About us.

Our research team spreads over different disciplines and organizations. Here we introduce our core team members.

Our Team

Andries Richter
​Associate Professor, Wageningen University and Research 

I am an economist working on coupled social-ecological systems, looking at how dynamics in the natural system, the socioeconomic system and governance institutions influence each other. The Grensmaas project is a fascinating case to study how nature-based solutions shift responsibilities, and also the way we perceive flood risks, landscapes and living environments. As a Living lab, we will explore how we can better anticipate and respond to surprises – the unknown unknowns that may occur in the ecological or socioeconomic subsystem.

Marjolein Sterk
Senior Researcher, Wageningen University and Research ​

​I was introduced at the Grensmaas during my work for ARK Nature Development. For me the Grensmaas is a system full of energy. The river connects the social and ecological system in a dynamic way and even over borders. The Grensmaas-project has proven that cooperation between different stakeholders can result in a win-win situation. A beautiful one!

Edwin Peeters
​Associate Professor, Wageningen University and Research ​

The Bordermeuse was one of the first rivers I studied for the small water bugs. I’m very interested in the biodiversity of the Bordermeuse valley, resilience of the system, the connection with the society and in what way citizen science may contribute to the project. I’m also looking forward to the cooperation with Maastricht University!
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Tatiana Filatova
Professor, University of Twente

For years I have been working on socio-economic responses to floods and climate change adaptation. Grensmaas is a great example of the successful nature-based solution (NBS) project that addresses the flood safety while creating synergies between ecological, economic and social dimensions. Being fascinated about complexities of coupled social-ecological systems, I strive to understand how NBSs get accepted, how they impact flood risk perceptions, socio-economic resilience and the redistribution of risks in society.

Asli Mutlu
Ph.D. Candidate, University of Twente

I joined the team in August 2020. I work on developing a spatial Agent-Based Model to understand the socio-economic impacts of Nature-Based Solutions. I am very excited to discover the behavioral aspects of economic choices that households make on where to live and how to adapt with the help of the largest river restoration project of the Netherlands, the Border Meuse (Grensmaas). 

Roy Erkens
Senior Lecturer, Maastricht University

I have been visiting the Grensmaas already quite some years with my students to learn about the Grensmaas project and the biodiversity of the reconstructed areas. However, so much is unknown about the biology of the area. It is great to be able to contribute to the built up of scientific knowledge together with other knowledge partners but also via citizen science.

Maya Daumal
Ph.D. Candidate, Maastricht University

​I started my Ph.D. on the ecological part of the living lab Grensmaas in July 2020. I will be looking at the biodiversity of the area and relate it, with help of the team, to the social and economical aspects of the Grensmaas. We will also work together with citizen science to expand the data collection while raising awareness in the area. It is an exciting and multi- disciplinary project and I am looking forward to see our results.

Floris Boogaard
Professor dr. ir., Hanze University

Floris graduated 1972 at Delft University of Technology. In 2015 he finished his PhD research on the quality of stormwater and optimising sustainable urban drainage systems. In April 2013 Floris accepted a professorship Spatial Transformations at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. After 22 years experience in consultancy and management at Tauw group (1999) he joined Deltares (2020) as senior consultant in the field of climate adaptation and Global Center on Adaptation (2018). Floris is the co-founder of the company Innovative Dynamic Monitoring (INDYMO) and tools as ClimateScan and ClimateCafe to make cities more resilient to climate change. Research fields include: #climateadaptation, nature based solutions, interdisciplinary monitoring, water supply (quality) management and urban planning.  

Gabriela Milyanova
Project leader, Hanze University

Gabriela Milyanova works in the field of climate adaptation for the Hanze University in Groningen. There, she focuses on developing a learning community on climate adaptation (Innovation Lab) that connects students, researchers and practitioners around the topic. Next to that, she is working in the program team of the Climate Adaptation Week 2020. Gabriela has a background in art and design creating awareness on the impact that creativity can have on tackling big societal issues such as climate change. She has created and taught two courses for art and design students within Academie Minerva on the topic of sustainability. Combining both her background and her current job, she focuses on incorporating design thinking methodology within the climate café structure. These design thinking tools promote creativity and help students in the climate café come up with innovative ideas and incorporate art and design to prototype and communicate them. The incorporation of art and design in the concept of climate cafes acts as a bridge between science and citizen participation and it fosters awareness and is a powerful tool to open up discussions.

Lotte de Jong
Ph.D. Candidate, Hanze University

I started my PhD in February 2021 and have a background in adaptive water management. I am very curious about social ecological system elements that reinforce or modify climate adaptation. The Grensmaas project serves as a great example of nature based adaptation and integrated water management. My research will focus on integration through participation in climate change adaptation. Examples of integration are for instance across geographical, institutional, private-public, paradigms and temporal scales. Emphasis will be on applied research, therefore I will make use of multiple tools and participatory methods embedded in ClimateCafés. I enjoy fieldwork, discussions and find great value in collaboration.