In an exciting start to the 2024 ‘Week of Education,’ Tracy Craig, a mathematics lecturer and associate professor in the Applied Mathematics department of the Faculty of EEMCS, has been awarded the Brinksma Innovation Grant (BIG). The announcement was made on Monday morning during the event’s opening ceremony.
An interview with Tracy and what the grant means to her:
Tracy Craig’s winning proposal, titled ‘Mathematics and Didactics Synthesis: Creating Teaching and Learning Resources for Topics in Mathematics for Technical Subjects,’ stood out among the competition. Her proposal aims to improve the educational resources available for technical subjects in mathematics.
Learn more about her proposal in the video below:
Other finalists
According to the jury, the competition was strong, with other notable finalists including Daniela Craciun, an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Policy in the BMS Faculty, and Martin van der Hoef from the TNW Faculty’s Department of Physics of Fluids, Chemical Engineering, and ATLAS.
Get to know Daniela’s and Martin’s proposals through the videos below:
Daniela:
Martin:
Opening speech
In her opening speech, CES director Lieke Schreel emphasized the importance of valuing education and the need for a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing. ‘While the content of education may remain constant, teaching methods are always evolving. It’s a never-ending journey to discover the most effective ways to teach’.
Award details
Tracy Craig received a unique statue shaped like a pig, symbolizing the Dutch word for ‘pig’ which corresponds to the grant’s acronym ‘BIG.’ Along with this distinctive award, she was granted financial support and a €2500 voucher for travel or other project-related expenses.
The Brinksma Innovation Grant, established in 2017 and named after former Rector Magnificus Ed Brinksma, is designed to recognise and support innovative educational projects. This year, eight submissions applied for the grant.
Celebrating the Week of Education
The award ceremony marked the beginning of the ‘Week of Education,’ an initiative from the Centre of Expertise in Learning & Teaching (CELT) within CES. This week-long event features a variety of activities, workshops, and events aimed at celebrating the efforts and accomplishments of the university’s educational community.
