Stefan Bon
He/Him
I am gay and I am a professor of chemical engineering focussing on polymer and colloid science.//
I studied chemical engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology and was “hypnotised” by the beauty of colloid and polymer science through a study internship at Nippon Paint, Osaka, Japan during the summer of 1992. My PhD allowed my to dive in properly and unleash creativity. I knew i wanted to be an academic as I very much enjoy unraveling the unknown in science, pushing boundaries. Moreover, I love teaching and enjoy sharing the fascinating aspects of colloidal science. I knew i was gay from early age. Came out during my PhD studies when i gained sufficient confidence and self-esteem as a person. Yes, even in the progressive Netherlands there was a big hurdle in the 1990s. The fun thing was that originally I wanted to study computer science (the cool geeky thing to do in the late 1980s). However, the monotonous grey IBM computers with monochrome screens put me off on a university open day. It was not flamboyant, artistic, and creative enough. Chemical engineering was. This drive to be creative is the red or should I say pink thread throughout my further career. Being an academic gives me the freedom and opportunity to work together with my team and innovate, with a smile.
Twitter: @bonlab; Instagram: @stefanbonlab