I am not sure whether it is a good sign to start every post with a sentence akin to: “sorry, I’ve been busy and this has been a ‘draft’ post for a few weeks now”, but anyway, big personal news to announce: after having completed my PhD and a postdoc position at HMI at the University of Twente I have accepted a new position at the Digital Society School in Amsterdam as senior researcher. I will be heading the research in the Digital to Physical track there.

It is not without a hint of sadness that I will be leaving the amazing place that is HMI. I am incredibly thankful to all the wonderful people I’ve met there and collaborated with throughout the years. I am sure future collaborations are on the cards! At the same time change is exiting and invigorating and I am very happy to join the DSS! What has me especially excited is the DSS’s dedication to researching and designing technology with an explicit focus on its potential benefits for society. This is exemplified by the DSS’s commitment to the UN’s sustainable development goals.

As senior researcher I will be working with a group of post-master trainees as well as students and professionals that make up the track’s projects each semester. I will further develop my line of research on social communication through physical interactions at the DSS while at the same time exploring related topics of research, such as tangible interaction design and interactions in physical spaces.