Faculty of Science appoints three new professors
The Leiden Faculty of Science has appointed three new professors. Daniel Rozen, Frank Takes and Matthijs van Leeuwen were appointed on 1 April.
Rozen, who has been appointed Professor of Microbial Evolution at the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), says he feels honoured. ‘As an American, I am particularly proud to become a professor at a university with such a rich history and a strong international reputation and outlook.’ According to Rozen, the appointment increases the visibility of the IBL, strengthens the training of students and early-career researchers, and helps shape the long-term agenda for education and research.
Takes has been appointed Professor of Network Science at the LIACS and is also very pleased with his appointment. Takes focuses on algorithms for studying complex systems, such as social, economic, and infrastructural networks. ‘In the future, for example, there are many opportunities to model critical infrastructure networks better and more accurately, and to investigate how robust they are. This is important because these networks may come under pressure in the future due to increasing geopolitical tensions.’ Takes also intends to continue his research into how networks of scientific collaboration relate to success in science.
Matthijs van Leeuwen has been appointed Professor of Explainable Machine Learning. ‘It is a wonderful recognition of what I have achieved over the past ten years at LIACS and Leiden University.’ In his new role, Van Leeuwen wants to give more attention to explainable machine learning in both research and education. He also wants to show that AI does not only consist of complex and hard-to-understand models, such as those used in chatbots. ‘Simpler and more interpretable models are often possible. This is especially important in applications with a major impact, such as in healthcare.’
An extended interview with the three newly appointed professors will follow after their inaugural lectures.