Personal Stuff

Meet my brother Robbert (and read his columns in the Delta) or my sister Annemarie (she runs a company Taktikon Consultancy in Stockholm), or my sister-in-law Ramya Ramaswamy and brother-in-law Michael Gubanski.

Short biography: born in Oegstgeest (25 November 1965); MSc Mathematics, University of Amsterdam (31 August 1990, cum laude); PhD Computer Science, University of Amsterdam (1 December 1994); postdoc, Utrecht University (January 1995 - December 1996); lecturer, University of Wales Swansea (January 1997 - June 1999), researcher, CWI (July 1999 - August 2000); head of the Embedded Systems Group, CWI (September 2000 - August 2004).
Since March 2001 I am professor in Theoretical Computer Science at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, initially for one day a week. Since September 2004 I am head of the section Theoretical Computer Science.

My current chess club is Paul Keres in Utrecht. Previously I played at Rhyddings (1997-1999) in Swansea in Wales, at Caissa (1990-1996,1999-2000), Watergraafsmeer (1987-1990) and VAS/ASC (1985-1987) in Amsterdam, and at SV Heerhugowaard (1978-1985).

Old friend Dirk made some pictures of our skating trips on the IJsselmeer in February 1996, to Sweden in February 2000, and on the Oostvaardersplassen in January 2009.

My favourite band is Pavement. Favourite cd's are Good is in your Bones by Sukilove, Ano Neko by Dobet Gnahore, Spinvis by Spinvis, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot by Sparklehorse, A Certain Trigger by Maximo Park, Silent Alarm by Bloc Party, In a Bar, Under the Sea by dEUS, and Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) by Captain Beefheart. I also listen to classical music a lot, my favourite composers are Purcell, Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Bartok, Prokofiev, Shostakovich.

Sykosonics: Maria Romijn, Joost Kuijer and Sander van Veen play "rafelige indiepop".

De Parels en de Funkie Reddingsbrigade: "You're a nurd if you don't wanna flirt with the funk!"