Dr.ir. S.J.A. de Beer | People Pages: Find employees & contact details

Given names:

Sissi J.A.

Academic titles:

dr. ir.

Birth date and place:

1979, Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands

Present function:

Associate professor in Sustainable Polymer Chemistry

Program director of Applied Physics

Bibliography

Dr. Sissi de Beer obtained her Ph.D. degree at the University of Twente. After postdoctoral fellowships at the Forschungszentrum in Jülich and the University of Toronto, she is now an associate professor at the University of Twente. In her research, Sissi combines molecular modeling with laboratory experiments to design functional polymer surfaces for application in lubrication, sensing, and molecular separations. Since April 2022, Sissi is also the program director of Applied Physics.

Professional Experience

2022–Present - Program director BSc TN* and MSc AP* (0.6 fte)
Associate professor in Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (0.4 fte)
Department of Molecules and Materials, University of Twente (UT)
Program director BSc TN* and MSc AP* (0.6 fte)
2016–2022 - Assistant professor Materials Science and Technology of Polymers/
Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (UT)
2015–2016 - Postdoc Walker Lab, University of Toronto (Canada)
2013–2016 - Research associate Materials Science and Technology of Polymers (UT)
2011–2013 - Postdoctoral fellow Jülich Supercomputing Center, Jülich (Germany)
2003–2004 - Management-trainee, Glaverbel Nederland, Tiel

Education

2011 - Doctor of Philosophy, Thesis: ‘Probing the Properties of Confined Liquids’, Physics of Complex Fluids, University of Twente, Enschede
2007 - Master of Science, Applied Physics, University of Twente, Enschede

Acknowledgements

NOW TTW Perspectief awarded for RECoVR: Recovery and Circularity of Valuable Resources (2021)
KIJK Top Tech Ideas for eNose for the early detection of potato rot (2019)
HiTMaT Technology Award for eNose in early detection of animal diseases (2019)
Alembic Teacher of Year award (2019)

Research Grants

NWO, 300k, KIC Key Enabling Technologies ELECTRIFIED (total project value ~2000k), 1 PhD (2022)
NWO TTW OTP, 300k, Advanced Grease Lubrication, 1 PhD (2022)
NWA ORC OBSeRVeD, 400k, national consortium (total ~5000k), 3yr postdoc (2022)
DFG Schwerpunktprogramm, 3 yr postdoc (together with Jacco Snoeijer) (2022)
NWO TTW Perspectief, 5000k, ReCoVR, national consortium 50% UT groups (6 PhD, 4 PDs, 5 PDEngs => 2.5 PhD in my team). (2021)
TKI food NIZO, 120k, astringency of plant proteins, 1 PDEng (2020)
4TU.HTM, 9k, seed funding for Perspectief grant (2020)
UT-WWU collaboration, 80k, 1yr postdoc (together with Jacco Snoeijer) (2019)
NWO ENW Open Competition Klein-1, 350k, 1 PhD + 1 junior researcher (2019)
NWO, 300k, TA Soft Advanced Materials, 1 PhD (2019)
Holland High Tech, 25k, HiTMaT award, seed funding for eNose research (2019)
MESA+ innovation grant, 72k, 1 postdoc (2017)
FOM/v, 300k, personal grant (2013)

Academic Activities

Teaching (current)

2022-Present - Lecturer: Dynamics + Special Relativity (TN)
2022-Present - Lecturer: Preparation Bachelor Assignment (TN)
2018-Present - Main Lecturer: Molecular Modelling (CSE, Nano)
2018-Present - Main Lecturer: Statistical Thermodynamics (CSE)
2016-Present - Main Lecturer: Polymer Physics (CSE, Nano, AP)
2013-Present - Lecturer: Organic Material Science (CSE, Nano)

Teaching (previous)

2016-2019 - Lecturer: Statistical Physics (TN)
2013-2015 - Lecturer: Polymer Physics (CSE)
2017 - Tutor: Physical Modelling (TN & AT)
2016-2018 - Coach: Project Thermodynamics (TN & AT)
2014 - Coach: Project Chemistry of Sports (CSE)
2017-2021 - Coach: Project Chemistry of Food (CSE)

Supervision (since2015)

3 postdocs,
12 PhD students (6 finished, 6 ongoing),
27 CSE* and Nano* master students (25 finished, 2 ongoing),
23 undergraduate / visiting students
30 CSE*, TN* and Nano* interns at various international companies and institutes

Prizes students

Leon Smook won the KNCV Golden Master Award (1st place) and Unilever Award (2022)
Rens Horst and Rick Cohen won the Holland Chemistry Student Award (2nd place) (2019)
Aram Klaassen and Bart Stel won the NNV Bachelor Contest (2nd place) (2010)

Organizational Responsibilities

2021–Present - Programme manager NWO Perspectief program ReCoVR
2021–Present - Editorial Advisory Board ACS journal Langmuir
2020–Present - Board member YA@UT
2019–Present - Program coordinator ‘Alternative Driving Forces Forces’ in ‘Industrial Fluid Processing’ cluster of ISPT (Institute for Sustainable Process Technologies)
2021–2022 - Member Programme Committee (OLC) of CSE*
2020–2022 - Member Shaping 2030 Expert Team on Sustainability
2019–2022 - Track coordinator Molecules and Materials Engineering (CSE)
2017–2022 - Mentor for BSc CSE students Chemical Engineering
2019 - Co-organiser ICBZM conference, Rolduc, Kerkrade
2015–2019 - Initiator and organizer of the UT Soft Matter day
2013–2019 - Initiator and organizer of the Soft Matter+ colloquium series
2011–2012 - Assistant in organization Lorentz Workshop: ‘Fundamental Aspect of Friction and Lubrication’
2010 - Assistant in organization Dutch Nanofluidics Days

Expertise

Material Science
- Polymer Brush
- Surface
- Friction
- Liquid
- Solvent
- Vapor
- Coating
Physics
- Liquids

Organisations

In my research, I translate fundamental polymer physics models to technological applications. My students and I study the properties of functional polymer surfaces. These coatings can be employed in advanced sensor platforms and in separation technologies that enable the transition to a circular economy.

Publications

2024

2023

PNIPAM Brushes in Colloidal Photonic Crystals Enable Ex Situ Ethanol Vapor Sensing (2023)ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 6(1), 870-878. Diepenbroek, E., Pérez, M. B. & de Beer, S.https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.3c02397

Research profiles

I am the program director of Applied Physics (AP). In this role, it is my aim to ensure that AP stays the top programme is currently is. Within AP we train high-quality professionals within a strong community of students, staff and teachers, in which we facilitate that everyone can bring out the best out of themselves.

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.