Four years demanded for attempted rape on TU/e campus

The homeless man who pulled a student into the bushes near student complex Haven last May, appeared in court in Den Bosch yesterday. The public prosecutor demanded a four-year prison sentence, a verdict his lawyer will not appeal.

According to ED, the man first asked the student for help setting up his tent, then overpowered her. Passersby who heard the young woman scream, managed to prevent worse from happening. In court, the perpetrator apologized multiple times. The victim, who was not present at the hearing, is still struggling with the mental aftermath of the assault. / LvA

Professor first Dutch winner INFORMS award

November 5, 2025 - Remco van der Hofstad, professor at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, is the big winner of the 17th edition of the Best Publication Award, presented by the INFORMS Applied Probability Society. This biennial prize is awarded to one or multiple authors of a book, paper, or series of papers in the field of applied probability.

Van der Hofstad impressed the jury with his book Random Graphs and Complex Networks, Volume Two, because of ‘its clarity, as well as for making significant strides to foster interdisciplinary connections between probability theory and a range of applications in computer science, statistical physics, and biology’, according to the jury. His achievement is remarkable in several respects: he is the first Dutch researcher ever to receive the award, and it is also exceptional for the prize to go to a single author and to a book — something that has happened only twice before. / CdW

Forest path to Student Sports Centre now well lit

November 4, 2025 - The forest path on campus leading to the Student Sports Centre (SSC) has been equipped with lighting since Friday. This follows reports from users who found the path too dark in the evening hours. There were already two illuminated main routes: one via the bridge extending from the Eeuwsel, and another via the footpath leading to the hockey and tennis fields. “The forest path is a faster and frequently used route, but it wasn’t lit before. We’ve now solved that,” explains Annelien Besijn, Communications Officer at Campus & Facilities.

Because the path runs through a stretch of nature, efforts were made to minimize light pollution when installing the new lighting. “The positioning of the poles and the direction of the fixtures were carefully designed with the ecological Dommel zone in mind,” Besijn adds. / CdW

Diana van der Sloot appointed new director of EIRES

November 3, 2025 - As of November 1, Diana van der Sloot has been appointed Managing Director of the Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES). She succeeds Mark Boneschanscher, who was recently appointed Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry (CE&C). Van der Sloot previously worked as Senior Program Manager at EIRES. She earned a master’s degree in Building Technology at TU/e in 2009 and has since held various positions in cradle-to-cradle initiatives and sustainability consulting.

In her new role, she will shape the strategic direction of the institute, strengthen collaboration between departments and external partners, and enhance EIRES’s impact on research and innovation in sustainable energy. / NS

The news items in this overview were translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor