Royal decoration for Pieternel Levelt
Professor Pieternel Levelt, Professor of Remote Sensing of the Earth Atmosphere at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CiTG), has been appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
Professor Levelt is a leading international expert who knows how to combine scientific curiosity with social commitment. Levelt's scientific expertise lies at the intersection of physics, chemistry and geosciences; conducting and interpreting satellite observations of the Earth's atmospheric chemical composition in the context of climate change, air quality and ozone layer restoration. As professor of Remote Sensing of the Earth Atmosphere at Delft University of Technology, head of the R & D department for satellite observations at The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), and affiliate professor in both the United States and China, Professor Levelt is a true example of a highly respected scientist internationally. She is considered an important role model for female students and scientists in her field.
Prof. Levelt's two satellite instruments, OMI and TROPOMI, are considered the most advanced and accurate instruments ever to make measurements from space for climate and air pollution research, and will be for years to come. Her work has not only revolutionized research on air quality, stratospheric chemistry and climate, but has also had a profound impact on societal knowledge and policy for the environmental issues of our time.
Levelt is well able to transfer her knowledge and insight to colleagues and students. She is very committed to public affairs, given her regular, national and international, appearances in the media. The measurements of reduced air pollution as a result of the COVID-19 measures have received a lot of attention in the international media.
Pieternel Level studied chemistry at the VU University in Amsterdam. After graduating in 1987, she received her PhD in Physics from the same university. Following her PhD in 1992, she joined The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) as a researcher. She has also been a part-time professor at TU Delft since 2011.
