Team members
The team of research centre Future of Food consists of 6 members led by professor Danny Han.
Lector
'Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.'
(Soren Kierkegaard)
Danny Han
Dr. Dai-In Danny Han is professor at the research centre Future of Food at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and a senior research associate at the University of Johannesburg.
He holds a PhD in the area of mobile augmented reality user experience design and has been involved in numerous projects studying the user experience for immersive technologies in the hospitality and tourism context. His research primarily focuses on the design and application of augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality enhanced experiences and the impact on consumer psychology and behavior.
Danny has served on the board of the European Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Educators (EuroCHRIE) as well as on editorial boards of various journals. He is a founding member of the Creative Augmented and Virtual Reality Hub and Vice President of the International Association of Immersive Technology Innovation (IAITI).
He has published and regularly reviews articles in the field of hospitality and tourism, as well as business, marketing and human-computer interaction journals including International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Psychology & Marketing, Computers in Human Behavior, and the International Journal of Information Management.
Lecturer Researcher
'If you assume that there's no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there's a chance you may contribute to making a better world.'
(Noam Chomsky)
Malu Boerwinkel
Malu Boerwinkel (MSc.) is a researcher at the Future of Food research center and a senior lecturer specializing in sustainable business at Hotel Management School Maastricht.
A graduate of Hotelschool The Hague, Malu began her career in hospitality in Amsterdam, where she held roles as Guest Relations Manager and Training & Development Manager.
She pursued further education by obtaining a Master’s degree in Global Business and Sustainability from Erasmus University, which led her to transition into academia, joining Hotel Management School Maastricht. Malu is the coordinator of the sustainability learning path within the curriculum, planning, designing, linking and executing sustainability curriculum content. In addition to her research and teaching roles, Malu has recently been appointed as the Coordinator for Sustainable Transition at the school. In this capacity, she is responsible for integrating sustainability into the curriculum, campus environment & culture, operations, and staff development. Malu is the vice chair of the ICHRIE SIG Sustainability and Innovation and EuroCHRIE area consultant for the Benelux. Within the Future of Food research center, she primarily focusses on the research line ‘Sustainable Food Experience Innovation’ of the Future of Food research center. Driven by a commitment to fostering positive change, Malu advocates for a more sustainable and regenerative approach in the hospitality industry, benefiting businesses, communities, and the environment.
Lecturer Researcher
'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.' (Eleanor Roosevelt)
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Maud Meijers
Maud Meijers is the Coordinator of the Foodservice Graduation Track at the Hotel Management School Maastricht (HMSM) | Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. She also serves as a Senior Lecturer and Senior Researcher at the Research Centre Future of Food.
Maud earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from HMSM in 2014 and completed a minor and pre-master in Food Technology at Wageningen University and Research (WUR). She graduated with a Master of Science in Food Technology from WUR in 2016, specializing in Ingredient Functionality.
After graduation, Maud worked at the Laboratory of Food Chemistry (WUR), developing distance learning tools for an online master's program in Food Technology. In 2017, she began her PhD research at WUR, focusing on "Predicting the emulsion and foam properties of plant protein mixtures," as part of the “Sustainable Ingredients” consortium organized by TiFN. Maud is currently in the final stages of her PhD and preparing for her defense.
Leveraging her expertise in both food technology and food business, Maud initiates, manages, and executes research projects within the Research Centre Future of Food. As the Coordinator of the Foodservice Graduation Track, she ensures curriculum quality and alignment. Additionally, Maud manages internal and external stakeholder relationships, teaches in several modules, and provides coaching to students, including coaching student groups during graduation projects.
Lecturer Researcher
'I am passionate about food and I believe in the power that food can bring to health, using a combined approach of nutrition, gastronomy and sensory science when developing menus and food products.'
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Sílvia Gabriela Abreu e Silva
Sílvia Gabriela Abreu e Silva is a lecturer-researcher at Hotel Management School Maastricht, specialized in nutrition, gastronomy and sensory science.
She holds two bachelor’s degrees from Brazil—one in Nutrition and Health and another in Gastronomy—as well as two master’s degrees: a Master in Business Administration from FGV, Brazil, and a Master in Sensory Science from Wageningen University & Research Center. With over 20 years of experience spanning education (5+ years), the food service industry, and consultancy in food and health communication, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to food and hospitality education.
At HMSM, she develops food and gastronomy-related content across the curriculum, integrating sensory and behavioral sciences into hospitality practices. As a PhD candidate, she is working on a gastronomy tool designed to promote healthy and sustainable food choices.
Beyond her academic and research commitments, she supervises bachelor thesis projects and internships, actively acquiring and managing partnerships in the Caribbean.
Lecturer Researcher
'Taste is an acquired disposition to 'differentiate' and 'appreciate'; it is the product of upbringing and education that becomes embodied as a habitus.' (Drawing on Bourdieu’s work: Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste (1979))
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Ilonka Omta
Ilonka Omta is a lecturer in Global Competence at the Hotel Management School Maastricht. With an academic background in organizational anthropology, she brings a deep understanding of cultural dynamics and management to her teaching and research. She holds an MSc in Organizational Anthropology from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2006), where she specialized in analysing organizational cultures.
Her career has been shaped by international experiences, beginning as a Project Manager in Accra, Ghana, and later as an International Account Manager in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2012, she transitioned into the wines and spirits industry in France, deepening her expertise through the international OIV MSc in Wine Management at SupAgro University in Montpellier (2014). This intensive program allowed her to visit over 400 wine estates across 26 wine-producing countries in just one year, providing a unique perspective on the industry. Ilonka’s freelance work integrated market research, brand positioning, and storytelling with education and professional training, particularly for small and medium-sized wine and spirits producers in France. As a certified educator for WSET (Wines & Spirits Education Trust) and CIDS (Centre International des Spiritueux), she has trained industry professionals in category knowledge, production methods, and sensory analysis, equipping them with the skills to navigate global markets. She also serves as an international jury member for the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – Spirits Selection, evaluating top-tier spirits from around the world.
Ilonka is currently engaged in a Living Lab project on Food Cultures, exploring how taste perception and cultural narratives shape dining experiences in hospitality settings. Her research investigates how the embodied experience of taste—shaped by memory, cultural narratives, and social interactions—affects food perception in hospitality. This research is a bridge between two research centres at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences: Global Minds @Work and Future of Food and focuses on Dutch and Belgian Limburg, as well as Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany.
ilonka.omta@zuyd.nl
Lecturer Researcher
'It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is ... If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.' (Richard Feynman)
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Kimberley van der Heijden
Kimberley works as a lecturer-research at Hotel Management School Maastricht, specialized in behavioral science. She graduated with a bachelor degree in International Business and two master degrees in Human Decision Science and International Business: Strategic Marketing, all at Maastricht University. Subsequently, she joined Maastricht University as a research assistant for Professor Elisabeth Brüggen and later joined the PhD program.
Kimberley’s PhD focused on consumer behavior and enabled her to develop excellent skills in experimental design, survey design and data analysis. Her research has been presented at numerous international conferences and colloquiums (EMAC Doctoral Colloquium, La Londe Les Maures, ACR). In 2020 she was awarded the AMA Sheth Doctoral Consortium fellowship. Furthermore, her research appeared in leading international journals (Food Quality and Preference & PNAS) and received significant (inter)national media attention (Dailymail, Telegraph, Fox News, Psychologie Magazine).
During the last phase of her PhD and also shortly after, Kimberley worked as a behavioral researcher at D&B Gedrag in Nijmegen where she applied academic theories to societal problems (i.e. how can you reduce waste in the park?).
Currently she works as behavioral scientist for the research centre Future of Food. Specifically her research focusses on human-robot interactions in the hospitality setting, as well as behavioral change and food decision making. Furthermore, Kimberley contributes with her expertise on behavioral science in different modules and minors at HMSM. Specifically, she is the coordinator of the brand new minor Haute Hospitality: Designing Guest-Centric Iconic Hotel Brands and she supervises students on their graduation projects.
Management Assistant
‘Plans are nothing, planning is everything.’
(Albert Einstein)
Lyvie Schoenmaeckers
Lyvie got her Bachelor of Business Administration at Zuyd Hogeschool (2018) with a specialization in Event Management.
With a background in the leisure and business event industry she came to the Hotel Management School Maastricht six years ago. She started her career at the Hotel Management School Maastricht as the management assistant of the Teaching Hotel. Since three years she transferred to the educational sight of HMSM and has been working as a management assistant for the Research Centres, Global Minds @ Work and Future of Food. Besides her role as management assistant she is also working as support officer for several projects.