Recognition and Rewards - Cato Drion: ‘This is why I came to Groningen!’

Cato Drion is an assistant professor at GELIFES (Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences) of the Faculty of Science & Engineering. She is on a tenure track with a focus on teaching, thanks to the Recognition and Rewards programme.

I worked as a lecturer in psychobiology at the University of Amsterdam, where I also obtained my PhD. I really enjoyed my time in Amsterdam because I am passionate about teaching and curriculum development. Yet, I missed doing research. Then I saw a vacancy in Groningen for a tenure-track position with a focus on teaching.

For me, this was a unique opportunity. I can now conduct research in my field (neurobiology), but my primary responsibility remains teaching, including organizing and innovating study programs and developing the curriculum. That is the main criterion for my advancement in the tenure-track system.

Research and teaching reinforce each other. The knowledge I gain from neurobiology research can be applied in my roles as lecturer, course coordinator, and thesis supervisor, and it also enables me to conduct educational research. This benefits my students and allows me to develop further. I have been given a lot of freedom and responsibility in this role.

Of course, I don’t know how my academic career will develop in the long run, but I would like to continue on this path. This is my dream position, and this is why I came to Groningen: the connection between teaching and research. I would like to emphasize that the UG is setting the right example here. Allow people to focus on what they do best, so that everyone’s strengths can flourish. This will benefit diversity and ultimately the university.’

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• More information about the Recognition and Rewards programme.