Miriam Blaauboer: TU Delft Educator of the Year 2024

A heartfelt commitment to students, enthusiasm for education, and a collaborative spirit are some of the defining attributes of Associate Professor Miriam Blaauboer, who was recently named TU Delft Educator of the Year 2024 at the TU Delft Education Day held on 7 November. For more than two decades at TU Delft she has dedicated her career to blending research and education, creating an open, student-centred environment that goes beyond the classroom.

Educational foundations

Her journey to becoming an educator began with Miriam’s own experiences as a student. “I was lucky to have great teachers in high school for both mathematics and physics,” she says. “I still think about them regularly and the way they taught.” Getting that kind of stimulation early on was important for her and helped shape how she approaches teaching.

A physicist by training, Miriam has always worked in academia. During her 21 years at TU Delft’s Faculty of Applied Sciences, she has strived to blend research and teaching. “I’m a firm believer that these two things should go together at an academic university,” she says. “And most importantly, I really enjoy doing both.” With teaching, she notes, you can draw from research to explain things—something interesting that’s been in the media or recent discoveries. Later, students join your research group to do their thesis and thus contribute to your work, so it’s beneficial both ways. This dual focus ensures Miriam’s lectures remain relevant and engaging.

Approach to teaching

As an educator, Miriam says her approach is deeply rooted in methodical preparation. “I’m not an improviser,” she notes. “Good preparation helps me run sessions effectively, whether it’s a lecture or an exercise session.” Equally important to her is a collaborative teaching philosophy. “I love a team approach. It’s not just me as the boss of the course; it’s a collective effort,” says Miriam. Working together with teaching assistants and co-lecturers provides a sounding board that is essential to her role as a teacher.

Another important aspect for Miriam is accessibility, and she works to ensure students feel comfortable approaching her. In fact, students often give feedback that she creates an open, safe space focussed on their understanding and learning. “I try to be accessible for the students so they don't feel any barrier to write to me or to come to my office hours or to approach me after class to ask questions,” she says. And it’s not unusual for Miriam to go the extra mile when it comes to her students. In some cases, after reflecting on a student’s question, she will seek them out -whether in class or by email- to provide further explanations and make sure they really understand the topic. “It’s about meeting students where they are,” she says.

Student-centred learning

What makes her teaching impactful is not necessarily technical, but centres more on individual student learning. “Honestly, I'm not the most innovative lecturer,” Miriam admits. “I know colleagues who experiment a lot more with new digital techniques, and it’s wonderful to have so many tools, but I think what I like and tend to do is to offer multiple ways for students to learn.” For her, that includes things like group lectures, office hours where students can come individually for whatever reason, and online discussions.

Engaging students requires a blend of enthusiasm and expertise, says Miriam. “Students say I’m enthusiastic—and I think that’s true. But enthusiasm alone isn’t enough; you also need to be an expert in your field. The combination of the two is what inspires students.” Her genuine interest in people and their unique perspectives drives her student-centred approach. “Everyone has their own way of learning, and I love figuring out how to help each student thrive. That makes life fun for me.”

Innovative multidisciplinary education

During her time at TU Delft, education has evolved, which keeps Miriam learning and adapting. She realised over the years how beneficial it is to have different roles. “First and foremost, I am a teacher,” she says. “That’s where my heart lies.” A few years ago, she was intrigued by the idea of multidisciplinary education. “I had always been teaching physics, which has been around for a long time and is well defined,” says Miriam. “But nowadays companies active in quantum technology are also asking for students that are educated in a multidisciplinary way. Teaching to a diverse audience was new for me, but really interests me.”

This interest was one of the drivers behind the development of the Quantum Information Science &Technology (QIST) master’s programme, a joint initiative between TU Delft and Leiden University. Miriam played a pivotal role in building the programme, which is currently in it’s second year. Working in a managerial role with a multidisciplinary team to launch QIST has broadened her perspective on education, she says. “You have to think about the curriculum as a whole, not just your part in it. As Director of Studies, my job is not so much to micromanage all the courses but I have to make sure that the curriculum is coherent and leads up to the final attainment levels that we promise with a TU Delft diploma.”

Preparing for the future

Looking ahead, Miriam is deeply invested in the evolving landscape of education. “Lifelong learning will become increasingly important. It’s not just about getting a degree and being done. Everyone will need to learn continuously throughout their careers.” She says the challenge for TU Delft and any academic institution will be how to best prepare students for the path they will take after they leave university.

She also emphasises the need to build bridges between different forms of education. “We’re seeing more collaboration between scientific universities, universities of applied sciences, and vocational colleges. In fields like quantum technology, this is essential. It prepares students to work with people from varied educational backgrounds.”

Reflecting on her award, Miriam says: “I'm very honoured, and I think in the end the thing that counts for me the most is it's the student's voice that is indirectly being heard and that means something to me. It's students that you're working for, that you interact with, and you really care about them learning stuff. When they confirm in this way that they are learning and like the way of learning, that's really touching.”

More Information
Check out more about the Educator of the Year award link
Have a look at the reveal video of the Educator of the Year 2024 link
Check out more about the Education Day 2024 link