PhD Committee Introduction

Hi all,  

As the newly formed LEARN! PhD committee we want to introduce ourselves and our plans to include PhD students in LEARN! activities. If you have any ideas or suggestions regarding how we can do this, feel free to reach out to us!  

Mayke Nollet, m.a.y.nollet@vu.nl

Elise van Triest, e.m.van.triest@vu.nl

Tisja Korthals Altes, t.korthals.altes@vu.nl

Mayke Nollet - Learning Sciences

I started my PhD about the educational and labor market outcomes of young people with mental health problems in September 2023. At the moment, I am working on my first study which is a systematic review. For the other studies of my dissertation, I am going to use large-scale data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and Nivel – a non-profit organization that conducts health care research. By performing this research, I hope to contribute to the effective support of young people with mental health problems. One of the most enriching aspects of my PhD is the interdisciplinarity within my promotion team. They bring varied expertise from different study backgrounds – ranging from methods and statistics to economics, educational sciences, and pedagogical sciences – and I myself have a study background in sociology. I believe this kind of collaboration fosters mutual learning, allowing us to explore novel ideas and accomplish more collectively! This similar interdisciplinary nature of LEARN! therefore really appeals to me. As a member of the PhD committee, I aspire to create opportunities for PhD candidates with diverse knowledge and skills to connect and learn from each other. I would also like to organize activities that cater specifically to the needs of LEARN! PhD students. So please feel free to share your needs with me and my fellow committee members!

Elise van Triest - Educational Neuroscience: brain, learning and development

I started my PhD in fall of 2024. During my project I will conduct a randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of a growth mindset intervention for children with dyslexia on the effectiveness of their dyslexia treatment. We will follow a large group of children across their treatment and use questionnaires and (neuro)cognitive measures alongside reading and spelling tests to investigate the effect of the growth mindset intervention. My background is in clinical developmental psychology and in my research I want to strive to connect research and clinical practice. We can learn so much when we take different perspectives into account. This also extends to what attracts me to LEARN! Collaboration between different scientific disciplines and practice are important to make a meaningful contribution with the research we are doing every day.

Tisja Korthals Altes - Educational governance, identity and diversity

As an employee and former student in higher education, I have a drive to better understand and aid in creating more inclusive higher education. Fortunately, I am in a position where I can focus hereon both in my function as diversity officer at hogeschool Windesheim and within my part-time PhD on inclusive higher education. My PhD is, more specifically, on how teachers and students in higher education describe and experience inclusion and inclusive practices. Here I also take into account the policy of their universities and teachers/students’ needs and expectations from their university. This is studied using a systematic literature review, surveys and interviews with teachers and students, and an analysis of university/hogeschool policy. I am excited to join Elise and Mayke in organizing events for the (disciplinary) diverse PhD community of LEARN! Herein I am especially looking forward to hearing your input, creating moments in which we can share insights, thoughts, and experiences and, ofcourse, learn(!) together.