This year, the award winners are Prof. Paul Smeets, Prof. Michel Vellekoop, lecturer Hendrik de With, and researcher Danique de Moor.

Impact Award - Prof. Paul Smeets and Prof. Michel Vellekoop

The Impact Award was presented for the first time this year, as a token of appreciation for colleagues who make an exceptional societal impact. Both winners are 'role models' who demonstrate that top-tier research, high-quality education, and societal impact can go hand in hand. Paul’s research has helped charitable organisations maximise their effectiveness.

Michel co-initiated the Centre for Longevity Risk, where crucial research is conducted on the relationship between ageing and pensions. Marc Salomon, dean of the Amsterdam Business School (ABS) and chair of the Impact Team, presented the award: ‘By recognising and appreciating impact more, we aim to encourage more people to engage enthusiastically in impact projects, enhancing the faculty's societal contribution. This is essential, as there are more significant societal challenges than ever before where we, as universities, can and should make a difference.’

Van der Schroeff Award - Hendrik de With

The Van der Schroeff Award, presented to Hendrik de With, honours lecturers who excel in teaching. Student satisfaction, particularly regarding course design and teaching performance, plays a vital role in the nominations for this award. Hendrik stands out for his educational innovation and his accessible approach in the online pre-master’s programme in Business Administration. Students value his interactive lessons and clear explanations. One student remarked, ‘My dislike for statistics was transformed into admiration—thanks to you!’

Besides his duties as a lecturer, Hendrik is a passionate project leader for the online pre-master’s programme. The dean presented Hendrik with the award during the New Year’s reception.

ABS Dissertation Award - Danique de Moor

Danique de Moor received the Dissertation Award for her thesis A Novel Approach for a Broad Class of Nonconvex Optimisation Problems. The jury report praised her work: ‘Danique introduces a new methodology that enriches the field and opens new avenues for research.’

Danique recently received a NWO Rubicon grant for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. She joined the ceremony via a live video stream. Other nominees for the award included Emma van Gerven, Kai Becker, and Oscar Soons.