On Thursday 15 may RYA organised a Serendipity Session about interdisciplinarity and collaboration. The winners of the RYA recognises and rewards prize were announced and the winners of the Catapult Grants of 2024 gave a short presentation about their projects.
Presentataties winners Catapult Grants 2024
Juliette Alenda-Demoutiez (Nijmegen School of Management) and Karolien van Teijlingen (Faculty of Social Sciences) presented the results of their project about degrowth and challenges faced by small-scale, bottom-up initiatives when they try to scale up. Marene Dimmendaal (Faculty of Sciences) presented the results of their project in which they aim to improve decision-making in the healthcare system by ‘Self Reflection Machines’. Marene gave this presentation on behalf of the team that consists of Marene, Marieke de Vries (Faculty of Sciences), Pim Haselager (Faculty of Social Sciences/Donders Institute), Hanna Schraffenberger (Faculty of Sciences/iHub) and Simon Fisher (Donders Institute).
Interdisciplinary collaborations
After the very interesting presentations RYA member Irma Arts moderated a nice discussion with Juliette, Karolien, Marene en Pim about working together with colleagues with a different background. They discussed what is important to make such a collaboration successful, what they have learned and what they would advise colleagues who would like to start interdisciplinary collaborations.
Lottery RYA recognises and rewards prize
During the second part of the session RYA member Daniela Patru handed over the RYA recognizes and rewards prize. For this prize, every employee of Radboud University and Radboudumc can nominate a colleague or colleagues who contribute to a healthy and effective work environment – in whatever way. RYA received over 30 nominations. Daniela asked attention for the nice contributions of all the nominees and the affords of the colleagues who nominated them. In addition, Daniela pointed out that the current challenging times might everyone's well-being, especially that of the colleagues (including most nominees) who do a lot of additional work. The lottery decided six winners/winning teams who receive a gift certificate of € 500:
- Ans Lamers and Elvira Spoelman
Ans en Elvira zijn onze super secretaresses. Zij zorgen voor een warm welkom van de nieuwe mensen op onze afdeling, ze zijn een luisterend oor voor eenieder. Ze luisteren niet alleen, maar hebben heel vaak ook heel snel een oplossing voor de meest uiteenlopende uitdagingen. Ze zijn pro-actief, ze staan altijd klaar (ook als ze eigenlijk vrij zouden willen nemen….), weten alles en hebben een goed gevoel voor wie van welke humor houdt. Ik zou niet weten hoe we als afdeling zouden kunnen functioneren zonder deze twee kei-goeie dames!
Nominated by Sarian Kosten
Ellen Driessen
I nominate Ellen Driessen for her continued dedication to fostering a healthy, collaborative academic environment. Ellen leads by example: she celebrates shared successes, supports personal wellbeing, and encourages openness about challenges. Her mentorship has helped early-career researchers grow with confidence, not only through guidance but by actively creating opportunities for us to thrive. Ellen also models a constructive, hopeful approach to science—balancing ambition with kindness and humor. Her leadership makes our team not just productive, but genuinely joyful to be part of. For all she brings to our daily work and long-term growth, Ellen deserves this recognition.
Nominated by Fritz WienickeEnny Das, Liedeke Plate and Maaike van Berkel
Een grote shout-out naar deze drie (voormalig) onderzoeksdirecteuren van onze Letterenfaculteit en naar de manier waarop zij promovendi in onze faculteit zíen, met oog voor zowel de grootste lijnen als het kleinste detail, met hun luisterend oor, met het lef om toe te geven dat ook zij niet alles weten en met respect voor iedereen met wie zij werken. Ik gun alle onderzoeksinstituten zulke directeuren.
Nominated by Suzanne van de LiefvoortJoyce Schleu
Joyce has made it her personal mission to ensure that any of her colleagues' successes are being celebrated, no matter how big or small they might be.
She is also a meticulous and innovative researcher known for her analytical rigor and dedication to scientific inquiry. Her work demonstrates exceptional attention to detail and intellectual curiosity, and she is also able to transfer knowledge and new insights in a clear and enthusiastic manner to students and coworkers alike. As a colleague, she is incredibly open and collaborative, takes initiative and responsibility for the organisation of lab groups and colloquia, and always has an open door and a listening ear.
Nominated by Liz BeekmanLuke Miller
I nominate my colleague, Luke Miller, because he has graciously and actively supported me in the past couple of years with regards to my academic journey. Specifically, Luke has acted as a "de facto" coach, offering advice on career path decisions, provided detailed feedback on grant proposals, supported me through moments of my imposter syndrome, and has generously shared space in his lab for me. He’s not only a thoughtful listener but also a dependable collaborator who consistently follows through. His support has created a sense of belonging and motivation, contributing greatly to a healthier and more inclusive academic environment.
Nominated by Olympia ColizoliMonique Wakkerman
Two nominations received:
Monique is al heel veel jaren de stille kracht achter allerlei systemen in de Letterenfaculteit. Zo werk ik met haar in Hora Finita en ik verwonder me elke keer weer met hoe veel zorg, geduld, kunde en kennis Monique iedere wetenschapper aan onze universiteit (en ver daarbuiten) begeleidt in het proces van promotieregistraties, manuscriptbeoordelingen en promoties. Het is een enorm groot plezier om met haar te werken en ik durf er niet aan te denken dat haar pensioen langzaam maar zeker nadert.
Nominated by Suzanne van de LiefvoortGraag nomineer ik Monique Wakkerman (alias Monique OG), omdat ze is wie ze is. Aanstekelijk vrolijk, integer en gaat voor haar werk door het vuur. Ze werkt niet veel op de campus, maar als ze er is, schijnt bij ons meteen de zon.
Nominated by Lisanne Hofman