This year we have 5 candidates for the elections of the Bèta district, whom are highly motivated to continue advocating for our rights for another council term. Meet them here!
#1 Jan-Willem Langenbach
I am Jan-Willem Langenbach and a first year biochemistry PhD in the group of prof. Boons. I focus on the design, synthesis and biological testing of novel immunosuppressive drugs. I have previously been a city council member and have always combined my passion for research with that for politics. If elected, I want to ensure that the working climate for early career scientists is improved. “Science can be rough, and we should make sure that there are fair working conditions, enough support, and that there are plenty of social activities to enjoy.
#2 Hao Zhang
I’m Hao Zhang, a PhD candidate from department of biology, and also play a role as the PhD program coordinator in Environmental Biology. I’m running as a candidate from UPP. As an international student, I want to bring more diversity to the council and help other international students and employees get involved in university activities.
#3 Angela Melcherts
My name is Angela Melcherts, I am a 3rd year PhD candidate in the group of Inorganic Chemistry & Catalysis, where I work on the conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals. During my studies I’ve been a student board member of the department of Chemistry and a member of the Faculty council. Now I fully support UPP to represent early career staff in the university council.
#4 Romy Riemersma
I’m Romy Riemersma, I am currently a member of the research group Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, where my research involves conversion of greenhouse gases into useful chemicals. The last 4 years I have been involved with PhD representation and this has shown me that there is still much to do when it comes to improving communication as well as mental wellness and inclusion. To do this, it is essential that PhDs are represented in the university council. For this purpose I have been a member of the Utrecht University council for the last two years on behalf of UPP.
#5 Linge Li
I am Linge Li, a PhD candidate at Utrecht PhD Party and a tomato researcher. My research is focused on studying how tomato cultivars respond to far-red light at the cellular level, using techniques such as microscopy analysis, RNA sequencing, and evolution analysis to reveal the underlying mechanism. I have been living in the Netherlands for five years and obtained my MSc degree in plant sciences from Leiden University. As an international student, I faced challenges in both research and social life, which is why I am committed to bringing more diversity to Utrecht Universiteit Council and supporting the involvement of international students and employees in university activities.
Picture credits: Chris Rijksen (Romy, Linge); Linge Li (Jan-Willem, Hao); Personal collection: (Angela)