I am an ecologist by background. Most people probably see me as an enthusiastic, creative and practical person. Since I am employed in ITC (almost twenty years ago), the focus of my work has been on the application of geo-information in the field of “Natural Resources management”. With satellite images, and aerial or UAV-based sensors we can observe what happens on the Earth’s surface. Also with new technologies like mobile apps, lots of spatial data can be generated. These technologies help us to map the quality of our environment, assess the environmental impacts we make and develop more sustainable use of natural resources. Some examples of what this involves are: estimating the amount of carbon in vegetation or soils (to avoid and to mitigate CO2 emissions), assess changes in land use because of food production, generation of bioenergy and other bio-based products or the protection of biodiversity and high conservation values. I enjoy being scientifically on the move. Besides publishing scientific papers I hold a diploma in journalism because I see talking to society equally important to communication within the scientific community.

My passion is coaching students and designing education. I supervise students at all levels: PhD, MSc and post graduate. In my free time, I give guest lectures for WWF on nature conservation in high schools and primary schools and help WWF-Netherlands with shaping their education strategy. Besides the contact with students during my teaching, I also enjoy designing innovative (e-learning) materials. I can put all my creativity in e.g. editing educational films or designing quizzes. Since two years I’m involved in the Programme Committee in ITC because I feel it is important to have a saying in issues related to the quality of education.