Former top TU Delft aerospace engineering student Roelof Vos is currently studying at the University of Kansas (US) on a prestigious Fulbright scholarship, researching morphing technology for aircraft wings.
With thousands of kilometers of Kansan prairie land stretching in every direction, who better than Vos to say if the grass really is greener for foreign students on the other side of the Atlantic?
The closest most Americans come to Kansas is flying over it at 35,000 feet on the way to someplace else. And that’s just fine with most people, because Kansas is to New York City as Amsterdam is to Bobeldijk, the tiny village in Noord-Holland where Roelof Vos is originally from – although admittedly Kansas isn’t tiny: this vast, sparsely populated prairie state is six times larger than Holland and has more cows (6.65 million) than Denmark has people (5.36 million).
But there is a good university there – the University of Kansas (KU) – where Vos (25), recently married and with his Dutch wife Carola at his side, is happily working on his PhD in Aerospace Engineering, courtesy of a Fulbright Scholarship.
What made you decide to apply for a Fulbright?
“Dr. Ron Barrett invited me to do a PhD with him at the University of Kansas. I met Dr. Barrett in 2004, when he was spending one year at TU Delft’s Aerospace Engineering Faculty. While searching for info about studying in the US, I came across the Fulbright website and decided to apply.”
Why were you awarded a Fulbright?
“There were over 300 applications and only about 30 people got a fellowship. Why me? I don’t know for sure. I guess being the only engineer that got a fellowship had something to with it, plus the fact that I graduated top of my class and had published a few papers.”
What is a Fulbright exactly?
“The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other nations. The Fulbright Program is privately funded: my fellowship is funded by the Netherlands America Foundation (NAF).”
What’s the secret of your academic success: are you just smarter than the most people or an exceptionally hard worker?
“Working hard has paid off for me. I graduated in five years from Delft, worked at the Aerospace Faculty for a while and then went to the University of Manchester (England) to work on an interesting project. I think many students are capable of achieving the same thing, and that is by doing creative research and not being afraid to let the rest of the world know about it via publications or conference papers.”
What project are you working on at the University of Kansas?”
“I’m working on morphing technology for aircraft wings, one of the hot topics in aerospace right now. My aim is to simultaneously reduce complexity and cost while improving wing performance in both the transonic and the low subsonic realm.”
Are the facilities at KU better than TU Delft’s?
“Delft’s facilities are great, but they’re much more spread out and you’re dependent on people in the shops to help you. Here, I work in a lab that basically has everything I need: composite, metal and electrical tooling. And I can make a lot of the things myself or with the help of undergraduate students.”
Is KU a foreign student-friendly place?
“KU is really foreign student-friendly. Last year it won an award for being the most internationally-oriented US university. So there are lots of international students and faculty members here. This creates a really good atmosphere and people learn from each other.”
Has it been difficult to make friends with Americans?
“Carola and I joined a salsa class at the beginning of the fall semester and we got to know a lot of people there that we now consider our friends.”
What’s the strangest thing you’ve encountered in your department?
“Well, Dr. Barrett once fired up a small homebuilt jet-engine and cooked burgers on the exhaust pipe!”
Is there anything that TU Delft should copy that KU is doing particularly well?
“Delft should copy KU’s mandatory homework policy. By having to complete regular homework assignments, you automatically keep up with the class and there’s not this huge load of work to study when exams come.”
Where do you live?
“Off campus in a two-bedroom apartment. It’s inexpensive and only about a 15-minute bike ride from campus. The KU campus is great. Foreign students here for short stays, like exchange programs, normally stay in residency halls on campus “
What’s a typical weekend like for you in Lawrence, Kansas?
“Friday night we have salsa lessons. Sometimes we go to Kansas City to dance at a salsa club. On Saturdays we usually do a pot-luck dinner with friends: everybody brings food and we all eat together. On Sunday afternoons we take ballroom dance lessons.”
Did you make friends with any foreign students while at TU Delft?
“Yes, I worked together on a project with a British student from Imperial College. That was kind of fun and we kept in touch for a while.”
Can TU Delft compete with top US universities?
“Delft can already compete with top US universities. I can only speak for the TU’s Aerospace Faculty, but in terms of education it’s definitely as good as here – although the teaching methods are better here. I’d like Delft to have students do more independent research in labs. At KU, undergrads are doing projects, competing in nationwide competitions, and this really makes them skilled engineers.”
What are your plans for after graduation in 2009?
“As a Fulbright Fellow, I have a two-year home requirement, which means I can’t get a visa to stay in the US. So we’re going back home. And I don’t mind, even though I like living here as much as in Holland. Although different, both are great places to be.”
Roelof Vos. (Photo: Sam Rentmeester/FMAX)
The closest most Americans come to Kansas is flying over it at 35,000 feet on the way to someplace else. And that’s just fine with most people, because Kansas is to New York City as Amsterdam is to Bobeldijk, the tiny village in Noord-Holland where Roelof Vos is originally from – although admittedly Kansas isn’t tiny: this vast, sparsely populated prairie state is six times larger than Holland and has more cows (6.65 million) than Denmark has people (5.36 million).
But there is a good university there – the University of Kansas (KU) – where Vos (25), recently married and with his Dutch wife Carola at his side, is happily working on his PhD in Aerospace Engineering, courtesy of a Fulbright Scholarship.
What made you decide to apply for a Fulbright?
“Dr. Ron Barrett invited me to do a PhD with him at the University of Kansas. I met Dr. Barrett in 2004, when he was spending one year at TU Delft’s Aerospace Engineering Faculty. While searching for info about studying in the US, I came across the Fulbright website and decided to apply.”
Why were you awarded a Fulbright?
“There were over 300 applications and only about 30 people got a fellowship. Why me? I don’t know for sure. I guess being the only engineer that got a fellowship had something to with it, plus the fact that I graduated top of my class and had published a few papers.”
What is a Fulbright exactly?
“The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other nations. The Fulbright Program is privately funded: my fellowship is funded by the Netherlands America Foundation (NAF).”
What’s the secret of your academic success: are you just smarter than the most people or an exceptionally hard worker?
“Working hard has paid off for me. I graduated in five years from Delft, worked at the Aerospace Faculty for a while and then went to the University of Manchester (England) to work on an interesting project. I think many students are capable of achieving the same thing, and that is by doing creative research and not being afraid to let the rest of the world know about it via publications or conference papers.”
What project are you working on at the University of Kansas?”
“I’m working on morphing technology for aircraft wings, one of the hot topics in aerospace right now. My aim is to simultaneously reduce complexity and cost while improving wing performance in both the transonic and the low subsonic realm.”
Are the facilities at KU better than TU Delft’s?
“Delft’s facilities are great, but they’re much more spread out and you’re dependent on people in the shops to help you. Here, I work in a lab that basically has everything I need: composite, metal and electrical tooling. And I can make a lot of the things myself or with the help of undergraduate students.”
Is KU a foreign student-friendly place?
“KU is really foreign student-friendly. Last year it won an award for being the most internationally-oriented US university. So there are lots of international students and faculty members here. This creates a really good atmosphere and people learn from each other.”
Has it been difficult to make friends with Americans?
“Carola and I joined a salsa class at the beginning of the fall semester and we got to know a lot of people there that we now consider our friends.”
What’s the strangest thing you’ve encountered in your department?
“Well, Dr. Barrett once fired up a small homebuilt jet-engine and cooked burgers on the exhaust pipe!”
Is there anything that TU Delft should copy that KU is doing particularly well?
“Delft should copy KU’s mandatory homework policy. By having to complete regular homework assignments, you automatically keep up with the class and there’s not this huge load of work to study when exams come.”
Where do you live?
“Off campus in a two-bedroom apartment. It’s inexpensive and only about a 15-minute bike ride from campus. The KU campus is great. Foreign students here for short stays, like exchange programs, normally stay in residency halls on campus “
What’s a typical weekend like for you in Lawrence, Kansas?
“Friday night we have salsa lessons. Sometimes we go to Kansas City to dance at a salsa club. On Saturdays we usually do a pot-luck dinner with friends: everybody brings food and we all eat together. On Sunday afternoons we take ballroom dance lessons.”
Did you make friends with any foreign students while at TU Delft?
“Yes, I worked together on a project with a British student from Imperial College. That was kind of fun and we kept in touch for a while.”
Can TU Delft compete with top US universities?
“Delft can already compete with top US universities. I can only speak for the TU’s Aerospace Faculty, but in terms of education it’s definitely as good as here – although the teaching methods are better here. I’d like Delft to have students do more independent research in labs. At KU, undergrads are doing projects, competing in nationwide competitions, and this really makes them skilled engineers.”
What are your plans for after graduation in 2009?
“As a Fulbright Fellow, I have a two-year home requirement, which means I can’t get a visa to stay in the US. So we’re going back home. And I don’t mind, even though I like living here as much as in Holland. Although different, both are great places to be.”
Roelof Vos. (Photo: Sam Rentmeester/FMAX)
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