Microbiology
‘It is particularly impressive that Marjan puts so much energy, time and dedication into improving education and creating an impact beyond her formal role. It shows just how much intrinsic motivation and sense of responsibility she has for the future. Her commitment is an inspiring example of how one person can truly make a difference.’
Sandra Klaperski-van der Wal, lecturer in Social and Cultural Psychology
‘Sandra has a compelling way about her. She can explain the issues surrounding climate change and human behaviour very clearly, can inspire people to take action themselves, but will never point the finger. She listens.’
Birka Wicke, lecturer in Environmental Science
‘It’s been a real eye-opener to work on climate change [under Birka’s guidance] and actually read the articles and reports, both the highly technical ones and the illustrated reports aimed at the general public. I really appreciate her passion for conveying the urgency of the issue and encouraging students to engage in discussion with one another!’
Taede A Smedes, lecturer in Textual, Historical and Systematic Studies of Judaism and Christianity
‘Because we students all felt safe enough during these lectures, they always led to wonderful discussions drawing on different disciplines. He would sit amongst us, rather than standing at the front of the class, and we would discuss religious and philosophical perspectives.’
Carolin Ossenkop, lecturer in Strategic Human Resource Management
‘Carolin works with horses to help students experience personal and professional leadership. This is a different form of collaboration. I think we mustn’t forget that we are in relationship with the earth, animals and plants.’
Willem Elbers, lecturer in Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies
‘Willem is an incredibly passionate colleague who goes the extra mile every day to inspire others to make a difference in the world. Speaking out sometimes takes courage, but Willem sets an example in this regard, thereby encouraging both students and alumni to step forward.’
We congratulate all these colleagues on their inspiring work! Are you a lecturer who would also like to start incorporating sustainability goals into your teaching? There are various tools and networks available to support you in this. Please contact Jaap Rohof (Programme Manager at Radboud Sustainable) if you would like to discuss this further.