Prof. Piet Hoekstra appointed dean of the Faculty of Geosciences

Effective 1 March 2015, Piet Hoekstra has been appointed dean of the Faculty of Geosciences by the Executive Board of Utrecht University. Hoekstra has had a long administrative career at Utrecht University, having previously served as director of education for the Earth Sciences programme, chair of the Physical Geography Department, vice-dean of Education and, since July 2014, as acting dean of the Faculty of Geosciences.

Piet Hoekstra (1958) is professor of Physical Geography at Utrecht University, where he also studied and obtained his PhD. He specialises in the morphology of coastal and delta systems. As a researcher, he investigates the relationships between currents and the accompanying displacement of sand and sediments, and the way in which this process changes coastlines. His research spans multiple disciplines, with developments in socio-economics and ecology becoming increasingly important.

Hoekstra’s research also extends beyond the Netherlands. He is currently in charge of a large research project in Vietnam's Mekong Delta that is exploring the relationship between increasing urbanisation, groundwater extraction and subsidence. He and his team also conduct a great deal of research in the Wadden Sea region of the Netherlands. He is the author of numerous international publications and is active on the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (CMER; serving on the Ministry of Economic Affairs' audit committee evaluating Wadden Sea subsidence due to gas extraction) and on the Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission (VNSC).

The Geosciences Faculty Council is pleased with Hoekstra's appointment and looks forward to a continued good, critical and constructive working relationship with the dean and the Faculty Board.

Faculty of Geosciences: a sustainable Earth for future generations