"I am a scientist"

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Utrecht University's Faculty of Science is a diverse and inclusive community. At the Faculty of Science opening of the Academic Year 2019/2020 a diversity campaign was launched by the Dean of the Faculty, Isabel Arends, together with Anja Volk.

Group of seven scientists

Westerdijk award

Anja Volk is Assistant Professor in Information and Computing Sciences and winner of the 2018 edition of the Westerdijk Award, the Faculty of Science diversity award. She took the initiative for the diversity campaign, presenting seven Faculty of Science scientists on life size mock-ups and in short videos, featuring the scientist and his/her field of research.

Anja has chosen to spend the Westerdijk prize money, with some additional funds supplied by the Diversity Committee, on this campaign which seeks to counteract stereotypical expectations about scientists, by showing diversity at full width to the Science academic community (students and staff).

The Westerdijk Award is awarded to employees in recognition of their efforts to create a more diverse organisation. The faculty staff can submit nominees for the prize. The Diversity Committee judges the nominations. Johanna Westerdijk was the first female professor in the Netherlands.

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