Han de Winde becomes chairman of Biotechnology Department at Delft University of Technology
12 January 2006 by M&C TNWProfessor Han de Winde has been appointed chairman of the Biotechnology Department, part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, with effect from 1 April 2006. He succeeds Professor Gijs Kuenen who stepped down from the position on 1 January.
Han de Winde has been part-time professor of Industrial Genomics at Delft University of Technology since June 2002. He gained his doctorate in Amsterdam in 1992. His first appointment was at the newly founded BioCentrum Amsterdam, where he remained for two years before going on to spend over five years with the Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology at the University of Leuven, Belgium. In 1999, Prof. De Winde then took up a new appointment with the research department of DSM Life Science Products in Delft.
From 1 April, Professor De Winde will assume broader academic responsibilities at Delft. He will be responsible for the “Genetics of Industrial Micro-organisms” programme which will serve to establish a strong position for the discipline of (molecular) microbial genetics and genomics technology, in both the traditional and modern forms, within the Biotechnology Department.
Under the guidance of its retiring chairman, Gijs Keunen, the department has seen substantial growth in both size and quality. A close-knit team has been created, with many successful cooperative projects being undertaken by the various sections. Under Han de Winde’s chairmanship, the department will continue to consolidate the high level of quality, and will strive to maintain and build upon its leading European position in the field of industrial biotechnology.
Prof. Sef Heijnen has kindly agreed to stand in as acting chairman of the department until 1 April.
