Farewell Symposium "Math Applied" and Lecture by Prof. Stephan van Gils
Last Friday afternoon, the 6th of December, the University of Twente (UT) hosted a special farewell symposium themed "Math Applied" in honour of prof. Stephan van Gils.
Hosted by Hil Meijer, the symposium featured insightful talks by distinguished speakers:
- Prof. A. (Arjen) Doelman (Leiden University): "Pattern formation and the resilience of ecosystems"
Prof. Arjen Doelman discussed phenomena such as fingering, tipping points, and Busse balloons. He highlighted how the fingering phenomenon resembles the appearance of tumours. One critical tipping point he mentioned was the current state of water flow from the Rijn River into the Neder-Rijn and the Waal. Due to river channelling, the branch leading to the Neder-Rijn and IJssel receives less water. If no action is taken, the IJssel River could dry up within 100 years. - Prof. M.J.A.M. (Michel) van Putten (UT-NCPH): "Neuronal Dynamics in Energy Deprivation"
Prof. Michel van Putten discussed how brain activity and energy usage can be visualized using electrodes. These energy patterns reveal how the brain recovers from energy loss, providing insights into brain function and resilience. - Dr J.M. (Jelmer) Wolterink (UT-MIA): "Artificial intelligence for imaging & precision medicine"
Dr. Jelmer Wolterink discussed the history of AI and its impactful application in imaging. He explained how AI enhances our understanding of images in medical scans and how it helps to create Scientific Machine Learning models. These models can quickly predict the development of an aortic aneurysm over time, improving medical diagnostics and treatment planning.
After the break, the stage was set for Prof S.A. (Stephan) van Gils to deliver his Farewell lecture.
Prof van Gils presented his Farewell lecture titled ‘Zoals verwacht, liep alles anders” (As expected, everything runs differently’). The speech was enriched with short stories full of anecdotes, each concluded with a relevant piece of classical music. Of course, it couldn't be any different one musical intermezzo featured Mick Jagger.
The event marked an important moment in celebrating Prof van Gils' contributions and impactful application of mathematics in various fields and his commitment during the last few years as department chair for the Department of Applied Mathematics (DAMUT).
The symposium and lecture were attended by a wide audience and a large cortège, reflecting the respect for Prof van Gils by his (former) colleagues and PhD students.
