Eindhoven University of Technology appoints new dean of Electrical Engineering department

The Executive Board has appointed Professor Mark Bentum as dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) as of September 1. He succeeds Professor Bart Smolders, who has led the department since 2016.

For the past 25 years, Professor Bentum (1967) has worked at ASTRON, the Dutch institute for radio astronomy, serving as head of the Astronomy & Operations department in recent years. From 2008 to 2017, he was also associate professor at the University of Twente. Since 2017, he has been part-time Professor of Radio Science in the Electromagnetics research group at TU/e. He won TU/e’s Best Bachelor Lecturer award in 2021. In addition, Bentum holds an MBA degree from Nyenrode Business University.

Robert-Jan Smits, President of the Executive Board: “We are very pleased to have Mark Bentum as the new Dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering. We know him as a highly energetic, connecting and inspiring leader, who is ideally suited for this role and to take on the challenges of the department. These include the continued growth in student numbers, the implementation of the revamped Bachelor College, and the continued expansion and strengthening of the department’s research, including in the area of semiconductors.”

“I am very much looking forward to getting started as Dean of EE. It is a wonderful department, with an enormous number of highly motivated people, where I have felt at home from day one,” said Bentum. “Excellence in teaching and research are spearheads for me, as is growth of the department. The demand for electrical engineers is huge and we want to meet it as best we can. It is also important that we have a healthy working climate, where everyone enjoys working. The topic of ‘recognition and rewards’ is very important in that.”

Bentum will begin his position as dean on three days a week in order to properly transfer his work at ASTRON. At the end of the year, he will be fully employed at TU/e, with one day a week of time for research and teaching. Bentum: “I have a big heart for teaching. So if at all possible, I will certainly devote part of that day a week to teaching.”