WORDS OF APPRECIATION

[Pages:9]VU Research Portal

Playful Reflection van der Meij, M.G.

2017

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citation for published version (APA) van der Meij, M. G. (2017). Playful Reflection: Designing methods for playful reflection on research and innovation.

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Download date: 12. Nov. 2021

WORDS OF APPRECIATION

Words of appreciation

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WORDS OF APPRECIATION

This work has not been made in (complete) solitude. Without the support of many people in my direct and indirect surrounding, this thesis would have never appeared. First of all, I would like to thank my co-promoter Frank Kupper, of course. Frank, I am happy that our brains work like a flywheel. Having collaborated closely for six years now, it is nice to discover that working together is still becoming more playful every day. Then my deep appreciation goes to my promoter Jacqueline Broerse. You blew my mind with your feedback on each piece of this thesis, despite your tons of other obligations. You gave so many ideas for improvement on micro-, meso- and macrolevel. This has been very useful and it was inspiring to work with you. Secondly, I owe many words of appreciation to my reading committee. To start, Susan Stocklmayer, being located on the complete other side of the world! I loved reading your work and felt deeply proud to hear that you approved this thesis. James Bradburne, after I visited you in `your' museum in Florence, I have discussed your thesis with so many of my students! They applied your `user languages' in just as many projects and I internalized them in my way of looking at science communication too. The more I am thrilled that you took the time to read my work and give meaningful feedback. Arend Jan Waarlo, your large experience in science and biology education was indispensable, and made me realize that there is so much more outside the PhD-cave. Tjard de Cock Buning, thank you for your support while I was working at Athena the last few years, and more recently, for your useful comments on this thesis. Today you may discover that you additionally contributed to this work in a different way than you could have ever expected.... And last but not least, I want to thank Barbara Regeer. You are a truly inspiring teacher and researcher for me personally. Due to you, I re-discovered my design interest, albeit for a new context. Your feedback throughout the last six years had a tremendous impact on my `being', and I love your energy and vigor in making things happen. Thank you for dedicating your precious time to the reading and feed-backing on this `piece of work' as well. Thirdly, within the Athena Institute, so many people have helped (in)directly to make everything work and happen. Anouk Heltzel, my angel-student and (hopefully) future colleague. You are a chameleon, taking so many roles in my work and life! As a facilitator, data-analyst, motivator, co-writer, and now, as a friend. Lucky me. I am glad that you are my paranymph. Aafke Fraaije, it was a blessing since you entered the department last year; our meaningful conversations and collaboration moments meant a lot to me. I am grateful that you are supporting me as paranymph. Jantien Schuijer, you make me realize why being a(n almost senior) teacher is so much fun with very strong and fresh colleagues around me. Wieke Betten, our work has been synergetic, thank you for catching up regularly throughout the years. Then, a bit longer ago, Michelle Rijnen has been of great support in my Athena-work as well.

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Further research-related special thanks go to my `voices of the Opinion Lab', and truly inspiring (former) colleagues: Eva Maassen, Sara Vermeulen, and Durwin Lynch (glad you are still around at Athena). The fourth `OL-voice' and help of Yoshi Reinders in the Theatrical Debate was tremendous too. Yoshi, I am happy to be regularly updated by Anouk on the lovely things you are doing nowadays. Further important research assistants have been Jochem van Roon (VNBR, Chapter 6) and Menno Hoogeveen (OL, Chapter 9). You were one of my earlier research interns that I supervised (after Reinier and Marije); I am happy we could learn along the way. Then, although I have `worn out' a couple of roommates (Inge and Derek, I thank you for our chats and fun), I am keen to thank my current roommate Andrew Gilmoor. I am so glad that you eventually `landed' in my room, and that we have a symbiotic way of working together. You make me chat, laugh, work and play. Furthermore, I thank other colleagues for our meaningful interactions: Marjolein Zweekhorst (thanks for taking my `tatters' on education serious), Joske Bunders (your enthusiasm is catching!), Dirk (reminding me to stay calm), Willemijn, Emmy, Ona (you girls shine!), Pim (yes, now I have more time to read philosophy articles again), Christine (for your groundedness), TJ (for our chats in the hallway), Lisa, Octav, Mukesh (keep running guys), Arnoud (I never felt alone in doing `videostuff'), Nienke (back in BJAA times), Ren?e (forming the shoulders of TransLearning), Marije, Marlous & Rosanne (keeping me temperate), Anne-Floor (reminding me of violin playing), Linda (powerwoman and superplanner), and of course Sarah Cummings for patiently revising my manuscripts. Important to mention in relation to case study 1 (Chapter 5) are Jeanine de Bruijn (and Astrid) and Michael Murthaugh, for the great support in TransLearning. Jeanine, you were a great video-teacher; I am happy we occasionally bump into each other at conferences or on the street, and exchange our ideas to make them `rock'. In relation to the synthetic biology case studies (Chapters 6-9), many thanks go to (former) Rathenau and Synenergene colleagues Dirk Stemerding, Virgil Rerimassi (and Marieke), but also Liesbeth de Bakker, Marie-Christine Knippels, Huib de Vriend, Christopher Coenen (ITAS), Antonina (ECSITE), Steen, Erich, Michelle, Alfred, Harald, Joachim, Tony, Franc & Simone, Marcus & Camillo, Annika & Helin, and Alexandre. Thank you for sharing your learning curve on `going RRI'. Related to that, I also thank Giovanni Stijnen, Lucas Keijning, and Rooske Fransen for our numerous Athena-NEMO collaborations. And then of course the improvisation actors of the videos and Theatrical Debate receive my deep appreciation as well: Remco, Wilmie, Geraldine, Maaike, Mark, and Bartelijn, your acting talent was inspiring and of great importance to most of the studies in this thesis! I also thank all students that collaborated in the FRL sessions, and especially biology teacher Kees who allowed me to do FRL sessions in his biology classes; you inspired me. The same counts for the children and parents that participated in the OL test sessions in NEMO. It was great fun to work with you.

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Although a PhD might be something very normal to people that read this, to many people it is not. Therefore, I want to thank the following individuals, who always allowed me to jump back and forth between different worlds. I promise you, maybe to the frustration of some of you, I will always stay as `hybrid' as I am now. My (partially former) teachers (and co-staff) of Delft University Henri Christiaans, Maarten van der Sanden, Michel Kok, Caroline Wehrmann and Ann van de Auweraert; I thank you for bringing up the inner researcher and teacher in me. I also want to thank all Bachelor and Master students that attended my science communication classes in TUDelft and Athena. You keep me `sharp' guys! Furthermore, as a teacher of students that are setting up a start-up, I am happy to have met and work with my Leiden University co-teachers Sjoerd, Thomas, Gijs, Kim, Matthijs and Myrthe. Due to you I can also see RRI in practice. I also thank the `Sam de Waterman'-ladies Anniek, Esmee, Simone and Annemarie, for keeping the entrepreneur awake in me, for making me see the power of narratives (or storytelling) in practice in the `fight' against obesity among young children1. And, I thank all the `ladies in the gym', for having been my loyal Body Balance class participants in the last 10 years. I thank William Nolan and Zdena op de Macks for being such truthful and loyal friends; you supported me both personally and academically, which has been very special for me. Lisanne Rietveld you keep my intuition and `inner creative' awake. Martien Versteegh, I thank you for our numerous open chats about life; you encourage my strength(s). Ananka Meijs, thanks for our sharing of music passion, hip-hop and life conversations. Patrik van Schinkel thank you for encouraging me and being my loyal friend. Zo? Robaay, thanks for jumping into my life and shining so calmly. Chaves thanks for being my co-carpenter & musician. Ludovico, Mitch, Oscar, and Elwin, our interactions were meaningful distractions. Merijn, thanks for being my PhD buddy, supporting me not to refrain from `geeking' around. I thank my old Delft house mates, SC, JC and other friends Ammeret, Lei, Arjanna, Anne, Francien, Renske, Nadia, Wouter, Matthias, Rico, Philip, Jeroen, Marjolein, Pieter, Thomas, Margo, Marcus, Beer, Rob, Jip, Job, Jaap, Merijn, Monica, Merel & Arlette. We live/are (far) apart now, but you are still in my hearth. It was good to `grow up' in such a warm nest. And my thanks go as well to my post-study friends Menno & Roos, Erik, Rob, Oscar, Cathy & Raoul, Francine, Ivar, Tristan, PJ, and Marjolijn. Monique (& Zbigniew, Floortje, Imre) thank you for equipping me to make music. Being able to musically express myself is still a great pleasure to me. Vera Laupman, thank you for being such a great supporter. I always feel welcome. Thank you Yvonne & Wim, Cor & Marjan, Hanny & Nicole for your care and sweetness given throughout my life. `Uncle' Max, thanks for teaching me how to be a carpenter and encouraging me to `at least finish something' in the years I (would) work for a university, `although they pay peanuts' (not my words). My childhood neighbors Ger & Els, Willy & Evelien & Afra. I am happy we still regularly meet one another. My current neighbors of Solid11, I hope we will continue to live happily together.

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Words of appreciation Uncle Joost! Many thanks for being the true inspirer of my interest in `academia'. I owe you a lot, from your (secret) encouragement to aim for Gymnasium, to the numerous museum visits with your elaborative explanations, and lessons in physics, the Greek alphabet, Roman numbers and optical illusions. And for unraveling the identity of our family, which meant a lot me in terms of being able to understand myself and where I come from. Dad George, mom Ingrid and sister Martine, I thank you 1000x for being my eversupportive `grassroots'. Due to your love, patience and support, I happened to `arrive' in this privileged position. Marco, thank you for being my `calm eye in the final PhD-storm', and showing me that the eye is in me too. Zaza, thank you for your paws, licks, beeps, walks and runs through the `green'. Then last but not least, I thank my ancestors that are not on this earth anymore, all the yogis that inspired me in the past few years, and, more practically, the food producers for nurturing me with (I hope) healthy food, and all the other people that took care of my practical needs and health when it was needed. I am still alive. Namast?.

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