News
Marina van Damme Grant for alumna Gesine Harms
WUR alumna Gesine Harms (MSc Food Safety) has won the Marina van Damme Grant 2024 of €9,000. She was chosen by the jury from dozens of entries. With the grant, Harms can take the next step in her career as a food scientist.
Gesine Harms started as an intern at the food company Kerry Group and over the past 10 years has grown to become a principal scientist in flavour spray drying and capsulation with an innovation role, global network and recognition. She is still one of the few women in this field. Three years ago, she became manager of a small team and mentor to university graduates. "It is an immense pleasure to set up people for success and to see them grow and develop in their job. Especially supporting young women working in technical and scientific areas is a topic I am passionate about."
She now wants to expand her knowledge in the field of leadership, management and finance. With the help of the Marina van Damme Grant, she can now follow an Executive MBA with Food & Agribusiness track (FAMBA) at Tilburg University (TIAS, School for Business and Society). "In Tilburg they teach management and leadership with a social and society aspect. What will leadership and management look like in the future? How can we drive profits without compromising people and environment? Those are questions I want to answer for myself."
About the Marina van Damme Grant
The Marina van Damme Grant is presented annually by the Marina van Damme Fund, which is part of University Fund Wageningen. The fund supports talented female WUR alumni in the next step or turn in their technical careers. The scholarship consists of an amount of 9,000 euros and is intended for deepening or broadening knowledge or an international orientation in the form of a study, internship or project.