Delft student honoured by Dutch government

11 December 2007 by M&C/ScienceGuide

Press release - Marten Hillen and a group of colleagues from Delft have made a substantial contribution to the full restoration – physical, organisational and conceptual – of the system of levees and water catchment areas around New Orleans, following hurricane Katrina and its terrible aftermath in the Mississippi delta and the city itself. This was the motivation behind news site ScienceGuide and student organisations ISO and LSVb naming him ScienceGuide Student of 2007. He was honoured by Minister Plasterk of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science on December 11th.

Photograph: Jeanine Porck

In New Orleans, Hillen, together with Royal Haskoning, supported the US Army of Engineers which was tasked with rebuilding the levees and water defences around New Orleans. His input proved invaluable as time and again he succeeded in identifying the connection between the technical approach and solutions and the need to view these from a different perspective in order to prevent a repeat of the disaster.

Daring
The input provided by the Dutch students helped their US partners to see that it will not just be restored levees which will save the city from now on. The enormous wetlands in the delta and the bayous around the city have proved to be essential in absorbing the effects of the hurricane. By applying this daring and innovative mindset to a city and region in which climate change is now clearly and tangibly visible, Marten has proved in very real terms what Dutch expertise and talent can achieve elsewhere in the world. The great appreciation expressed by those involved in the USA for the work of Marten and his colleagues also shows that this expertise and talent can command respect as well as create opportunities.

Innovative
2007 was the year that the world woke up to climate problems and the realisation that this also offers opportunities for innovation and revising and applying knowledge. This certainly applies to the Netherlands, with its traditions and specialisation in water, dikes, environmental and energy technology, gas extraction and much more. ScienceGuide, ISO and LSVb therefore sought a student who embodies this innovative and questioning approach.

More information
Please see www.scienceguide.nl (Dutch) for more background information.
Science Information Officer TU Delft Roy Meijer,  +31-(0)15-2781751, r.e.t.meijer@tudelft.nl