Alumna and staff at the HMSM
Maud Meijers [F 2014] is lecturer, researcher at the research centre Future of Food and track coordinator at the Hotel Management School Maastricht and still working on her PhD at University of Wageningen. Let's catch up with her!
I applied for a position at the Research Centre Future of Food. During conversations about that position, our former dean, Ad Smits, offered me a full-time position at the HMSM, working partly in education and partly on research. Since the beginning of this year, I am also coordinator of the track Foodservice.
My biggest challenge is dividing my time between different projects, finalizing my PhD (Wageningen University and Research), and social activities with my friends and family. I like it all!
You are not going to set yourself apart from others by turning your 5.5 into a 6.0, you will do that by turning your 8.0 into a 9.5. And regarding my PhD I was told to: 'focus on not regretting choosing for a PhD afterwards instead of during'. I do believe this piece of advice is useful beyond a PhD project: as the best views also come after the hardest climbs.
Hands down my operational internship in Washington D.C., it was a dream come true to do an internship in the US. I will be visiting D.C. again this fall. During that time I also fell in love with N.Y.C., a city that I would love to live in at some point in my life.
I love working with the younger generation! I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with them. I think it is interesting to see how they can surprise you by being somewhat naïve and surprisingly inventive almost in the same breath.
Pursue your dreams: set your goals and work towards them, be willing to do the hard work!