On December 8th, 2021, Elegnano founder, Katrien Herdewyn, became Honorary Professor at the Faculty of Engineering at the oldest Belgian university and Katrien's alma mater, KU Leuven. The official inauguration was postponed to May 2022 because of COVID.
Each year, the Faculty of Engineering Sciences awards this mandate to one non-academic individual as a recognition for his/her contributions to the field of engineering. Katrien majored in Electrical Engineering, and obtained her BS in Engineering in 2008 with a minor in Material Sciences. Two years later, in 2010, Katrien graduated with a MS in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at KULeuven.
It was the engineering student organization VTK who had the honor to select this year's Honorary Professor in light of the centennial celebration of the organization. The mandate was subsequently proposed to and approved by the Faculty Board and university.
In the next five years, Katrien hopes to inspire aspiring engineers to choose for a career in STEM - especially minorities, as well as encourage everyone in the profession to stay creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial. Read more about it on the KULeuven website or in this interview (p.8-10).
Katrien during the official inauguration at Campus Arenberg in Heverlee, Belgium on May 16, 2022.