ACTIVITIES IN 2020
Agnites Vrolik Award goes to research project on plastic-free oceans
On 31 August, oceanographer Erik van Sebille won the third Agnites Vrolik Prize for his research into ocean currents. The Utrecht University Fund will be able to award this prize for the next 10 years thanks to a bequest from alumnus Ms Cobi de Bree. The award underlines both the impact of and appreciation for research at Utrecht University. Van Sebille designs software that models ocean currents and maps out the journey made by plastic waste in our oceans. According to the jury: ‘Eric is an outstanding scientist, whose academic output and intense commitment to society are truly admirable.’ All the nominated researchers had been in suspense for a long time, as the planned award ceremony during the Anniversary Day celebration in March had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. The big moment finally came during the official Opening of the Academic Year, when Erik van Sebille was presented with the EUR 25,000 cash prize and Agnites Vrolik award. See pages 10-13 for more information on Erik van Sebille’s research.
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