Bert Weckhuysen
{{short description|Belgian chemist}}
Bert Marc Weckhuysen FRSC (born 27 July 1968) is a professor of inorganic chemistry and catalysis at Utrecht University, originally from Belgian descent. Weckhuysen is best known for his developments in operando (micro)spectroscopy; imaging catalysis at macro, meso and micro scales, from the reactor down to interactions between single atoms and molecules. He was a winner of the 2013 Spinoza Prize, and was knighted in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2015.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/programmes/spinoza+prize/spinoza+laureates/overview+in+alphabetical+order/bert+weckhuysen |title=Prof. B.M. (Bert) Weckhuysen |publisher=Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research |date=26 August 2014 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}
Biography
Weckhuysen was born on 27 July 1968 in Aarschot.{{cite web|author= |url=https://profs.library.uu.nl/index.php/profrec/getprofdata/2311/1/1/0 |title=Prof.dr.ir. B.M. Weckhuysen (1968 - ) |publisher=Catalogus Professorum Academiæ Rheno-Traiectinæ, Utrecht University |date= |accessdate=8 April 2016}} He studied chemistry and biology at Leuven. He obtained his PhD in Leuven in 1995 under R. Schoonheydt with a thesis titled: Oppervlaktechemie van Cr aan anorganische oppervlakken. In 2000 Weckhuysen was appointed as professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University.
In 2020 Weckhuysen was head of a commission which wrote a proposal for new scientific funding in the Netherlands. The proposal of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences was sent to Minister of Education, Culture and Science Ingrid van Engelshoven.{{cite web|author=George van Hal |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/knaw-stelt-radicale-ommezwaai-voor-in-nederlandse-wetenschapsfinanciering~bfb69da2/ |title=KNAW stelt radicale ommezwaai voor in Nederlandse wetenschapsfinanciering |language=nl |publisher=de Volkskrant |date=16 October 2020 |accessdate=17 October 2020}} He is editor-in-chief of the Catalysis Science and Technology Journal.{{Cite web |title=Catalysis Science and Technology Journal |url=https://www.rsc.org/journals-books-databases/about-journals/catalysis-science-technology/#boards-staff |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=Royal Society of Chemistry |language=en-GB}}
Research Consortia
Bert Weckhuysen was (one of) the main initiator(s) of several large research program initiatives. For example, he served as scientific director of Catchbio, a 10-year public-private Smartmix partnership programme in the catalytic conversion of biomass chemistry that was announced in 2005.{{cite web|last1=Joppen|first1=Lucien|date=3 April 2017|title=Catalytic conversion of biomass CatchBio: focus on chemistry|url=https://www.agro-chemistry.com/articles/catalytic-conversion-of-biomass-catchbio-focus-on-chemistry/|url-status=live|website=Agro&Chemistry|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516230439/http://www.agro-chemistry.com:80/articles/catalytic-conversion-of-biomass-catchbio-focus-on-chemistry/ |archive-date=2018-05-16 }}
Honours and awards
In 2006 Weckhuysen received the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV) Golden Medal at the age of 37.{{cite web |url=http://kncv.nl/onderscheidingen/prof-dr-ir-bert-weckhuysen.173557.lynkx |title=Prof.dr.ir. Bert Weckhuysen Considerans Gouden Medaille 2006 |language=Dutch |publisher=Royal Netherlands Chemical Society |date=28 September 2006 |accessdate=25 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626112639/http://kncv.nl/onderscheidingen/prof-dr-ir-bert-weckhuysen.173557.lynkx |archivedate=26 June 2015 }} Since 2011 Weckhuysen is member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.knaw.nl/nl/leden/leden/11689 |title=Bert Weckhuysen |language=Dutch |publisher=Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |date= |accessdate=25 June 2015}} In 2013 he was one of three winners of the Dutch Spinoza Prize and received a 2.5 million euro grant.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/programmes/spinoza+prize/spinoza+laureates/overview+by+year/2013 |title=NWO Spinoza Prize 2013 |publisher=Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research |date=3 September 2014 |accessdate=25 June 2015}} On 24 April 2015 he was made Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.{{cite web|author= |url=http://kncv.nl/nieuws/verenigingsnieuws/chemici-bert-weckhuysen-en-emmo-meijer-koninklijk.180046.lynkx |title=Chemici Bert Weckhuysen en Emmo Meijer Koninklijk onderscheiden |language=Dutch |publisher=Royal Netherlands Chemical Society |date=29 April 2015 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.uu.nl/nieuws/chemicus-prof-bert-weckhuysen-benoemd-tot-ridder-in-de-orde-van-de-nederlandse-leeuw |title=Chemicus prof. Bert Weckhuysen benoemd tot Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw |language=Dutch |publisher=Utrecht University |date=24 April 2015 |accessdate=25 June 2015}} Weckhuysen is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
References
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External links
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- [http://www.uu.nl/medewerkers/BMWeckhuysen/0 Profile at Utrecht University]
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Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Category:Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Category:Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences