DYA Board

DYA Board 2023-24

The second board of the Delft Young Academy is a dynamic blend of both returning and fresh faces, all united in their dedication to advancing the mission of DYA as a platform for development of early career researchers at Delft University of Technology. The members of the second board are:

This board represents the community of early career academics at TU Delft, so feel free to get in touch with one of the board members for a chat!

Dr. Ana Somoza-Tornos

Ana is an Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at TU Delft Applied Sciences faculty. Her research focuses on developing Process Systems Engineering tools close carbon cycles in the chemical industry via the introduction of carbon capture and utilization and chemical recycling technologies.

As she steps into her role as a DYA board member, Ana is committed to supporting the development of early career academics at TU Delft. She plans to adopt, in her efforts, a comprehensive approach of overseeing the needs of young researchers, ensuring resource accessibility, and orchestrating activities tailored for career advancement.

Dr. Angelo Accardo

Angelo is an Associate Professor with expertise in 3D printing of engineered cell microenvironments at the TU Delft Mechanical Engineering faculty. As a founding member of the inaugural DYA board, Angelo organised discussions among the deans of TU Delft for fostering inter-faculty collaborations among early career researchers. Moreover, he also engaged with the TU Delft Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) board to create opportunities for young TU Delft researchers affected by disabilities.

As a returning board member, Angelo remains steadfast in his commitment to these transformative projects and will continue to serve as a vital contact point for the early career researchers within the TU Delft Mechanical Engineering faculty.

Dr. Cees Haringa

Cees is an Assistant Professor at the TU Delft Applied Sciences faculty and the co-chair of the 2023-24 DYA board. Cees was an instrumental part of the inaugural DYA board last year, making significant contributions to event coordination and policy oversight.

As a DYA board member, Cees is committed to fostering even greater community engagement, ensuring that every DYA member has a voice in shaping DYA’s stance on critical issues. Furthermore, he aims to expand the reach of education within DYA and broaden DYA event portfolio to include more specialized discussions and community-building events, drawing from the success of last year's post-doc event.

Dr. Delphine De Tavernier

Delphine is an Assistant Professor at the TU Delft Aerospace Engineering faculty, specializing in wind turbine aerodynamics. Her efforts, as the founding board member, have been pivotal in advocating the interests of young academics within the sphere of university policies such as academic career progression, development initiatives, and starting grant.

Delphine begins her second year as Treasurer of the DYA board, leveraging her invaluable experience from the inaugural board. With her continued involvement, she hopes to amplify the voice of young academics within the Delft University of Technology academic community.

Dr. Darinka Czischke

Darinka is an Associate Professor in Housing and Social Sustainability at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft. Darinka has been co-chair of the Delft Young Academy since its establishment in 2021. She is also the founder of the Co-Lab Research group at the Delft University of Technology and the co-founder of the working group ‘Collaborative Housing’ at the European Network for Housing Research (ENHR).

In her second year as co-chair of the DYA, Darinka’s vision is to solidify a strong community of early career academics at the Delft University of Technology, one that proactively contributes to shaping TU Delft’s future. To achieve this, she plans to take the lead in formulating DYA's stance on crucial matters impacting early career academics and participate in discussions at both the university and national levels.

Dr. Jazmin Zatarain Salazar

Jazmin is an Assistant Professor in Policy Analysis at the TU Delft Technology, Policy and Management faculty where she also serves as the co-director the Hippo DAI Lab specializing in AI-based decision support for water and climate-economy systems. Her work integrates hydrologic sciences, AI, and multi-objective optimization to address pressing water and environmental challenges.

Jazmin is passionate about building community among early career scholars at Delft University of Technology. As Jazmin embarks on her second term on the Delft Young Academy board, her goal is to enhance engagement among young academics. She envisions achieving this by organizing a diverse array of community activities, with the aim of facilitating collaboration and strengthening the academic community at TU Delft.

Dr. Junzi Sun

Junzi is an Assistant Professor in the TU Delft Aerospace Engineering faculty who specializes in the field of air traffic management and operations and is passionate about open science. He joins DYA as one of the newly appointed members, bringing a new outlook to the Delft Young Academy board.

Junzi has a strong passion for community building. Within DYA, his objective is to support the development of young academics at TU Delft, empowering young researchers to express their visions for both the university and their own academic disciplines.

Dr. Martin Sand

Martin is an Assistant Professor of Ethics and Philosophy of Technology at TU Delft Technology, Policy and Management faculty. He has worked at TU Delft since 2018, first as a Marie-Curie Fellow and then as a full-time teacher. He finds it important to talk about failures in academia and not only successes. His addition to the DYA board brings a unique perspective – one that recognizes the value of both achievements and setbacks as sources for learning and improvement.

Martin’s willingness to discuss and learn from challenges has helped him develop a deep understanding of the uncertainties scholars encounter at the outset of their careers and he aims to use his insights to support TU Delft young academics. As a DYA Board member, he aims to increase the recognition of teaching responsibilities as a fundamental dimension of academia.

Dr. Michael Weinmann

Michael Weinmann is an Assistant Professor in the Intelligent Systems department at the TU Delft Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science faculty. His research is focused on the accurate, efficient capture and representation of 3D scenes as well as their interpretation and visualization. Beyond computer science, Michael's research also targets interdisciplinary application scenarios including telepresence and medical applications as well as applications in cultural heritage, civil engineering, architecture, arts.

As a part of both the inaugural DYA board and the current DYA board, Michael particularly contributes to fostering interdisciplinary collaborations among early career researchers as well as supporting the development of early career researchers.

Dr. Yan Feng

Yan is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Mobility in eXtended Reality Lab at TU Delft Civil Engineering and Geosciences faculty. Yan is also a valued sounding board member of DEWIS (Delft Women in Science), women’s network of scientists at the Delft University of Technology.

Yan's passion for cultivating innovative strategies aimed at fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue is rooted in her recognition that the most profound insights often emerge at the intersection of diverse perspectives. Her dedication to promoting this collaborative approach will be a valuable addition to the board. Moreover, Yan is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the sphere of professional development for early career academics.

DYA Board 2022-23

The first DYA board was appointed on February 15th 2022. Meet the board here:

Former Board Members

DYA thrives thanks to the dedicated board members who have played an integral part in shaping our mission and vision. Meet the former board members who have contributed to DYA's growth:

Public appearances of DYA board members

Interview TU Delta to Angelo Accardo
Interview TU Delta to Darinka Czischke

Board Member Selection

We are currently looking for new board members, please find more information here.