TU Delft: NWO appoints Karen Aardal to the board of the NWO Domain Science

Professor Karen Aardal was appointed as board member of the NWO Domain Science. This is one of the four unique NWO Domains that plan new financing programmes. The science domain covers many different scientific disciplines, such as geography, astronomy, chemistry, computer science, life sciences, physics and mathematics.

As a professor at the Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Aardal brings with her an enormous knowledge on the area of applied mathematics and theoretical computer science. In recent years her research was concerned with the algorithmic optimization of complex systems. Think for example problems arising in logistics, and of positioning of ambulances and trauma helicopters in The Netherlands and in Norway. She calculated that it would be possible to reach 90% of all accidents in Norway in 45 minutes with just four helicopters, even with the distances being as big as they are. With nine helicopters, all accidents in Norway could be reached in time. She expanded on this research in the Netherlands, by working on the optimal placement of ambulances. This way she is using mathematics to save lives.

Aardal will fulfil her position as board member for three years, starting on the 1st of September. Previously, Aardal was president of the Mathematical Optimization Society (MOS) and a board member of the INFORMS Computing Society. In 2019 she was appointed as a Fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.