Education

News in brief

Robbed (1)The Delft Police Department is currently searching for thieves who have robbed TU students in the street. The victims of these robberies included a group of four foreign students.

The police believe a gang is responsible. Delft police chief Kees Zandbergen believes the thieves are part of “a relatively large gang”, that the majority of the thieves are from Delft, and that this gang of thieves is responsible for a series of robberies that have occurred in Delft over the past four months. The police are especially concerned by the “degree of violence” the thieves have used during the robberies. The four foreign students (three women from Italy, Austria and Poland, and a man from Austria), were held up at gunpoint two weeks ago and had their wallets and phones stolen from them. The three male robbers . one had a pistol, which he fired in the air . are said to be between 20 and 30 years old, and were wearing baggy, dark pants and hooded sweatshirts.
Robbed (2)

In late January, TU student Wouter de Jong had the shock of his life when he was returning home late at night from a party at the Delftsch Studenten Corps. De Jong was entering the house of a friend on the Oude Delft when a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt suddenly struck him on his back. De Jong tried to escape in the direction of the Leger Museum, but the robber pursued him – hitting him and making death threats. De Jong was forced to hand over his phone and wallet, but the thief demanded more. De Jong was then forced to go to a bank machine and withdraw 1,000 euro. The thief then forced De Jong to let him into the apartment of his girlfriend, where the thief stole two laptops. The thief then demanded that De Jong come with him to Den Haag in a taxi. De Jong however was finally able to escape when the thief got into the taxi.
Shell Bachelor Prize

TU Delft student Leen van der Ham has won the 2006 Shell Bachelor Prize. Van der Ham received the prize (2,500 euro) during the final, which was held on 13 February. His Bachelor’s thesis explored the possibilities of converting hydrogen into electricity. Shell Netherlands annually award these prizes to encourage young talented students to focus on sustainable development. Van der Ham’s research involved testing a material that could be used as a membrane in fuel cells. The fuel cell, in which hydrogen can be converted into electrical energy, is not yet being used on a large scale, because the material from which the membrane is presently made . Nafion . is expensive. An alternative material is sulphurous polyaramide, which conducts well, but has poor mechanical properties. Adding a second polymer would improve the material. Van der Ham tested this material for its conductivity of the electrical current and for its mechanical properties. His conclusion is that the material is suitable for use in fuel cells.
Van der Wielen

Shell has appointed TU Delft Professor Luuk van der Wielen a ‘principal scientist biotechnology’. Van der Wielen will scout and create new technological options in the field of biotechnology. He will remain a professor in TU Delft’s Biotechnology department (Bio-separations section). Van der Wielen will also retain his position as scientific director of B-Basic, a public-private research consortium for industrial biotechnology. Professor Van der Wielen’s research area is expected to play an increasingly greater role in the process of converting biomass into biofuel.
Tandemplus

The IDEA League . the network of five leading European universities of technology – has received € 500,000 from the European Commission for a program that aims to encourage women to pursue careers in science. The program, called Tandemplus, offers trainings, networking meetings and a mentor to female scientists who have graduated within the past few years. The program is particularly focused on the personal development of women who are considering careers in science. Four women from each university will be selected to participate in the program; they will then follow trainings together in areas that include career planning, leadership, management and networking. In addition, each university will organize networking meetings that people from outside the program will also be invited to attend. Finally, each participant in the program will be assigned a mentor, who in most cases will be a staff member of one of the other IDEA League universities. The selection of women to participate in the program will begin in the spring. In addition to TU Delft, the other universities participating in the program include Imperial College London, RWTH Aachen and ETH Zúrich.

Robbed (1)

The Delft Police Department is currently searching for thieves who have robbed TU students in the street. The victims of these robberies included a group of four foreign students. The police believe a gang is responsible. Delft police chief Kees Zandbergen believes the thieves are part of “a relatively large gang”, that the majority of the thieves are from Delft, and that this gang of thieves is responsible for a series of robberies that have occurred in Delft over the past four months. The police are especially concerned by the “degree of violence” the thieves have used during the robberies. The four foreign students (three women from Italy, Austria and Poland, and a man from Austria), were held up at gunpoint two weeks ago and had their wallets and phones stolen from them. The three male robbers . one had a pistol, which he fired in the air . are said to be between 20 and 30 years old, and were wearing baggy, dark pants and hooded sweatshirts.
Robbed (2)

In late January, TU student Wouter de Jong had the shock of his life when he was returning home late at night from a party at the Delftsch Studenten Corps. De Jong was entering the house of a friend on the Oude Delft when a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt suddenly struck him on his back. De Jong tried to escape in the direction of the Leger Museum, but the robber pursued him – hitting him and making death threats. De Jong was forced to hand over his phone and wallet, but the thief demanded more. De Jong was then forced to go to a bank machine and withdraw 1,000 euro. The thief then forced De Jong to let him into the apartment of his girlfriend, where the thief stole two laptops. The thief then demanded that De Jong come with him to Den Haag in a taxi. De Jong however was finally able to escape when the thief got into the taxi.
Shell Bachelor Prize

TU Delft student Leen van der Ham has won the 2006 Shell Bachelor Prize. Van der Ham received the prize (2,500 euro) during the final, which was held on 13 February. His Bachelor’s thesis explored the possibilities of converting hydrogen into electricity. Shell Netherlands annually award these prizes to encourage young talented students to focus on sustainable development. Van der Ham’s research involved testing a material that could be used as a membrane in fuel cells. The fuel cell, in which hydrogen can be converted into electrical energy, is not yet being used on a large scale, because the material from which the membrane is presently made . Nafion . is expensive. An alternative material is sulphurous polyaramide, which conducts well, but has poor mechanical properties. Adding a second polymer would improve the material. Van der Ham tested this material for its conductivity of the electrical current and for its mechanical properties. His conclusion is that the material is suitable for use in fuel cells.
Van der Wielen

Shell has appointed TU Delft Professor Luuk van der Wielen a ‘principal scientist biotechnology’. Van der Wielen will scout and create new technological options in the field of biotechnology. He will remain a professor in TU Delft’s Biotechnology department (Bio-separations section). Van der Wielen will also retain his position as scientific director of B-Basic, a public-private research consortium for industrial biotechnology. Professor Van der Wielen’s research area is expected to play an increasingly greater role in the process of converting biomass into biofuel.
Tandemplus

The IDEA League . the network of five leading European universities of technology – has received € 500,000 from the European Commission for a program that aims to encourage women to pursue careers in science. The program, called Tandemplus, offers trainings, networking meetings and a mentor to female scientists who have graduated within the past few years. The program is particularly focused on the personal development of women who are considering careers in science. Four women from each university will be selected to participate in the program; they will then follow trainings together in areas that include career planning, leadership, management and networking. In addition, each university will organize networking meetings that people from outside the program will also be invited to attend. Finally, each participant in the program will be assigned a mentor, who in most cases will be a staff member of one of the other IDEA League universities. The selection of women to participate in the program will begin in the spring. In addition to TU Delft, the other universities participating in the program include Imperial College London, RWTH Aachen and ETH Zúrich.

Editor Redactie

Do you have a question or comment about this article?

delta@tudelft.nl

Comments are closed.