About

I am an Associate Lector (tenured research professor) at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences - Hogeschool van Amsterdam, faculty of Society and Law. I am affiliated to the Center of Expertise Urban Governance & Social Innovation, research group Coordination of Urban Issues, where I currently lead two research teams. I am also a trainer for researchers (PhDs and research supervisors). From 2007-2018 I was a researcher and an Assistant Professor of Organization Sciences (tenured) at the VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Social Sciences. See my linkedin profile for more.

My professional passions? Helping researchers to optimally develop their talents, professionally and personally, while developing societal relevant knowledge. Text and language work. Questions of social innovation and environmental sustainability. I am a member of the municipal biodiversity council (Groenraad) in my hometown Amstelveen.  
My personal passions? Biodiversity/nature, gardening, sports, yoga, (vegan) cooking and literature. My favorite place: the beach. 


I have a PhD in Economics and Business Administration, an MA in Philosophy, and an MA in Literary Analysis (cum laude, University of Amsterdam and University of California, Los Angeles). I spent one year at the Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, acquiring the Diplôme Superieur de la Langue Française. I have my certificate for Teaching in Higher Education (BKO, basiskwalificatie onderwijs). Moreover, I am a certified yoga instructor and a trainer for researchers. Prior to academia, I worked as program officer/manager at international development institutes Hivos and IICD, and before that as ICT Consultant at different start-ups. I am a bilingual native speaker of English and Dutch and near-fluent in French.

Research
My main research interest is social network dynamics among diverse stakeholders, analyzing how such networks foster social innovation. I study these dynamics in the light of network governance and strategy, across a wide range of social innovation contexts, particularly environmental sustainability and social inclusion. 

My methodological expertise is qualitative, and semantic and social network analysis. Please see my projects for more details, my publications for an overview of published or forthcoming research outcomes, or a short movie profile of my research interests and motives.

Research training
Research is all about developing expert knowledge. This is a collaborative endeavor, which involves all kinds of specific skills like project and stakeholder management, communication, planning and negotiations. These are skills that researchers are assumed to have, but which are by no means obvious. In our research trainings for young scholars and for research supervisors we offer hands-on training based on scientific evidence to strengthen these skills, and thereby enhance the quality and effectiveness of research projects. 

Text work

I have a passion for text and am an experienced translator, text editor and copy editor. My perfectionist (or: slightly obsessive) nature where it comes to text helps me develop clear, concise and well-structured text communications. If you would like my help or advice in text work (Dutch or English), please contact me!

Yoga

I am a certified yin yoga instructor. My yoga practices are primarily aimed at relaxation in mind and body, and strengthening inner balance. I teach small group yoga at IBC Amstelland for people with physical injuries and constraints, particularly shoulder and back-related, in close collaboration with shoulder and back experts Karin Hekman (physiotherapist) and Holly Tops (acupuncturist).  Each lesson is tailor-made to suit my students. In my yoga practices I seek to balance yin and yang yoga poses and flows, combined with mindfulness relaxation techniques. I completed my teacher training under the private tutelage of Inge Langereis.

Personal

I am a total book worm and devour stacks of (mostly contemporary English) literary novels whenever I have time to spare. I love spicy cuisines and like experimenting with vegan / vegetarian Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Further, I love sports (yoga, bootcamp), gardening and most of all: doing fun stuff preferably outdoors with my family (husband, 2 kids and 2 cats).

If you have research ideas, proposals, or text work, please do not hesitate to contact me