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Dr. Rudy Folkersma

Board Member

Dr. Rudy Folkersma

Rudy Folkersma studied Chemistry at the University of Groningen, specialising in Polymer Chemistry. He obtained his PhD in 1997 at Eindhoven University of Technology under Prof. Klaus Stein with the thesis: “Microgravity Coagulation and Particle Gel Formation”. His PhD research describes the influence of gravity on the coagulation of small particles in a liquid. The research was partly carried out at the AMC in Amsterdam and Kiruna (Swedish Lapland) and has led to a better understanding of the interaction forces that play a role in solid particles within a liquid.

From 1997 to 2000, Rudy worked as a research associate at the Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI) in Eindhoven. Here, he was primarily involved in writing scientific publications, supervising students and PhD candidates, and setting up research collaborations with industry in the field of polymers.

Rudy Folkersma has been working at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences since 2000. He started as a lecturer and advisor for the Drenthe Knowledge Centre, after which he worked as programme manager for the technical programmes at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences from 2005 onwards. Since 2011, Rudy has been a professor of Circular Plastics and has been involved in innovations in the field of sustainable plastics technology in collaboration with industry. In addition, he is a co-developer of various programmes and teaching modules, including the Master’s programme in Polymer Engineering, minor programmes at higher professional education (HBO) level and elective modules at senior secondary vocational education (MBO) level.

Together with Prof. Katja Loos and Dr Vincent Voet, he established the first Hybrid Research Group in the Netherlands, a collaboration between the Circular Plastics research group at NHL Stenden and the Macromolecular Chemistry & New Polymeric Materials department at the University of Groningen. This initiative was recognised in 2022 with the NWO Team Science Award.