What is your position within FGB?
I work as an associate professor in the Department of Clinical, Neuro-, and Developmental Psychology. In this position, I have different roles and activities within teaching and research. Within teaching, I am coordinator of two courses for which I also give lectures and I enjoy being programme director of the research master's programme Clinical and Developmental Psychopathology. As a researcher, I focus on the development of self-image and social cognition in adolescents, looking in particular at the underlying brain mechanisms. Of course, I do not do this alone, but together with three PhD students I supervise and with researchers from a national consortium ('Growing Up Together in Society') of which I am one of the principal investigators. Finally, I am secretary of the faculty's Standing Committee on Science and Ethics.
What has been your development path at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam?
I started at VU Amsterdam on 1 January 2017 as a postdoc on a research project by Lydia Krabbendam. In this position, I also became coordinator of a course. This was new for me as I had little teaching experience before joining VU Amsterdam in my previous postdoc position. In 2021, I got a Tenure Track appointment in which I also got a bigger teaching appointment and started the SKO. This was the moment I discovered that I find not only teaching, but also organising and innovating education incredibly fun and challenging. In recent years, I have therefore become increasingly involved in education and, since last year, also in the role of programme director.
What are you most proud of?
Last year, as a brand-new programme director, I had to get straight to work on a cost-cutting assignment. Fortunately not alone, but together with the directors of the other three research master's programmes within psychology and, of course, with the subject coordinators. I am proud that together we have set up a nice plan for a joint research master's. Much remains to be done, but I am pleased to see that there is so much motivation to provide good education, even when difficult choices have to be made or when educational innovation requires a lot of time and effort.
What is the biggest challenge at the moment?
I have various roles and activities. I am also currently taking the Educational Leadership course. Together, this provides a lot of variety and it makes me keep developing, but it is also challenging. Regularly, many things have priority and then it is sometimes difficult to decide what to prioritise. There are also larger projects such as working on the joint research master, but also preparing the visitation of the programme, which involves many parties. This requires fine-tuning and makes it necessary to switch quickly from time to time, but at other times it is important to slow down.
And another thing about yourself: what do you do when you're not working?
When I'm not working, I'm usually with my family. I love to be outside, so on weekends we often go for walks. We moved to Heiloo at the end of November and we enjoy the green surroundings there, with woods, beach and dunes around the corner. I also like to read, especially in the garden, and I love running, but I don't do this enough at the moment.
