UvA Thesis Prize 2023 goes to chemist Milo Cornelissen
UvA chemistry alumnus Milo Cornelissen has won the UvA Thesis Prize 2023. He received the prize from the hands of Hans Romijn, interim dean of Acta. As usual, there were seven nominees, one from each faculty. Cornelissen was awarded €3,000 for his thesis. Last November, he also won the Unilever Research Prize 2022.
Milo Cornelissen won the first prize with his thesis “Incorporation of directional and quinone-functionalized macrocycles in covalently synthesized rotaxanes,” quite a mouthful, but what the thesis is about is the description of new methods for making a unique type of entangled molecules, so-called rotaxanes. It is a topical thesis of exceptional quality. “Groundbreaking research by an exceptional student,” the jury said. “Fundamental research with a potential impact on energy supply and green hydrogen.” He wrote his thesis during a project at the Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences and is now a doctoral student at the Technical University Berlin.
Gender
The gender distribution was much improved over last year. Whereas last year only one woman was nominated (who did not win), this time the nominees consisted of four women and three men, who each won €1,000. The other candidates included Lily Davies (FEB) with a thesis on the support for coronavirus measures; Tijmen van Voorth uizen (FGw), who wrote a thesis on experiences of homosexuality in Amsterdam between 1890 and 1940; and medical school alumnus Titia Sulzer, who wrote a thesis on cerebrospinal fluid drainage during a specific type of cardiac surgery.
Kübra Andas, now a pediatric dentist in Monnickendam, was nominated on behalf of Acta dental faculty. Anthropologist Marcio Joseph was nominated on behalf of FMG with a thesis on faith, freedom, and subjectivity in spiritual communities. Finally, Julie Davis was nominated on behalf of the Faculty of Law with a thesis on victims' right to be remembered after atrocities in relation to international criminal law.
Like last year, the award ceremony took place in the Spui25 room on the Spui. At that time, jury president Agneta Fischer was not too pleased with that unusual venue. Her colleague, Dean André Nollkaemper, agreed with her. “Next year I would like the Aula,” he announced in Folia. It was not to be, but that did not diminish the joy.
