Leoniek Wijngaards-de Meij is Professor Data use for innovation in Higher Education, and Dean of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Utrecht University. Leoniek is also Principal Fellow at the Centre for Academic Teaching, UU and chair of the Deans of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the Netherlands (DSW). 

Biography Leoniek
Leoniek’s scientific interest lies in the field of multilevel analysis, and enrolment, academic achievement and diversity in Higher Education. In recent years she has directed her focus to interfaculty projects where research and educational innovation meet.

Her research activities have focused on the effect of the so-called Matching procedure that aims to help the prospective bachelor student to decide on the final study choice. She has been monitoring the possible effects of the Matching procedure at the UU since 2013 and the monitoring has supported improvements in the Matching procedure. As an expert on the matching procedures she is in close contact with the Ministry of OCW, the VSNU, (other) higher education institutions and the ISO (students).

Her work has also developed to a focus on innovation in education, from redesigning courses and (parts of) curricula, to interfaculty projects. She obtained funding (interfaculty USO) for her project ‘visibility of learning trajectories’ for which software was developed that allows programmes to make their learning trajectories visible and easy accessible for students, teachers and curriculum developers. The software is used by numerous programmes within the UU and at the University of Amsterdam. 

Leoniek has been the chair of the committee of the International Multilevel Conference 2015 and 2017 and has been teaching courses on Multilevel analysis at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, at University College Utrecht and as invited teacher at other national and international Universities.

Watch the inaugural lecture: 
Click on Youtube or copy the link: https://youtu.be/AGbIXTF-vaA

Reading inaugural lecture: 
The text can be read in the Oratie_Wijngaards-de Meij_15 september 2021_Naar een volwaardige en inclusieve universiteit.pdf. 

Inflow and academic success within the context of a diverse student population
* link to website that belongs to the report 'Inflow and academic success within the context of a diverse student population', can be found at the bottom of this page *