Jennifer Herek will not return as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (S&T) at the University of Twente. At present, she is temporarily on leave as a result of a cycling accident earlier this year. The process of recruiting a new dean will begin shortly. Wiendelt Steenbergen, who has been serving as acting dean, will continue in this role.
Jennifer Herek on her decision: “As S&T continues to heal and rebuild after an extensive and challenging reorganisation, I believe this is the right moment to make space for new leadership to offer fresh perspective and renewed energy to guide our faculty through the next phase. At the same time, I must also listen to my body and focus fully on my recovery from the serious bike accident I experienced earlier this year, which unfortunately is taking more time and care than I had hoped.”
Jennifer began her tenure as dean of S&T in 2019. Prior to that, she had served as Professor of Optical Sciences at the University of Twente since 2006, and as Dean of University College Twente.
Herek reflects: “It has been a great honour to serve as dean of S&T over the past six years. I have been continually inspired by the expertise, dedication, and commitment of everyone within the faculty. I will truly miss the daily collaboration, especially within our faculty board.”
Following her recovery, Herek looks forward to returning to the UT in a new capacity: “I look forward to rejoining the University of Twente in a different role once my recovery is complete. What that role will be is something I look forward to discovering in the time ahead.”
The Executive Board expresses its gratitude to Jennifer for her dedicated leadership over the past six years as dean. Her commitment, vision, and ability to bring people together have left a lasting impact on our faculty and university community.
