Lieke Lokin one of the new ‘faces of science’

At the University of Twente, PhD candidate Lieke Lokin (Faculty of Engineering Technology) is one of twelve new ‘Faces’ that the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) today added to its existing line-up of PhD bloggers. These talented young people have been selected by the KNAW to report on their day-to-day lives in the world of science, by means of video clips and blogs. Lieke says that “Its really great that I have been selected for Faces of Science. I hope to show people that research is fun and exciting.”

Lieke Lokin is researching the movement of river dunes. Ms Lokin explains that “At low tide, the retreating sea creates patterns of small ridges on the beach. You see ridges like this in rivers too, but they are much larger. These shifting river dunes move across the riverbed, forming barriers to shipping when river levels are extremely low. I want to get a better picture of how these river dunes move across the riverbed. That will enable us to predict when and where they will form these troublesome barriers.”

Dozens of PhD candidates blog about their day-to-day lives as scientists at Facesofscience.nl. For anyone who is interested in science, these blogs make fascinating reading. They also give school pupils in the fifth and sixth forms of the pre-university education (VWO) stream and university students a realistic picture of what it is like to work in science. This can be useful when trying to decide which course of study to pursue. Video clips of all the new ‘Faces’ will be shot in the upcoming months. They will be introduced online, one by one.

About Lieke Lokin

Ms Lokin started her PhD research in January 2020. Her focus is the dynamics of river dunes – large-scale riverbed morphologies – at high, low, and intermediate flow discharges. Her research goal is to understand the processes that underlie the growth and breakdown of these riverbed morphologies, with the aim of subsequently using this knowledge to create a model. Another special focus of her research concerns the conditions associated with low and extremely low water levels. In addition to her research topic, Lieke Lokin is also interested in various other processes that take place in rivers. These include large-scale morphological developments and the influence of human interventions on the entire river system.

FACES OF SCIENCE

The blogs, video clips, and articles available at Facesofscience.nl give visitors a rare glimpse into the life of a researcher. The aim is to spotlight PhD candidates from various fields of study, to show young people who are trying to decide which course of study to pursue what it is like to be a scientist. Since 2013, in the context of Faces of Science, a total of ninety PhD candidates have blogged about their lives as scientists.

PhD candidates can be nominated as Faces of Science by NEMO Knowledge Link, by members of the KNAW, and by members and alumni of The Young Academy. Faces of Science is a project organised by the KNAW, the Young Academy, and NEMO Knowledge Link. The project is funded by the Lira Foundation. Last year, Judith Austen was selected to represent the University of Twente. Judith developed a self-compassion app for people who have recently been diagnosed with cancer. 

Further information

If you have any questions about Faces of Science, please contact Esther Ladiges, the KNAW’s Communication Officer| esther.ladiges@knaw.nl 

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