In memoriam: Rick van Zijl

This Wednesday we received the very sad news of the passing of one of our psychology pre-master students, Rick van Zijl, on 2 June 2026, at the age of 24.

We remember Rick as a kind student who was highly engaged, both with the course content and with his peers. In his motivation letter for our programme, he shared his fascination with cognition and behaviour:

“It is fascinating how many people are oblivious to the mental processing that the brain conducts during any action, thought or sensation, taking its intricate complexity for granted. Pondering about the underlying mechanisms of such fundamental cognitive functions is a favourite pastime of mine.”

His intellectual curiosity and broad interest in human behavior were well aligned with the Master’s programme in Psychology he had chosen to pursue, and were also clearly visible during classes.

Our condolences and deepest sympathy go out to Rick’s family and friends, including his peers in the Psychology programme and at the UT. We wish everyone a lot of strength, love, and courage in dealing with this loss. Rick will be missed.

In Ravelijn, there is a condolence table for Rick to share thoughts and signs of sympathy with Rick's parents and sister.

Students who need support or feel the need to talk, can contact the Psychology study advisers via studieadviseur-mps@utwente.nl or student psychologists (utwente.nl/en/sgw/). Employees can contact HR.

On behalf of

Faculty board BMS (Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences)

Prof. dr. Tanya Bondarouk (Dean),

Prof. dr. ir. Klaasjan Visscher (Vice Dean Education)

Programme management Psychology
Dr. Christina Bode (Programme Director Psychology)
Anne Ruumpol-Oltvoort, MSc (Programme coordinator (pre-) MSc Psychology)
Manon te Vaarwerk, MSc (Programme Coordinator BSc Psychology)
Marleen Janssen, MSc (Junior Programme Coordinator Psychology)
Romee Olde Keizer, MSc (Study Adviser (pre-)MSc Psychology)
Jeanet Luijerink, MSc (Study Adviser BSc Psychology),
Iris Ceulen, MSc (Study Adviser BSc Psychology)
Chantal van Veluwen, MSc. (Study Adviser BSc Psychology)

& all teachers of the Psychology Programme