Four University of Groningen professors awarded Royal Decorations

On Friday 26 April, four University of Groningen nominees received a Royal Decoration. Prof. J.M.A. Scherpen, Prof. E.M. Steg, Prof. M.M. Roggenkamp and Prof. O.P. Kuipers have been appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

The recipients are all international pioneers in their fields and are widely acclaimed for their excellent personal achievements and great societal reputations. The awarding of these exceptional, royal distinctions to three top female scientists reflects the endeavour to anchor diversity and inclusivity in UG policy in the coming years very well.

Linda Steg

Linda Steg (Ooststellingwerf, 1965), Professor of Environmental Psychology at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, is internationally recognized as one of the most prominent and undisputed experts in her field. During the last 25 years, she has developed and applied her area of expertise – environmental psychology – in an exceptional way and applied it to one of the most urgent social questions of our time: energy transition and climate change.

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Jacquelien Scherpen

Jacquelien Scherpen (Schoonebeek, 1966), Professor of Discrete Technology and Automation of Production at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, is one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of measurement and control technology. She is known as a very gifted, enthusiastic scientist and teacher, a source of inspiration to students and a strong researcher with a tremendous drive for finding innovative solutions to challenging problems stemming from professional practice. She contributes significantly to the development of new technologies that are indispensable for highly socially relevant applications, such as robotics, digital factories and smart energy grids.

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Martha Roggenkamp

In an excellent manner and with great personal commitment, Martha Roggenkamp (Groningen, 1955), Professor of Energy Law, gives substance to the activities belonging to the Chair of Energy Law. For more than 30 years, she has been untiring and assiduous in her efforts to stimulate both teaching and research in the area of energy law. She is the first Professor of Energy Law in the Netherlands and is internationally considered a pioneer and a figurehead in her field, which covers many facets and which she has consistently endeavoured to bring to prominence internationally.

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Oscar Kuipers

Oscar Kuipers (Rotterdam, 1956), Professor of Molecular Genetics at the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB) of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, manifests himself as an excellent and creative scientist and a driven, inspired researcher, teacher and supervisor. His work involves complex, fundamental scientific and innovative challenges that are highly socially relevant, such as improving food safety and fighting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Students praise him for the way in which he motivates and inspires student teams from Groningen who participate in the globally renowned International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition.

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