Graduates celebrate with two days of MomenTUm

In two sessions - at 12:00 and 16:00 - the spotlight will be on the freshly graduated bachelors from all departments. They will receive their diplomas from their department and then head down the catwalk at MetaForum in gowns and caps, watched by family and friends in the stands. The presentation will be in the hands of science journalist and playwright Diederik Jekel. Career inspiration will be delivered by alumni Tessie Hartjes (Sales & Investor Relations at Lightyear), Annabel Romijn (physics teacher at Zwijsen College) and Thomas Plantenga (CEO of Vinted). Musical entertainment will be provided by ABBA Experience and student dance association Footloose will give a dazzling show. The defining moment of MomenTUm is, of course, the throwing of the caps in the air en masse.

Cum laude: silver sash

All graduates will receive a gown, cap and red sash to head down the catwalk in style. Students who have completed their undergraduate studies cum laude will wear a silver sash. This year, there are 83 of them and the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science is the primary source with a whopping 40 cum laude laureates.

Academic Awards

As many as 37 students have been nominated for the Academic Awards. There are awards for best bachelor’s thesis, best master’s thesis, best EngD thesis and best PhD thesis. “It’s really very special to be nominated for one of the Academic Awards. These candidates have done an exceptional job of which they can be justifiably proud. In any case, we’re proud of them!”, says rector magnificus Frank Baaijens. He will present the awards on Friday.

Furthermore, in recent weeks the audience has been allowed to vote on which of these 37 nominees they think has done the most compelling research. One of them will be presented with the Audience Award on Friday, and will be awarded a cheque worth 1,250 euros. By the beginning of this week, more than 4,500 votes had already been cast.

Best Teacher Awards

MomenTUm is a celebration for students but also for our teachers as, during the two ceremonies, the best bachelor’s and master’s teachers will be announced. There are four candidates for the title of Best Bachelor’s Teacher: Anna Wieczorek (Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences), Lambèr Royakkers (Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences), Jim Portegies (Mathematics & Computer Science) and Hjalmar Mulders (Applied Physics & Science Education).

Three teachers are up for Best Master’s Teacher: Sandra Loerakker (Biomedical Engineering), Dirk Fahland (Mathematics & Computer Science) and Max Birk (Industrial Design). The winners of these two honorary titles will each receive a check for ten thousand euros.

Marina van Damme Grant

The Marina van Damme Grant is awarded annually to talented female alumni who have completed a master’s, EngD or PhD program at TU/e. The grant includes 9,000 euros for the winner and 2,500 euros for the runner-up. The grant is intended to further develop your career.

This year’s candidates are both from the Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry: Brigitte Lamers and Chenyue Zhang. The presentation of the Marina van Damme Grant can be followed via a livestream.

MomenTUm party

The night before MomenTUm will already be party time because on Thursday, September 29, the indoor hall of MetaForum will be the setting for a huge student party with performances by DJ La Fuente, Zanger Kafke and Straatwaarde.