Esther Stouthamer appointed professor Delta Evolution and Subsurface Processes

Dr Esther Stouthamer has been appointed by the Executive Board of Utrecht University as professor Delta Evolution and Subsurface Processes in the department of Physical Geography. Her appointment starts the first of March.

Stouthamer has great expertise on the geological and geomorphological development of Holocene deltas, its resulting subsurface architecture, characteristics and processes and made significant contributions to the field in research and education. For example she was the first to reconstruct the Holocene avulsion history of the entire Rhine-Meuse delta. Together with her PhD students, postdocs and colleagues she contributed to delta evolution, avulsion, land subsidence and subsurface schematization and parametrization research.

Her work is characterized by many fruitful collaborations with researchers from adjacent fields and external stakeholders. The themes that she studies are very relevant to the current challenges we are facing in delta regions.

Esther Stouthamer was one of the initiators of Future Deltas, leading this successful focus area for several years. She also initiated and leads the NWA-Living on Soft Soils: Subsidence & Society research programme. Moreover, she was coordinator of the second year lowland genesis fieldwork and member of the board of examiners of the bachelor and master Earth Sciences for many years. And she has been teaching the course Geology of the Netherlands with great enthusiasm and dedication for many years.

Additionally, Stouthamer contributes significantly to the organization of the Faculty of Geosciences, for instance as chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee.