Hester Bijl
Dutch mathematician, professor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hester Bijl is a Dutch mathematician and since 15 January 2026 the rector magnificus of Delft University of Technology[1]. From 2021 until 2026 she was the rector magnificus of Leiden University.[2][3][4][5]
Hester Bijl | |
|---|---|
| |
| Rector Magnificus of Delft University of Technology | |
| Preceded by | Tim van der Hagen |
Life and career
Bijl received a PhD from the Delft University of Technology, along with a master's degree from Leiden University.[2]
In 1999, she started working the Delft University of Technology in the aerodynamics department.[6] In 2013, she became dean of the faculty of aerospace engineering at the Delft University of Technology.[4] In 2021, Bijl was appointed rector magnificus of Leiden University, succeeding Carel Stolker.[4] In 2024, she was reappointed.[5][7] She is the first female rector of the university.[8]
Bijl is on the supervisory board of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research and on the board of the Leiden Bio Science Park.[2] She has been a visiting researcher at the NASA Langley Research Center.[2]