Gonneke Stevens appointed professor of Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

From 1 November 2022, Gonneke Stevens has been appointed professor of Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Stevens aims to gain insight into the various factors that influence adolescent health and well-being. "The range of influences is so incredibly broad. Of course individual characteristics contribute to how adolescents are doing. But societal processes, the physical environment, the family they grow up in also influence young people's health and well-being. And all these factors interact. That intrigues me enormously."

Stevens has been at Utrecht University for quite some time. "Indeed! I studied Algemene Sociale Wetenschappen (‘General Social Sciences’), the forerunner of Interdisciplinary Social Science (ISW), at UU. I think I am the first ISW professor who started here as an ASW student. And my interests have always remained the same: studying social issues from different perspectives."

In the media

In recent years, Stevens has led several research projects. One of the biggest is the HBSC study. Recently, she communicated the new results of this study throughout the Dutch media. "I will of course continue to lead this study. The same goes for a project on the relationship between poverty and young people's mental health, in which we will collaborate closely with the target population and with professionals."

Ready, bring it on

Does anything actually change in her work now that she has been appointed professor? "Yes, things will of course change: I will focus more on managing colleagues within ISS. What they need to function pleasantly (together) within ISW. And I can now help determine the direction ISW will take. I am very much looking forward to that. As far as I'm concerned, it's also the right time: I'm ready for it!"