With Marijke Huysmans and Bart Roelands, two VUB faculties are appointing new deans. Over the next four years, they will lead the Faculty of Engineering Sciences and the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, respectively. Bart Roelands: “As dean, I want to safeguard the quality of our education and research, while also paying attention to the people who make it possible every day.”
“The challenges facing universities are not getting any smaller. That requires clear choices, but also open dialogue and collaboration.” Marijke Huysmans is Professor of Groundwater Hydrology and a member of the Water & Climate research group. With her appointment, she becomes the second female dean of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, following Annick Hubin. Her teaching and research focus on groundwater modelling, sustainable water management, drought and climate adaptation.
She investigates how sustainable groundwater management can contribute to a resilient water system and teaches her students how to understand and model groundwater.
As dean, she aims to highlight the role of engineers in building a sustainable future and to contribute to positioning VUB as a leading STEM university. “Engineers play a key role in addressing the major societal challenges of our time, including climate change, the energy transition, sustainable mobility, sustainable construction, digital security, health, and the industries of the future. Universities must communicate that role and prepare students for this responsibility.”
Bart Roelands
“My ambition is to bring our strengths together even more”
At the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Bart Roelands takes over the helm. He is Professor of Training Science and Exercise Physiology and also heads the Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy (MFYS) research group. His research focuses on sports performance, fatigue, physical activity and health. In addition, he leads BLITS, the Brussels Laboratory for Exercise and Top-Level Sport, where people can access exercise testing, training guidance, sports medicine consultations and health screenings.
As dean, he aims to continue building a strong faculty in which high-quality, future-oriented education, excellent research and societal relevance go hand in hand. He also wants to strengthen connections between the different areas of expertise within the faculty, while paying close attention to the people who make education and research possible every day.
“Our faculty works on important societal themes such as physical activity, health, sport, rehabilitation and wellbeing. Increasingly, people are becoming aware of the importance of these issues in maintaining and improving quality of life. My ambition is to bring our strengths together even more and make them more visible, both within VUB and to society at large.”