University women in Leiden Top 50
International Women's Day (8 March) saw the announcement of the first Leiden Top 50: fifty Leiden women who have made a difference over the past year through their activities. Many of the women in the list are affiliated with our University.
Unsurprisingly, all five of the women in the Science and Higher Education category are researchers or academics at Leiden University. There are also academics, staff and students in other categories.
The ‘leading University women’ in the Leiden Top 50 are:
- Martina Vijver: Professor of Ecotoxicology, who is researching the harmfulness of substances to our living environment. She is the driving force behind Leiden University's Living Lab.
- Melissa Little: Leiden Honorary Doctor in 2019, who received the award for her pioneering discoveries in the field of regenerative medicine of the kidney.
- Aya Ezawa: Diversity Officer at Leiden University, who is committed to making our University a diverse and inclusive institution.
- Irene Groot: who conducts research on the production of sustainable materials, and strives to promote the work and careers of young female scientists via the RISE women's network.
- Joanne van der Leun: Dean of Leiden Law School, who over the past year has striven to bring about a futureproof faculty closely connected with the city, including creating a Leiden Law Park in the area around the Van der Werf park.
- Minke Holleman: who last year directed the whole array of activities celebrating 444 years of Leiden University.
- Nynke Feenstra: a PhD candidate who, alongside her research, works to broaden the acessibility of society, in particular museums, to include people with a functional disability.
- Fleur Peterse: chair of Leiden's largest student association, LSV 'Minerva', where she organises activities that forge a strong connection with the city.
- Felienne Hermans: Associate Professor at the Leiden Institute for Computer Science, who not only conducts research on teaching programming to children, but also translates her work to the practical environment.
- Andrea Evers: Professor of Health Psychology, who won the Stevin Prize in 2019, the Netherlands' highest science award for research that has a societal impact.
- Katja Malokhvei: Student and chair of non-profit organisation the Veerstichting, where her aim is to broaden the diversity of the field of participants of the foundation.
- Lara Ummels: knowledge broker Leiden Kennisstad.
The Leiden Top 50 is an initiative of Feminist Evolution Leiden. All Leiden residens were invited to nominate women for the list. The final selection was made by the two initiators, Liang de Beer and Jenny Bruin, together with a jury.
See the complete Leiden Top 50 compiled by Feminist Evolution Leiden.